Federal Agency Investigates Ford Airbag Defect
The auto products liability attorneys at BISNAR | CHASE often come across cases where a client has been injured by an auto product. Also, very often, we find that the product or vehicle in question was not recalled. It is a fact that auto makers put off vehicle recalls because it costs them millions of dollars, not to mention the resulting enormous damage to the company's public image.
However, we do hear about investigations involving defective auto product complaints filed by consumers who have either experienced these defects first-hand during car accidents or have been injured as a result. According to a recent blog post in The Car Connection, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency that takes these complaints, has opened an investigation regarding inadvertent airbag deployment on some Ford F-150 pickup trucks. So far, the agency has received eight consumer complaints where the driver side airbag deployed suddenly and unexpectedly either when starting the engine or shortly afterward.
Inadvertent Airbag Deployment
According to the report, five of these eight F-150 owners sustained injuries from this unexpected airbag deployment. The investigation has apparently concluded that wire chafing may have been the cause or potential cause for these airbag defects. So far, the NHTSA investigation has been limited to the 2005 Ford F-150, which is one of Ford's best-selling models.
Airbag defects can come in many forms. Sometimes an airbag, which is supposed to deploy during a car accident, fails to deploy and causes serious injuries to the vehicle occupants. In such cases, the vehicle's occupants lack the protection all of us have come to expect from our airbag-equipped vehicles. However, in some cases, an airbag will deploy when it is not intended. An airbag deploying in the absence of an accident is an example of "inadvertent deployment" and can be the basis of a claim when significant personal injuries occur as a result.
Auto Product Liability Issues
If you suspect that an airbag defect caused serious injury or death, please contact a reputed California personal injury attorney who has extensive experience and an excellent track record handling airbag defect and other auto product liability cases. In any auto product defect case, the vehicle is the most important piece of evidence. So it is critical that the damaged or defective vehicle and part is preserved, unaltered, so an expert can examine it thoroughly, for product defects, malfunctions or other evidence. If it is determined that the serious injuries were caused by a defective or malfunctioning airbag the auto maker could be held liable. If the airbag defect caused a fatality, that could be the basis for a wrongful death claim. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free and comprehensive consultation to injured victims and/or their families.
The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.
