New Jersey Auto Design Defects Lawyers
We're all very concerned about the potential dangers involved in driving. That's why we teach our young drivers to put safety first, make mandatory seatbelt laws, and harshly punish those caught driving drunk and/or under the influence of drugs. However, though we should be, very few of us consider safety issues with regard to our own cars and trucks. When an automobile or auto part is defective, even the most skilled driver won't be able to prevent an accident or the injuries caused or contributed to by those defects. When safety equipment like seatbelts fails, drivers and passengers are betrayed by the very equipment they rely upon to help keep them.
The automotive industry occupies a unique position in our society. On the one hand, it is made up of corporations striving to make and sell a popular and appealing product while turning a profit. On the other hand, as designers and manufacturers of passenger vehicles that American families rely on as an essential part of life, they have a special responsibility to their customers, their families and our society as whole. In a report published in 2005, the United States National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (or "NHTSA") found that motor vehicle traffic crashes were the leading cause of death in America. Preventing or reducing those deaths through good design is the responsibility of the corporations that profit from the sale of automobiles to the American public.
Automotive defects made the news in 2000 when the Bridgestone/Firestone tire company recalled an estimated 6.5 million defective tires, many included on Ford vehicles. The defects in those tires made them unreasonably likely to blow out, possibly causing rollover accidents in which authorities believe killed more than 100 people, and seriously injured thousands more.
Unfortunately, tires are not the only auto part implicated in recalls over the past two decades. Other dangerous automotive defects that have led to major recalls or serious accidents include:
- Defects in fuel tanks and fuel lines or their placement, which can start a fire almost instantly
- Faulty braking systems
- Defective seatbelts
- Airbags that deploy at the wrong times, not at all, or cause serious injuries when deployed
- Dangerous child car seats
- Defects in door locks and latches
- Seat backs that fail in an accident, hitting backseat passengers
- Unreasonably rollover-prone SUVs, passenger vans and other vehicles
When cars and/or their parts fail, the resulting accidents can be fatal or cause catastrophic injuries, including brain damage, burns, amputations and paralysis. Medical costs for the treatment of serious injuries can add up very quickly, and if a wage-earner is disabled, the accident can profoundly affect a victim and their family's financial stability. If an injury was caused by an auto company's carelessness or unreasonable cost-saving decisions, victims have the right to hold that company legally liable for their injuries and those financial losses associated with the accident.
The New Jersey personal injury law firm of Blume Goldfaden has nearly eight decades of experience helping seriously injured people in New Jersey get the financial compensation they deserve. We are proud to say that we've won hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients since our founding in 1929. Most of our attorneys hold special professional Certifications as Civil Trial Attorneys from the Supreme Court of New Jersey. We specialize in complex medical and product liability cases; our staff includes an in-house medical doctor, so we have the experience and resources needed to handle those complex medical and legal issues which arise out of accidents precipitated by defective automotive products.
If you or someone you care about was seriously hurt in an accident caused by a defective vehicle or auto part, contact Blume Goldfaden today to discuss your case and your rights with a skilled New Jersey auto defect lawyer.