Auto Defect Lawyer in Houston, TX
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It seems like stories hit the news just about every day about cars or other motor vehicles being recalled because of some danger, whether it’s an airbag that doesn’t work or a fuel line that may catch fire in a collision. If you’ve been hurt due to no fault of your own, a Houston automotive defects lawyer may be able to help.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 2014 saw the highest number of vehicle recalls in more than 30 years. There are millions of vehicles currently on the road subject to recall for defective parts that may be dangerous to drivers, passengers, or other people on the road.
When we purchase any product, we expect it to work and to be reasonably safe when we use it appropriately. When we purchase a vehicle, we expect it to start, steer, stop, and to shield us from harm as much as is possible in the event of a crash. When we do experience a collision, we expect seat belts to hold us in place, airbags to deploy, and the chassis to stay intact as much as the force of the collision allows.
However, sometimes a seat belt doesn’t remain fastened, an airbag fails to deploy, or the frame of a vehicle crumples in an unexpected way in an accident. When those things happen, the injuries you suffer may be the result of a dangerous defect in the automobile or its parts.
Automotive defects can be incredibly serious. When an airbag fails to deploy — or deploys at the wrong moment — serious injuries can result. When the defect involves a gas tank that explodes on impact or a fuel line that ignites, injuries can be fatal.
If you or a family member have been injured because of a motor vehicle defect, you may have options for obtaining compensation for your injuries and losses through a product liability lawsuit. In Texas, consumers can sue product designers, manufacturers, distributors, and sellers to hold them accountable when products are sold in a dangerous or defective condition.
With the help of a skilled Houston automotive defect lawyer, you may be able to recover compensation for your past and future:
- Medical costs for injuries caused by the product’s defect
- Loss of earning capacity
- Physical pain
- Mental anguish
- Physical limitations
- Disfigurement
At The Krist Law Firm, P.C., our Houston injury attorneys have decades of experience pursuing automotive defect claims. We have obtained numerous multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts on behalf of people injured by defective motor vehicles or parts. We helped shape the law in Texas regarding automotive defects through our work on the Turner v. General Motors case, which established the rights of citizens to sue auto manufacturers for defects that caused injury without causing the underlying motor vehicle crash.
Common Types of Auto Defects
There are always some dangers involved in operating a motor vehicle. You always face the possibility of an accident when you encounter inclement weather, hazardous road conditions, or when other drivers fail to follow the rules of the road.
You shouldn’t have to be placed in danger because of a failure somewhere in the manufacturing or distribution chain of your car. You should be able to reasonably expect that your seat belts, airbags, and brakes will work, and that your gas tank won’t explode in an impact.
It’s an unfortunate fact that vehicles sometimes roll off the assembly line or out of the showroom with dangerous problems. Vehicle defects generally fall into the following categories:
- Manufacturing Defect — A defect that occurs in the manufacturing process
- Design Defect — A defect that happens in the design or engineering process
- Warning Defect — A lack of appropriate warning or labeling of a product’s potential dangers
Those are broad categories. In the real world, these types of defects may translate into the following common types of problems:
- Defective brakes
- Defective tires
- Defective seat belts
- Defective airbags
- Defective frame or chassis
- Defective roof
- Defective seat backs
- Defective gas tanks
- Defective fuel lines
Contact Our Houston Auto Defect Attorneys
An injury caused by an auto defect can affect your life in many devastating ways. You may be unable to work, either temporarily or permanently, while also receiving expensive medical bills related to your injuries. You may be feeling significant amounts of pain as well as the mental anguish of what feels like a hopeless situation.
The dedicated and compassionate Houston product liability lawyers of The Krist Law Firm, P.C. are here to help. We understand the numerous ways that a catastrophic injury can impact your life, especially when it came about through no fault of your own. We have helped countless people just like you to recover the compensation that allows them to move on after a serious injury.
We have over 40 years of experience fighting for justice against product manufacturers, designers, distributors, and sellers who contributed to someone being injured because of a defective automobile or part.
Some of the more common types of cases we can handle include:
Contact us today at 281-283-8500 to find out how our team of experienced Houston defective auto lawyers can help you.