Defects in cars, including their components and safety accessories, can pose serious hazards to consumers and often lead to recalls designed to prevent injuries and deaths. On August 11, 2015, for example, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of 213,753 Britax Child Safety, Inc. (Britax) Advocate, Boulevard, and Marathon ClickTight Child Seats for a defect that can endanger young occupants. The recalled seats have a red harness-adjuster button that may stick in the down—or harness release—position, which can cause a harness to loosen, thereby inadequately restraining a child and increasing the child’s risk of injury or death in the event of a crash. Britax will notify owners and send them a free repair kit to remedy the problem.
Defective cars and motor-vehicle safety equipment have the potential to cause serious injury or wrongful death to consumers. The Killino Firm’s car-accident and personal-injury lawyers have extensive experience with cases arising out of injuries and deaths caused by defective cars and vehicle safety equipment. If you have been injured or one of your loved ones has died due to a vehicle defect, contact The Killino Firm for more information about your legal rights and options.
Who Can Be Held Legally Responsible for Injuries and Deaths Caused by Defects in Cars or Vehicle Safety Equipment?
Cars, other motor vehicles, and motor-vehicle safety equipment such as seatbelts, airbags, and child car seats are often recalled if found to be in noncompliance with applicable federal regulations. Despite a manufacturer’s compliance with these regulations and/or current industry standards, however, the manufacturer (and others involved in a vehicle’s or safety equipment’s production and distribution) may be found legally responsible for injuries and deaths determined to have been caused by certain types of vehicle or equipment defects.
Under products-liability law—which provides a remedy for consumers injured by dangerous and defective products—a plaintiff may recover damages suffered as a result of such injury, even if the producers and distributors of the product were unaware of the product defect when the accident occurred and were not negligent in either creating the product or in releasing it to consumers. As long as the plaintiff can establish that it is more likely than not that the product contained a defect in its design, manufacture, or warnings at the time the product was sold and at the time the injury-causing accident occurred, the manufacturer, wholesaler, assembler, and others in the stream of the product’s production and distribution may be held strictly liable for a victim’s injury that is shown to have been caused by the product defect.
Obtain Legal Assistance from The Killino Firm, P.C.
The Killino Firm has achieved national recognition for its representation of consumers who have been injured by defective cars and other products. If you or a family member has been injured by a defective product, The Killino Firm can help you achieve justice from the responsible parties.
