Generally speaking, auto manufacturers cannot be held liable for the outcome of car accidents involving vehicles they produced, but a crucial exception is made when an accident stems directly from a defect within one of those vehicles. In those cases, the manufacturer of that component or vehicle may be the primary liable party for that wreck and any damages suffered by the car’s occupants.
However, filing a suit against a giant automobile manufacturer is far from a simple task, especially if you try to do so without guidance from a products liability attorney. With a seasoned Atlanta auto defects lawyer by your side, you could have much better chances of proving culpability for your injuries and recovering comprehensive compensation for your ensuing losses.
Generally, when a motor vehicle manufacturer is liable for an auto accident, they are specifically liable for either a design defect or a manufacturing defect. The former refers to a problem with a vehicle’s inherent design that could be incredibly dangerous to passengers in an accident, whereas a manufacturing defect entails a vehicle with a safe design being assembled incorrectly or having an individually faulty component.
If they stem from either of the aforementioned types of defects, any of the following issues could confer liability to an automobile manufacturer if they directly result in a crash:
An experienced auto defects attorney could help you collect evidence from the site of a local accident and determine whether a defect in their vehicle or that of another person involved was responsible for your wreck.
If a car manufacturer does not identify a defect and issue a recall in time to prevent an accident from occurring, anyone injured in such an accident could file suit against the manufacturer and hold them liable to pay for all their ensuring damages. This includes both economic damages like car repair bills, medical expenses, and lost income from time missed at work, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disability or disfigurement.
Even if liability is clear, it can be extremely difficult for an individual plaintiff to successfully file suit against a massive corporation. Every major car company retains entire teams of lawyers whose sole responsibility is to contest civil lawsuits filed against their employer, and anyone who tries to fight that kind of opposition alone is going to have their work cut out for them.
Retaining a skilled auto defects lawyer is often crucial to evening the odds in a defendant’s favor. Legal counsel could help you conclusively prove negligence and pursue civil restitution on your own or, if the situation calls for it, together with other injured plaintiffs through a class action lawsuit.
Few types of product defects are more dangerous than those that occur in motor vehicles. If a key safety feature or internal system fails during an accident, the outcome for the people involved in this wreck could be—and unfortunately often are—catastrophic in nature.
If you want to pursue compensation from an auto manufacturer for a defect that caused you harm, you should strongly consider seeking help from an Atlanta auto defects lawyer who has successfully handled similar cases before. Call today to set up a consultation and learn how a legal professional could help in your situation.
