New Orleans Auto Defect Attorneys
A History of Success in Holding Negligent Auto Manufacturers Accountable
Auto manufacturers—and others involved in the chain of distribution—have a responsibility to produce vehicles that are safe and compliant with all applicable regulations. Unfortunately, these entities often cut corners in an effort to maximize profits and at the expense of public safety. This leads to thousands of auto recalls each year, as well as countless accidents, injuries, and deaths.
If you or someone you love was involved in a car accident caused by or related to an auto defect, you could have a product liability claim against the manufacturer or another liable party. At Potts Law Firm, our New Orleans auto defect attorneys are prepared to help you navigate the legal process and fight for the justice you deserve.
Call our office today at (506) 677-8259 or contact us online to request a free initial consultation.
Common Auto Defects
In addition to being poorly designed, automobiles can contain numerous manufacturing defects. Motor vehicles are highly complex machines with thousands of individual parts. Any one of these parts can be defective, leading to serious complications and even deadly consequences.
Some of the most common types of auto defects include:
- Seatbelts: Seatbelts are critical for passenger safety. When they are incorrectly designed or installed, or when they contain defects that cause them to fail, vehicle occupants can be severely injured or killed.
- Airbags: Airbags are another important safety feature that, when defective, can allow or even cause severe bodily injury or death. Recent auto defect litigation has included faulty airbags that do not deploy on impact, as well as those that deploy without impact or deploy too quickly, sending debris flying through the cabin.
- Braking Systems: Faulty braking systems pose an obvious and immediate threat to motorists, their passengers, and others on the road. When a vehicle does not slow or stop properly, it can lead to devastating accidents.
- Door Latch Mechanisms: Defective door latch mechanisms can lead to door latch failures, which can have serious consequences. A vehicle door with a defective latch mechanism might bounce back and hit someone if closed too forcefully, or it could swing open while a vehicle is moving.
- Tires: Defective automobile tires pose a serious safety risk to motorists and others on the road. Uneven wear, overinflation, underinflation, and faulty tires can explode, shred, or tear while the vehicle is in motion, leading to loss of vehicle control.
- Steering Components: Faulty steering components can make it impossible for a driver to control their vehicle. This can happen even when a vehicle is moving, which may result in a serious accident.
- Vehicle Design: Defective vehicle design poses all sorts of risks. Common examples of faulty vehicle design include improperly placed fuel systems (most famously in the Ford Pinto), top-heavy vehicles that roll over easily, and vehicles that lack adequate support structures, leading to roof crushes and cave-ins in the event of a rollover.
Note that these are just some examples of common auto defects; a motor vehicle may contain many other types of defects, all of which put motorists, passengers, and others at risk.
Call (506) 677-8259 or submit a contact form today to get started.
Was Your Vehicle Defective?
After an accident, it is not always easy to tell whether the vehicle or vehicles involved contained some defect that caused or contributed to the accident. However, this is a critical element of your product liability claim. For this reason, it is important that you work with an experienced and knowledgeable attorney, like those at Potts Law Firm, who has experience investigating motor vehicle accident claims and proving product liability.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tracks most auto recalls on its website. You can check to see if your vehicle has been recalled by visiting its Safety Issues and Recalls page. You will need to know your vehicle’s 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN), which can be found on the lower lefthand (driver’s) side of your vehicle’s windshield or on your registration card.
However, it is important to note that not all defective vehicles are recalled. Additionally, even if a vehicle is recalled, this does not mean that the manufacturer is absolved from liability. We encourage you to reach out to our firm right away to learn more about your legal rights and options, including the right to pursue an auto defect claim.