Philadelphia Defective Automobile Attorneys

DEFECTIVE AUTOMOBILE CASES

When auto manufacturers rush to get their vehicles to market without proper safety measures or skimp on quality parts to protect their profit margins, defective cars and trucks are often the result. In fact, in 2013, more cars were recalled than were sold-by 45%! Of those recalls, the manufacturer initiated 68.2%-the remaining 32% were the direct result of consumer complaints and litigation.

If you were injured or a family member was killed due to a defective motor vehicle, we may be able to help you hold the auto maker accountable and pursue the financial compensation you deserve and need. Our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars in individual and consumer class action verdicts and settlements in cases related to vehicle design defects and faulty auto parts, among other areas.

Auto Manufacturer Safety Obligations

Every vehicle that comes off the assembly line should maintain a standard of safety, including sound crashworthiness, and properly designed and installed protective measures such as seat belts and air bags.

Likewise, fundamental components such as axels, brakes, and tires should be effectively engineered, manufactured, and installed. When negligence occurs in the manufacturing process, severe injuries and wrongful death can result, and automakers must be held responsible for their actions.

Auto Companies Deflecting the Blame

Unfortunately, automakers do not always accept the blame for their faulty and defective vehicles. Although the NHTSA requires all automakers to report defects that are found internally to the agency within 5 days, a large majority of car manufacturers do not. Since 2009, automakers have paid more than $85 million in fines for deliberately withholding defects from the public. This is excluding the recent record-breaking $66.5 million fine Toyota was hit with this year by the NHTSA. In addition, Toyota agreed to a $1.2 billion fine to defer criminal prosecution for misleading consumers about unintended acceleration complaints.

Even with fines and criminal investigations to worry over, automakers still avoid accepting the blame for their defective and dangerous products. To make matters worse, internal communication often shows elaborate cover-ups and schemes that are designed to reduce liability and deflect the blame for the defect towards the consumer.

Automakers in Hot Water Recently

In recent years, several notoriously big names in the auto industry have been in hot water over their defective and dangerous vehicles. Some of those have included industry staples, such as:

GM
Toyota
Ford
Mazda
Chrysler
Nissan
Honda
Lexus
Jeep
BMW

How Golomb LegalCan Help

Our nationally recognized product liability attorneys have extensive experience protecting consumers and successfully challenging big automakers. Most recently, our lawyers have successfully represented consumers in class actions claiming defective auto parts against a car manufacturer and a design defect case against a motorcycle manufacturer, both of which led to safety recalls.

Types of Defective Automobile Cases We Handle

Other common defective motor vehicle lawsuits we have handled, including individual claims related to:

Defective brakes
Defective tires
Faulty air bag deployment
Faulty seat belts
Fuel system malfunctions
Seat-back failures
Passenger ejection
Vehicle rollover

Different Forms of Auto Part Defects

We know that all the previously mentioned auto parts can become defective due to manufacturer negligence. Yet the details behind “how” a defect occurs are crucial and often require investigation. Golomb Legal. can work with engineers of differing expertise to determine exactly where the defect occurred, so we can then clearly show how the automaker failed to protect consumers from it.

Three forms of auto part defects are:

Design: An auto part is defective by design if it was unsafe on the drawing board, meaning that it never should have been used in the automobile’s design in the first place. A famous example of an auto part that was defective by design is the Takata Corp. airbags that resulted in numerous deaths and a multimillion-vehicle recall. The airbags were designed to use an unstable chemical substance that is prone to spontaneous detonation due to gradual deterioration. This chemical substance would never be safe to use in an airbag, and so, all airbags of that design are unsafe.
Manufacturing: An auto part is defective by manufacturing if it becomes unsafe due to a mistake that happens at any point between its design and the point of sale. For example, if nonlaminated glass was inadvertently installed for a vehicle’s windshield, then it would likely shatter violently in a crash and, therefore, make the vehicle unsafe for use. Manufacturing errors usually don’t affect an entire class of automobiles. Instead, manufacturing defects tend to affect one or a few “batches” of automobiles made at a specific factory.
Information: An automobile is defective by information, advertising, or marketing if it becomes unsafe due to false, incomplete, or misleading information being provided to the consumer. Not that long ago, self-driving cars first became popular and started taking a larger market share. At that time, most advertisements and dealerships confidently told drivers that they could relax in the car and let it drive itself. This proved to be untrue because self-driving cars don’t react quickly enough in emergencies. Today, it is common knowledge that drivers in autonomous vehicles must keep their hands on the wheel and always pay attention to the road.

Call Our Philadelphia Auto Defect Lawyers Now

Golomb Legal. in Philadelphia is standing by to help local drivers and people across the state figure out their legal options after being in a wreck caused by an auto defect. If you were seriously injured or lost a loved one, then we want to talk to you. You could have a very limited amount of time to pursue a claim, so don’t delay. Let’s hold the automaker accountable for their inexcusable negligence.

The Philadelphia defective automobiles attorneys at Golomb Legalcan help with your defective auto lawsuit. Fill out a free case evaluation form or contact us at (215) 278-4449 to get started today.

Philadelphia Auto Defect FAQ:

What is the most common vehicle defect?

Seatbelts are the most common vehicle defect according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, such as a belt that doesn’t lock into the buckle properly. Driving or riding in a car with defective seatbelts is extremely dangerous and should be avoided.

Should I go to the dealership if my vehicle was recalled due to a dangerous defect?

If your vehicle has been recalled due to a dangerous defect, you might be notified by the dealership to bring it in for immediate repairs. We suggest that you call us at (215) 278-4449 first to speak with an auto part defect attorney. If you could have a valid claim, then it might be best to discontinue the use of the vehicle and let us inspect and photograph it for evidence before you take it to the dealership.

Can you drive a defective car?

You should not drive a car with defects that would make it unsafe to drive, such as seatbelt failures, dangerously defective airbags, braking system problems, etc. When bringing the vehicle to the dealership or a mechanic for repairs, it is advised that you arrange a tow service. Minor defects that amount to inconveniences at most shouldn’t stop you from taking the car to the dealership for work.

How much does an auto defect attorney cost?

Our Philadelphia auto defect lawyers work for contingency fees, which means we don’t get paid attorney fees unless we win your case. In this way, everyone can afford to hire our lawyers. Also, our contingency fee amount, if we do win the case, will be based on a percentage of the settlement or award, so you never have to pay more than you can afford.