Crashworthiness | Defective Car & Auto Product Lawyers in Florence, KY
“Crashworthiness” relates to the ability of a vehicle to protect passengers in the case of a crash. While this applies to aircraft as well as cars, most crashworthiness cases are a result of some negligence on the part of an auto manufacturer.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) dedicates research into crashworthiness, because ultimately passenger safety comes first on our roads and highways. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are the regulatory requirements placed on manufacturers, including crashworthiness standards for:
- Airbags
- Brakes
- Child Passenger Safety
- Disabled Drivers and Passengers
- Seat Belts
- Tires
- Fuel Tanks
Crashworthiness is critically important to auto manufacturing. In 2015, Kentucky ranked 6th in the nation for most auto accident fatalities (NHTSA Car Accident Data), with 593 fatalities on rural roads and 167 fatalities in urban areas.
Here are examples of crashworthiness cases due to manufacturer negligence:
Airbags may fail to deploy, have an incorrect timing mechanism, incorrect energy/force deployment or have defective parts that may cause severe or fatal injuries, particularly brain injuries.
In crashworthiness cases, for example, a vehicle’s tires failed to deliver sufficient deceleration to avoid the injury in the first place.
Defective Gas Tank
(Gas Tank Fire)
Defective fuel systems create an increased risk of a gas tank fire after a car accident. Burn injuries may be severe or deadly, and when caused by a manufacturer’s negligence, they are liable for your injuries.
Defective Seat
Passenger seating may be defective based on a failure with the seat back, the structure of the seat or failures with the connection and locks to the vehicle frame. These may cause severe neck and back injuries, spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and even fatal injuries.
Defective Seat Belt
Seatbelts defects lose their life-saving potential in situations where the belt may accidentally release, have a defective latch or there is a failure in the webbing, anchor or retractor.
Defective Safety Cage
Automobiles are designed with varying strengths of metal to create a safety cage where there is minimal “crush” and maximum protection of the passenger area. Defects in the vehicle cage design, which can involve roof collapse, cause injuries based on negligence in the design or manufacturing process.
Defective Window Glass
Flying glass debris is something that auto glass is designed to minimize, and faulty design may lead to injuries.
Rollover Risk
Larger vehicles, typically SUVs, are at a higher risk of rollover due to having a higher ground clearance and center of gravity. Manufacturers must design their vehicles to minimize this risk, and negligence in design, not driver error, may be the cause of the rollover accident.
Do I Have A Crashworthiness Legal Case?
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, first and foremost ensure that you are receiving the proper medical care. Car injuries range from mild to severe or fatal, and some injuries may have delayed onset of symptoms, such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
You can read our full guide on What To Do After An Auto Accident here, but one thing that is especially important in a crashworthiness case is the preservation of evidence.
This is why it is critically important to speak with an experienced car accident and product liability attorney as soon as possible.
Regardless of what component of your vehicle was defective, an experienced Kentucky defective auto product lawyer will both ensure you’re receiving the proper medical treatment and attention, as well as ensure the evidence -- your vehicle -- is properly preserved and documented.
To have a case, your attorney will work with experts to find any negligence in design or defective auto product.
Remember: the cause of the crash and the cause of injury are a different story.
Therefore you have a case if we can argue that the manufacturer’s negligence, not whoever was at fault for the accident, is liable for your injuries.
Talk To An Experienced Crashworthiness Lawyer Today
FREE Consultations
The experienced Kentucky injury lawyers at Dallas & Turner, PLLC can give you the peace of mind knowing you have attorneys who are experienced in dealing with crashworthiness and defective auto products.
We will ensure that you are receiving the proper medical attention, preserve the evidence and build your crashworthiness liability case against the manufacturer.
Don’t worry about the cost, either. We don’t charge anything until you get paid for your injuries and medical bills.
Call 859-630-0666 today and schedule a FREE consultation with an experienced Kentucky crashworthiness lawyer, or you may use our FREE online case submission form.