Woman calling car assistance

Purchasing a vehicle that turns out to be defective is disappointing. Discovering that the product liability was due to car manufacturers trying to save money by skipping safety technology is infuriating.

That is why Langdon & Emison fight passionately to help clients who have been injured due to car defects in Kansas City. We know that their injuries could have been avoided if the manufacturer had done their due diligence and ensured that the car was safe to go to market.

Call us today at (816) 793-8867 for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Causes of Car Defects

Design Issue

Design issues warrant speaking with a Kansas City car defects lawyer right away because the flaw may impact many others across the nation who have purchased the same vehicle. Issues with the design will occur in every vehicle produced, leading to a large recall that will take the product off the market.

Examples of design issues with cars include:

Easily rolls over
Roof collapses, crushing occupants when the vehicle rolls over

Manufacturing Issue

If the dangerous issue is not due to the design of the vehicle, then it may come down to production. During the manufacturing process, there are opportunities for errors to occur that would make normal use of the vehicle dangerous. These typically occur in small batches of vehicles.

Examples of manufacturing issues are:

Gas pedals that stick
Incorrect engine set up that leads to combustion
Ineffective airbags in one set of vehicles

Not Adequately Tested

Sometimes, product liability will not be revealed until the company has properly tested the vehicle. With many companies trying to release new models onto the market sooner and with lower costs, they will skip this important phase.

Other companies may do some tests, but skip other vital tests that ensure the safety of their vehicles.

Untested vehicles can present a host of dangers to consumers who require the help of a Kansas City vehicle defects lawyer.

Types of Car Defects

Tires

Defective tires can cause blowouts, especially when drivers are going at high speeds. This can cause a driver to veer out of control, hit other cars, and roll over. In cases of inclement weather, this can be fatal for anyone involved in the accident.

Tires need a thorough inspection to ensure that they are sturdy and have sufficient traction.

Seat Belts

Seat belts are one of the most important car safety inventions. Without seatbelts, drivers would be ejected through the windshield and passengers may be thrown as well.

Seat belts that fail might be defective. The clasping mechanism may be faulty or the material of the strap may be insufficient to bear the weight of a body. If either of these defects occurs, a seat belt product liability case is valid.

Car Seats

When car seats fail, the effects can be fatal for a small child. Standards and practices for children’s car seats are regularly updated and should be adhered to by manufacturers and parents alike.

Brakes

Cars have routine brake maintenance to ensure that they are functioning properly. Cars without functioning brakes are dangerous to all other cars on the road. Brakes can fail if there is an error in the manufacturing process or a mechanic performs substandard repairs.

Gas Pedals

Gas pedals that stick when pressed, cannot be pressed, or suddenly jerk into a new position are an example of a car defect that can injure a driver. Once you lose control, you are unable to obey traffic signals and become a danger to others on the road. Many cars will end up veering off the road to avoid a collision with the runaway vehicle, unintentionally causing other collisions.

Airbags

A defective airbag may fail to inflate at the scene of an accident. The driver would then hit the steering column and potentially break bones or suffer a traumatic brain injury. If an airbag suddenly inflates, the driver could suffer injuries both from the airbag itself and from getting into a collision due to the shock.

Vehicle Rollover

Vehicles with an ineffective design may be more prone to rollovers. If they are not properly tested, they can be recalled for putting drivers at risk. Older vans and large vehicles are especially prone to this.

Defective Car Recalls

If a product is found to be defective, the company that manufactures the product has a moral and legal obligation to take them off the market. Once they know the vehicle is faulty, they must either replace the faulty parts for free or refund the consumer’s money and collect the faulty vehicle.

Car manufacturers do not like having to publicly recall vehicles as it affects their reputation and profits. With limited oversight, these issues will keep occurring.

Contact a Kansas City Car Defects Lawyer

If you have been injured by a car defect in Kansas City, contact the lawyers at Langdon & Emison. Our product liability lawyers have taken on large car manufacturers before and continue to do so to create a safer community for us all.