Car manufacturers and dealerships owe you a duty of care when you purchase a motor vehicle. It means that the vehicle’s components should work in the way they were intended to, and if a defective car part caused your accident or aggravated the injuries you suffered, you may have a case.

You may have heard of car recalls initiated by manufacturers once they discover a fundamental flaw in either the design or functionality of a component in the vehicle. Unfortunately, some of these defects slip through their quality control systems, and you may find yourself the victim of an accident caused by a defective car part. 

Common Car Defects

A defective car part can arise from its design, manufacture or failure to warn the users of the risk inherent to the product or prevent improper use, which might cause injury or death. Instances where a defective car part may cause or worsen your injuries include:

• Airbags that fail to deploy or deploy when they shouldn’t
• Seat belts that unbuckle during a crash
• Faulty electrical systems that cause fire following a crash
• Sudden unintended acceleration or brake failure, among others

There may be multiple liable parties, depending on how your accident occurred. The defective part’s manufacturers, marketers or designers, the dealership or mechanic who may have incorrectly installed it could all be potentially responsible. It is important to proceed carefully in your case, given that you are likely to be going against highly influential car manufacturers who have a reputation to protect and the resources to put up a serious legal fight.

Protect your rights by making informed decisions on how to proceed in your case. If indeed a defective car part caused or aggravated your injuries, you have a right to be adequately compensated for your injuries.