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Over 6 million car accidents occurring in the U.S. each year, and the vast majority of these crashes are caused by the negligence of drivers. In some cases, however, there isn’t a specific driver to blame for a tragic accident: It’s the car manufacturer who sold a defective part or product to the public. These defects may range in scale, but the injuries that result can be nothing short of devastating, due to the high speed and mass of the average car.
Although vehicles are safer than ever thanks to increasingly high standards of safety, there are still plenty of cases where a car manufacturer or distributor has failed to meet the “duty of care” in preparing their products for sale. At Silbowitz, Garafola, Silbowitz & Schatz, L.L.P., our experienced product liability lawyers in New York City can help you stand up to corporate negligence and seek fair compensation after you’ve been hurt.
When Is an Auto Company Responsible for Injuries?
While car companies are legally responsible for their products, there are some circumstances that can make your case more difficult to litigate. For instance, if you were using the car or part incorrectly at the time you were injured, it will be much more difficult to prove that your injuries were a result of corporate negligence. If another driver was involved in the incident, that too can make it harder to hold the company liable.
That’s why, regardless of how you came to be injured, your attorney will first need to perform an extensive investigation into your accident, and get a clear idea of what happened. Once they can establish that you were using the car or product exactly as intended — and that no other mitigating factors were at play — then they will piece together a case for the manufacturer’s liability.
There are three main types of auto defects that demonstrate negligence:
- Design: This kind of defect occurs when a product is fundamentally flawed at the design level. For an example, if a car’s brakes are prone to failing faster than comparable brands due to a unique and untested material, it could point to a systemic design flaw.
- Manufacturing: With a manufacturing defect, you’re looking at flaws in the execution of the product, rather than its basic purpose or design. This usually means that there was some form of negligence happening in the factory or on the assembly line.
- Warning: Companies can also be held liable based on the marketing information and safety guidelines they released to the public. If the company failed to sufficiently warn users about a known defect (such as a tendency to overheat at certain speeds), it can be considered negligence.
How Can I Bring a Product Liability Claim?
All personal injury cases bring unique complications, but auto product liability cases can be particularly tough to navigate. This is because car companies and manufacturers have tremendous resources at their fingertips. They are also highly invested in limiting the amount of consumer recalls they issue, and negating any bad press about their safety standards.
When you’ve been seriously hurt because of a defective auto product, however, you deserve compensation to cover your major medical expenses, time off work, and other needs. When you turn to Silbowitz, Garafola, Silbowitz & Schatz, L.L.P., we’ll do everything in our power to make that happen for you.
Skilled at gathering evidence and performing exhaustive analyses, we can get to the bottom of your accident and pursue damages from the manufacturer. We’re also dedicated to our clients’ success and wellbeing, offering the personalized touch and aggressive advocacy that you need during this difficult time.
