Car Accident Injuries Involving Defective Auto Parts

Most vehicles are designed keeping safety in mind. They are carefully manufactured to withstand all pressures arising out of constant use or collision. However, in certain cases, some automotive products have manufacturing defects that may cause them to malfunction, and cause serious injuries or even death. There have been a number of personal injury cases where defective auto parts such as air bags, seat belts, door latches, or other parts have malfunctioned causing serious injuries to the passengers. Some common auto parts that can malfunction and lead to injuries include:

Tires

A car's tires can malfunction leading to a severe car accident that injures or kills the occupants. Tread separation is the most cause of defective tires. It can be a result of manufacturing or design defect. Tire malfunctioning has a severe impact in case of vehicles that have a centre of gravity such as an SUV, because the possibility of rollover accidents is high. Tire failure can cause minor to severe car crashes. It can cause severe injuries if causes a vehicle rollover, or if the driver loses control and collides with another vehicle.

Seat Belts

Seatbelts are the most important safety feature in a car. Many injuries and fatalities are prevented just because the passengers were properly buckled up at the time of crash. The main function of the seatbelt is to minimize passenger's contact with the interior, and to prevent ejection in case of a collision or crash. However, the seatbelt may malfunction because of a manufacturing defect and cause grievous injuries to the occupants. Common seatbelt defects include failed seatbelt buckles or failed retractors. Shoulder only seatbelts can cause spine, and neck injuries, or may lead to strangulation.

Brakes

A vehicle's braking system may malfunction in a number of ways, and lead to serious crashes.Brake system malfunctioning usually results because of manufacturing defects such as if the manufacturer fails to attach hydraulic lines to the braking system. It may also be caused by defective parking brake system, or overheated brakes that damage brake pads or rotors.

Other Defects

Another common automotive defect that leads to car accidents is the airbag malfunctioning. Airbags are installed to keep the occupants safe in case of a crash or collision. However, they may result in injury if they deploy with too much force, deploy when not needed, failure to deploy, or deploy too slowly. Other common defects include defective steering columns, transmissions, crashworthiness defects, or child car seats.

If you or anyone close to you has received injuries because of defective automotive parts, you must consult with an experienced Missouri car accident attorney to discuss your legal rights, and find out the best course of action that will help you get the compensation you deserve. In cases of car accident injuries, the lawyer consults engineers, design experts, and restraint system experts to figure out if defective automotive parts such as seatbelts or tires have contributed to the injury.

If you have been injured in an automobile accident, contact a personal injury attorney at The Hoffmann Law Firm L.L.C. by calling (314) 361-4242 and scheduling a free consultation.