Nassau County Defective Car Injury

Each year thousands of vehicles in New York are subject to recall because of design or manufacturing defects. In some cases the recall was initiated before any accidents or serious injuries while in other cases the recall was spurred by serious accidents or deaths. Problems have ranged from gas pedal sticking, cars spontaneously slipping from part to reverse, electronic switches igniting, airbag failures, and fuel tank fires. Injuries associated with defective vehicles range widely from minor scrapes and bruises to serious injuries such as a head or brain injury, broken or crushed bones, lacerations from broken glass, burns and a back or spinal cord injury. In many cases victims died in accidents caused by defects. However, just as in the case of a car accident caused by driver negligence, a construction accident or medical malpractice, victims of car accidents caused by manufacturing or design defects have the right to compensation. If you are in need of a New York Injury Lawyer because you were seriously injured in a car accident caused by a defect, it is important that you immediately contact a Nassau County Defective Car Injury Lawyer as you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering through a product liability claim.

Fuel system defects. A car explodes after a collision because of a poorly designed fuel system or because of the placement of the fuel tank. With one particular vehicle, in the 1970s nearly 30 people died in rear-end collisions because of the placement of the fuel tank and many others were seriously burned.

Roof collapse. In a rollover accident the roof of a vehicle collapses resulting in serious injuries to victims such as neck injuries and paralysis. This type of defect has been associated with SUVs, which have also been known to roll over more often than other types of vehicles.

Airbag failures. Airbags fail to activate at all in a collision, or only activated when there was extreme force in a collision.

Seatbelt failures. Seat belts did not properly restrain passengers because they had too much slack. As a result passengers suffered serious injuries.

Tire tread separation problem. Tread separation occurred while cars and SUVs traveled at high speeds, resulting in collisions. In a particular serious case the tire separation problem would lead to an SUV rollover accident. Nearly 250 deaths resulted from this problem in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

There are two major types of product liability claims related to vehicles: defective design and defectively manufactured vehicles or parts

Defectively manufactured. If a car is not manufactured properly, the result could be that it fails and leads to an accident. In such a case the car company or the company that manufactures the part that failed would be liable.

Defective design. If a car is properly manufactured, but was designed poorly, the result could be an accident. A car that explodes in a collision because it was designed with a fuel tank located in a dangerous spot, is an example of a car that has a design defect.

If you were injured because of a defect in the design of a vehicle or a defect in during the manufacturing process, you may be entitled to compensation. If your seat belt injury was caused because the seat belt malfunctioned or because it was defectively designed, then the car manufacturer or seat belt manufacturer may be legally liable for your injuries. If you are injured by a properly designed and properly functioning seat belt, you cause of action would be against the person responsible for the car accident.

Victims of car accidents often face significant medical expenses including fees associated with emergency room treatment, the hospital stay, treatment by doctors, physical therapy, assistive equipment, and medication. To make matters worse, while you are recovering you will not be able to work and earn an income to pay for your medical expenses and support your family.

Through a personal injury or product liability claim you may be able to recover compensation for your losses. For example, you may be able to recover both past and future medical expenses including hospital bills, expenses for surgery, rehabilitation fees, and fees for prescription medication. Furthermore, you may be able to recover both lost wages, loss of future earning capacity and pain and suffering.

Beware that New York law has a specific time limit for filing a claim in a personal injury case. If you do not file your claim within the time period, you will be forever barred from collecting damages even if your case has merit.

If you were involved in a car accident that you believe was due to a defect, it is important to immediately contact an experienced car accident attorney. Accidents that involve design or manufacturing defects are complex, requiring knowledge of both personal injury law and product liability law. Contact Stephen Bilkis and Associates to discuss the details of your case. We have the experience and resources to thoroughly investigate accidents to determine all contributing factors. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case.