Ford has issued an auto product defect recall for about 33,000 midsize vehicles and SUVs in the United States to fix front-seat recliners. According to a news report in the Detroit Free Press, this vehicle defect recall affects some versions of the 2010 Ford Fusion, Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac and Mercury Milan and Mountaineer with front seat manual recliner mechanisms.

Defective Seatbacks Can Cause Catastrophic Injuries

According to the alert issued by the auto maker, the recliner’s gears could have problems that would lead to the seatback and head restraint moving backward in a car accident. This could significantly increase the risk of serious personal injuries to the vehicles’ occupants. According to federal government officials, these vehicles don’t even comply with the federal requirements for head restraints. When this recall begins, dealers will replace the manual seat recliners free of charge.

Seatback collapse or seatback failure is one of those vehicle defects that can cause extremely devastating injuries to a vehicle’s occupants. Some of the injured clients we have represented have sustained spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries and even death as a result of seatback collapse. Several have been paralyzed or rendered quadriplegic or paraplegic. For decades, the auto product defect law firm of BISNAR | CHASE has represented, and continues to represent, those who have been catastrophically injured as a result of seatback defects. We have represented numerous injured victims against large auto makers including Ford.

Auto Product Liability Issues

It is appalling that the nation’s largest auto maker continues to manufacture vehicles with parts that don’t even comply with federal requirements. And the interesting point here is that even the so-called “federal requirements” are extremely inadequate when it comes to seatbacks. For decades, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has failed to fix the seatback strength standard. As a result, weak seatbacks in most vehicles, including several Ford models, are no better than a strong cardboard box or a lawn chair, in terms of the protection they offer in the event of a crash.

Those who have been injured or have lost a loved one as a result of a defective seatback would be well-advised to consult with a reputed personal injury lawyer, who has a successful track record of recovering compensation for injured victims against large auto makers. The best auto products liability lawyers will always offer a free and comprehensive consultation to injured victims and their families.
What should the federal government do in order to improve seatback strength standard?

What should the federal government do in order to improve seatback strength standard?