Most vehicles on the road today in Jacksonville, Florida, have far more features and greater computing power than were conceivable even a generation ago. The modern automobile is a technological marvel, but it only functions as intended when all of its parts work as intended. Defective components can lead to sudden failures and potentially devastating crashes.
The experienced Jacksonville motor vehicle defects lawyers at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers help injured clients hold manufacturers accountable for defective cars, trucks, and other vehicles. We’ve helped countless individuals stand up to large corporations and obtain compensation after preventable accidents. Contact us today for a free consultation at (904) 396-1100.
How Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident From a Motor Vehicle Defect in Jacksonville, FL
Car accident injury claims are complicated, and their complexity only increases when neither party appears to be clearly at fault. Vehicle and parts manufacturers don’t always readily admit when their products cause serious injury or death, nor are they quick to fully and fairly compensate victims harmed by their dangerous products.
For these reasons, working with a motor vehicle defect attorney is essential for clients in Jacksonville, FL, who are looking to recover compensation for their injuries.
Retaining a lawyer skilled in investigating and filing product defect cases means you’ll have a dedicated legal advocate on your side who can:
- Call upon engineers and other experts to examine your vehicle for defects
- Collect sales and service records, notes, and other evidence from the vehicle or part manufacturer
- Depose individuals who know how the vehicle or part at issue was designed or manufactured
- Conduct additional research as needed to prove that the manufacturer knew or should have known about the defect and failed to address it
After determining the underlying cause of your accident, our skilled lawyers will prepare, file, and pursue your claim for damages. We’ll leave no stone unturned, expending the time and resources necessary to promote your interests and protect your rights. Contact us today and schedule a free consultation with a Jacksonville personal injury lawyer.
The Problem of Vehicle Defects in Jacksonville
Since the 1960s, hundreds of millions of dangerous vehicles have been recalled for defective parts like brakes, tires, airbags, and other components.
Sometimes, these flaws simply make a vehicle less reliable. However, other defects can lead to serious injury or death. For example, more than two dozen people died and hundreds were injured by defective Takata airbags prior to 2019.
What Are Vehicle Defects?
A defective product is any item or component that is manufactured for use by consumers. This definition includes both entire vehicles and all the parts used to make them.
There are three general types of defects:
Design Defects
A design defect exists when a product is unsafe for its intended use because of a critical flaw in its design or the materials used to make it. A product’s design may be defective if there was a more reasonable or safer alternative design available. Every unit produced from a defective design will be inherently dangerous.
Manufacturing Defects
With a manufacturing defect, a product’s design might be safe, but a mistake occurs during the manufacturing process, with the result that the finished product doesn’t match the original design. Unlike design defects, manufacturing defects affect individual units or batches of units, such as cars produced during certain years or tires manufactured in a given timeframe.
Warning Defects
Even when a product or component is competently produced according to a reasonably safe design, manufacturers must provide instructions and warnings to ensure that the end user knows how to use the item safely. This requirement includes letting consumers know about the product’s potentially dangerous properties under normal conditions.
Negligence in Jacksonville Auto Defect Cases
When deciding whether a given vehicle or component was indeed defective and whether those it has injured should be compensated, courts tend to consider what’s reasonable for an average, objective consumer. If a car functions in a reasonably safe manner when a reasonable consumer uses it as intended, compensation will most likely be denied.
However, if a reasonable consumer using the vehicle and its features in the intended manner would be at risk of injury, the claimant may have a viable case for damages. Meeting this standard isn’t easy and requires extensive investigation and documentation. Experienced legal counsel is therefore essential for success in most cases.
Contact Our Jacksonville Motor Vehicle Defects Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you’re unsure whether you have a legitimate claim for damages stemming from a defective vehicle or part, take advantage of a free initial case review from Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers to find out.
After meeting with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys, you’ll have the information needed to move forward with your case confidently. Contact our office today to schedule your consultation with a Jacksonville motor vehicle defects attorney.
