Atlanta Attorneys for Automobile Defect Claims
Automobile manufacturers have an obligation to design cars with safety as the number one priority. Our Atlanta attorneys know that, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes an automobile is defective in design and the manufacturer knowingly fails to warn consumers of such problems. Driving an unsafe vehicle can cause serious injury or even death to the driver and passengers.
Following is a list of defects that can lead to severe injury and death in the event of an accident.
Seatbelt Defects
Seatbelts are part of the safety system designed to protect the occupants of a vehicle in the event of an accident and should be worn properly at all times while the vehicle is in operation. Properly designed and manufactured seatbelts can save those wearing them from serious injury or death. Sometimes, however, seatbelts fail to secure the user in the event of an accident and can cause whiplash, ejection, and other devastating injuries. Typical forms of seatbelt failure include:
- Inadvertent or unintentional unlatching. This occurs when the buckle latch is easily unintentionally disengaged.
- Seat lap belt only. This occurs when there is no diagonal shoulder strap to restrain the upper torso.
- Excessive seat belt slack. This occurs when the shoulder strap does not snuggly fit across the occupant’s chest.
- Shoulder belt spool-out injuries. This occurs when the shoulder strap does not lock in the event of an accident.
- Seatback failure. This occurs when the seatback collapses due to the seatbelt pressing the weight of the occupant against the seat back in a rear end collision.
Tire Defects
Improperly manufactured or designed tires can cause serious injury or death. The most common and widespread defects include:
- Tire inflation explosion. This occurs when the tire explodes during inflation due to bead, sidewall or rim failure.
- Tread or belt separation. This occurs when the tread of steel belted radial tires separates from the rest of the tire.
Gas Tank Defects
Vehicles are required to be designed with the safety of occupants in mind. Yet many injuries and deaths each year are caused when collisions cause fires and explosions due to defective gas tanks. Most of the gas tank-related injuries caused by defective design and manufacture of the vehicle are due to the placement of the vehicle’s gas tank. Cracks in the tank or separation of the tank from the fuel line can also lead to serious and sometimes fatal fires.
