Defective Vehicles

For many families, the purchase of a new vehicle is a major investment. In exchange, you expect a safe, reliable vehicle that will last you for years to come. Unfortunately, the risk of dangerous and defective vehicles is all too real. In some cases, manufacturers have even been accused of hiding those risks from both consumers and the government.

Consulting with an experienced Fort Myers car accident attorney is critical in the wake of a serious or fatal accident. In many cases, a vehicle defect may be an unknown contributor to an accident. All too often, the defect is never indentified as a cause of the accident. For example, numerous motorists were injured or killed in runaway Toyotas before vehicle defects were blamed for the accidents.

In late 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation levied a record-breaking fine of more than $30 million against Toyota after finding that the world’s largest automaker intentionally hid problems with unintended acceleration for years.

Safercar.gov is a government website dedicated to informing consumers about the safety ratings, defects, and other issues that may be associated with new and used vehicles. As such, it can be an invaluable resource when looking to make a new or used car purchase.

Nationwide, more than 390 million vehicles have been recalled in the United States – that is more than one vehicle for every man, woman and child. Safety features are an increasing cause of safety recalls – either because of what they do, or because of what they don’t do. More than 1 million Ford F-150 trucks – the most popular vehicle in the United States – were recalled in 2011 because of an electrical problem that could lead to unexpected airbag deployment. Meanwhile, at cross-town rival General Motors, 50,000 Cadillac SRX crossovers were recalled because of problems associated with the passenger side airbag not deploying in the event of a crash.

By 2019, the industry was recalling an average of more than 20 million vehicles annually. Introduction of electric vehicles and niche producers like Tesla, as well as in-car technology and the birth of driverless automobiles, means a growing number of defective vehicle lawsuits involved some of the nation’s largest technology companies, including Google and Apple.

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, we have the necessary experience and the resources to thoroughly investigate your accident and determine the probable causes. In some cases, a defective vehicle may be partially to blame. In other cases, defective roads or other causes may be indentified – such as overgrown vegetation or an inoperable traffic-control device. Indentifying all of the responsible parties is at the heart of determining the best course of action to recover the maximum compensation you deserve under the law.

800-646-1210 – Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner – Focused on Justice

Vehicle Recalls

Top 5

• 21 million Ford cars and trucks were recalled in 1981 because they failed to remain in park.
• 7.9 million Fords were recalled in 1996 because of a fire risk.
• 6.7 million General Motors vehicles were recalled in 1971 because of a problem with engine mountings.
• 5.8 million General Motors vehicles were recalled in 1981 because of a problem with the suspension.
• 4.5 million Ford vehicles were recalled in 2005 because of a problem that could lead to a stuck cruise control.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.