Defective Product Claims against Automakers in Alexandria, LA

Considering how much we invest in our new cars or trucks, we expect them to perform well and provide safe transportation. Unfortunately, there have been a record number of defective automobile recalls in recent years, usually after problems, injuries and deaths are reported.

The seasoned Alexandria defective vehicle law firm of Chris J. Roy, Jr. protects the full compensation rights of clients who must deal with serious, life-threatening injuries from a faulty vehicle. If you or a family member has been hurt in such a wreck, those injuries may justify filing a defective product lawsuit against the vehicle manufacturer to recover damages for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering and other rightful compensation.

Too Many Recalls: Too Much Damage and Suffering in Alexandria, LA

Consumer Reports tells us that in 2014, 62 million U.S. vehicles were recalled. That’s one in four of the total number of vehicles on the road. Some of the most memorable defects in automotive history include:

• Toyota’s Out-of-Control Gas Pedals – After 30 wrongful deaths, in 2009 & 2010, Toyota recalled nine million 2004-2010 cars and trucks.
• The Takata Seatbelt Recall – The company’s current massive airbag recall has eclipsed the 8.3 million vehicles recalled from 1995-98. Problems with Hondas, Nissans, Chryslers, Mitsubishis, GM trucks, Mazdas, Suzukis, Subarus, and Isuzus manufactured between 1986 and 1995 cost the company more than $1 billion.
• Ford and GM Ignition Problems – In the early ’90s Ford’s affected vehicles (8.7 million ’86-’89 models) were recalled because of ignition short-circuiting and engine overheating. GM’s current ignition recall (begun in 2015) started with 800,000 small cars, but exploded to nearly 30 million vehicles; GM has paid compensation for 124 wrongful deaths.
• Airbags and Children – These safety devices have been in vehicles for around 40 years, yet they still cause serious injuries. The most vulnerable are passengers who weigh less than 100 pounds – such as children and infants. Violently inflating airbags can seriously harm them if they’re positioned within 18 to 24 inches of the dashboard; many injuries can be permanently debilitating – even fatal.

And let’s not forget the 6.5 million Firestone tires in 2000 – the second-largest tire recall in U.S. history. Most fatal crashes involved primarily Ford Explorers and occurred primarily in southern U.S. states like Louisiana. Other recalls can affect the following auto, SUV, and pickup truck features:

• Seat failures – Have been known to collapse and injure passengers
• Door latch failures – Hinder or prevent timely escape in dangerous situations
• Gas tank & fuel line failures – Have caused vehicle fires
• Rollovers – Due to poor vehicle design or defective tires – especially SUVs and pickup trucks
• Defective glass – Imperfections weaken them and cause window failures
• Crushed roofs – Caused by weak support structures.

The publication, Your Car Mechanic, ran the numbers and came up with the Top 10 Most Recalled Car Brands since 2004. In order, they are:

1. Ford
2. Chevrolet
3. BMW
4. Toyota
5. Dodge
6. Honda
7. GMC
8. Nissan
9. Volvo
10. Mercedes-Benz

Have you been Injured by Your Defective Vehicle?

As cars and trucks further embrace technology, software and operating system flaws are becoming targets of hackers and subject to dangers which prompt recalls. Two recent ones involved:

• The spring 2017 recall by Fiat Chrysler of 1.25 million Dodge Ram pickups to correct a software error that may have caused one crash death and at least two injuries so far
• General Motors’ September 2016 recall of more than 400,000 vehicles, primarily Buick and Chevrolet, which experienced similar system control problems.

With high-tech vehicles now becoming “driving systems” that relieve drivers from some traditional obligations – making them more like passengers – computing systems perform such functions as braking, staying in lanes, and parallel parking. But as we have already seen, auto systems can be breached. This makes vehicles “targets of opportunity” for sophisticated hackers, which can be catastrophic for any drivers and surrounding vehicles on the road. This is why people injured in accidents caused by defective vehicles need representation and counsel from a seasoned defective auto accident lawyer.

In Louisiana, there are two possible product liability claims involving motor vehicles in Alexandria. The first applies to an injury accident caused by an improperly manufactured vehicle, vehicle part, or tire. The second type applies to vehicles with “unreasonably dangerous design” flaws that produce injuries or even wrongful deaths.

Call Our Alexandria Accident Law Firm for Your Free Consultation Today

If you were injured in a defective vehicle accident in Alexandria, reach out to Chris J. Roy, Jr. APLC at (318) 487-9537. With decades of experience, Chris and his associates have the necessary resources to prove your case and preserve your compensation rights. As a former state legislator and a practicing car accident lawyer for almost 30 years, Chris continues to fight for the rights of all our neighbors who are victims of negligent accidents in Alexandria, Pineville, and all of Central Louisiana.