Recalls on motor vehicles are becoming more and more common. These recalls reflect the fact that vehicles often have faulty parts and, sometimes, faulty designs. Unfortunately, sometimes these defects can result in serious and even deadly safety issues. A recent example would be the defective airbags that were found in many new vehicles throughout Nevada and the rest of the U.S. These defects lead to a large number of serious injuries every year. According to the NHTSA, 2% of all car accidents in the U.S. can be attributed to the failure of some part in a vehicle. However, bringing a successful claim against a vehicle manufacturer can be complex and typically requires the assistance of lawyers and experts.
Bringing a Successful Claim
Often, bringing a successful claim against a vehicle manufacturer will require the claimant to establish the following:
- The vehicle or one of its components had an “unreasonably dangerous” defect. The defect can be due to a faulty design, faulty manufacturing, damage incurred during its shipping (i.e., delivery from the manufacturer), or through a failure to provide reasonable warnings.
- The defect must have caused the injuries being claimed. Typically, this is through the ensuing crash that the defect caused. The vehicle must have been being used in a reasonable or foreseeable manner at the time of the crash. For example, you may not be able to recover if you used a sports sedan to cross a stream.
- The vehicle had not been substantially changed from the condition in which it was originally sold. In other words, you have not customized or modified the vehicle in some relevant way.
Hire an Experienced Attorney
If you were injured due to a defect in your motor vehicle, you can seek compensation for your damages and injuries, including your medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle or property damage, and pain and suffering. However, establishing the factors described above can be complicated. For these reasons, successful defective vehicle claims are often the result of an experienced injury attorney as well as experts in the relevant field. Having a local defective products attorney in Las Vegas could be critical to the success of your case. The Las Vegas car accident attorneys at SJW Injury Attorneys can assist you throughout the entire claims process. If you have more questions regarding a potential defective vehicle claim, please see our Defective Products page. You may also feel free to contact our office. Consultations are completely free of charge.
