Injured in an Accident Caused by an Auto Defect?
Gerash Steiner, P.C. represents clients in product liability cases involving injuries caused by defective automobile components, such as faulty brakes, airbag failures, and seat belt malfunctions. If you have been injured due to a defective vehicle, contact us to discuss your legal options.
Despite available technology, many people are injured every year when defects in their cars cause accidents or make injuries worse in a crash or rollover. Auto manufacturers have a responsibility to design and manufacture safe vehicles, but holding them accountable for severe injuries or death is no small task.
At Gerash Steiner, P.C., we have the resources and experience necessary for these types of difficult cases. Our Denver personal injury lawyers have been involved with product liability lawsuits against large automakers over defects in their vehicles. We will investigate flaws such as bad design, manufacturing defects, regulatory violations, failure to fully test vehicle safety, and failure to make use of available technology.
Contact Gerash Steiner, P.C. today to speak to a Denver auto defect lawyer.
Types of Cases Handled by Our Denver Automobile Defects Attorneys
Automobile defects come in a variety of forms. Common types of defects that lead to car crashes include:
- Faulty brakes
- SUV defects causing rollover
- Defective seat belts
- Air bag defects
- Seat back failure
- Tire blowouts / tread separation
These accidents often result in serious injuries, including head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, facial injuries, and disabling whiplash (soft tissue damage to the neck and back). Victims of auto defects have the right to pursue financial compensation in a personal injury claim. If you suffered injuries in an accident caused by an automobile defect, you should contact a Denver automobile defects lawyer right away. Our team at Gerash Steiner, P.C. has the knowledge and experience you need to recover the compensation you deserve.
SUV Rollovers Caused by Defective Automobiles
The top-heavy design of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) makes them inherently more likely to tip and roll. In response, the automobile industry developed electronic counter-steering and traction technologies. Unfortunately, many manufacturers do not employ this expensive stabilization technology in all of their SUVs. Another design defect common to many SUVs involves crashworthiness: oftentimes, the roof supports fail during rollover crashes, causing critical injuries to the passengers.
We at Gerash Steiner, P.C. work with expert engineers and professional accident investigators. This enables us to gather and analyze evidence from car accident scenes and inspect the wreckage for vehicle defects. Our automobile defect lawyers also have access to top automotive design experts who can testify that the vehicle in question did not meet federal safety standards or contained inherent design or manufacturing flaws.
Common Automobile Defects
Automobile defects typically fall in one of two categories: design defects or manufacturing defects. A third category, defective marketing, completes the set.
Design Defects
Design defects occur when the manufacturer’s design for an automobile contains a flaw that makes it unreasonably dangerous. Common types of design defects include:
- Uncontrolled acceleration,
- Defective brake systems,
- Faulty ignition switches, or
- Defective airbags.
Design defects occur when a vehicle is made to a company’s specifications, but by design, it has potentially injury-causing flaws.
Automobile designers can avoid design defects by completing necessary tests to ensure that a vehicle performs as intended. If a design defect causes a car accident, the party who designed your vehicle is liable for damages.
Manufacturing Defects
Manufacturing defects, on the other hand, occur when a specific vehicle or part of the vehicle is defective. For example, if certain parts of your vehicle are broken or bent, that would constitute a manufacturing defect. Common types of manufacturing defects include:
- Torn seatbelts,
- Broken steering wheel components, or
- Improper assembly.
Manufacturing defects occur during the manufacturing process. The vehicle was not made to the company’s specifications, and as a result, it had a defect.
Marketing Defects
Marketing defects involve two common scenarios. First, a marketing defect may occur if a company does not provide adequate safety warnings. It may also happen if the company offers confusing or misleading information that leads to an injury.
Multi-Party Defect Liability
In some cases, automobiles contain parts that were manufactured by multiple parties. When a defective product results in an accident, the manufacturer is liable for the damages arising from that accident. Additionally, if any third parties transported or maintained your vehicle, they could be liable for your injuries. Dealerships are responsible for maintaining vehicles on their lot until they are sold. If a dealership allows a customer to purchase a vehicle with a known defect, they could face liability if the customer is injured because of the defect.
What to Do If You Are Injured Due to an Auto Defect
First things first—if you are injured due to an auto defect, focus on taking care of yourself as you recover. Then, document everything you can. For example, you might take pictures of:
- The defect,
- Your injuries, or
- Property damage caused by the defect.
You should also keep organized documentation of medical treatments you have received, keep track of missed work, and keep a general log of expenses tied to the injury. Essentially, if you have to pay for something in connection to the injury, keep a record of the payment and note what it was for.
Next, hire an auto defect lawyer. Even if you know the defect that caused your accident, you still need to know how to make a successful automobile defect claim. That is where a Denver defective vehicle lawyer from Gerash Steiner, P.C. comes in. We can help you understand the difference between design and manufacturing defects and help prove that the defect caused your injuries.
Do I Need to Join a Class Action for an Auto Defect Claim?
Even if others have initiated a class action lawsuit, you do not necessarily have to join the class action to recover for your injuries. You can typically opt out and sue separately. This option comes with higher costs but greater potential recovery since large class action lawsuits rarely pay much to individuals. Speak with a defective car lawyer to discuss your options concerning any existing or potential class action lawsuits.
Contact Our Denver Auto Defect Attorneys for Free
Our Denver auto defect attorneys pursue full compensation, through trial or settlement, for all medical costs, lost earnings and the personal impact of disabling injuries on you and your family. We understand that many of our clients might be concerned about the cost associated with a lawsuit. We take vehicle defect cases on a contingency basis, meaning we only collect fees if we win satisfactory compensation for your claim.
Each of our personal injury litigators has more than a decade of legal experience to draw upon when bringing your case forward in negotiations or at a jury trial. We also draw upon the first- hand medical experience of Attorney Eric Steiner, M.D. A physician with more than 20 years of experience in the medical field, Dr. Steiner is invaluable in helping our entire personal injury team prove the extent of your injuries in vehicle defect cases.
Our experienced attorneys also handle other types of injury cases, including:
- Trucking Accidents
- Product Defects
- Wrongful Death Claim
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Trip and Fall
- Pedestrian / Bicycle Accidents
- Railroad / FELA Injuries
- Construction Site Accidents
- Catastrophic Injuries
If you have been involved in a serious accident caused by a car defect, call a Denver auto defect attorney today!