Car accidents are among the most common kinds of accident claims in Georgia. While these accidents are frequent, they are also unique and might stem from a litany of causes. One possibility is that a defective car part caused the crash.
If you believe your accident happened because a part on your vehicle was damaged or defective, you might have a claim against the manufacturer of the car part and anyone else in the chain of sale. These product liability claims are often based on one of two things: parts that are damaged or parts that are poorly designed. You might need to have your vehicle inspected by an automotive technician to determine what part was faulty and why. Your attorney can help you prepare for possible complications in your case. For example, the defendant might allege you negligently caused the crash, not the car part. Your lawyer can help you prove that, but for the defective part, the accident would not have occurred.
Faulty vehicle parts are extremely dangerous, and you should call our Georgia car accident attorneys at (844) 876-4357 to schedule a free, private case review with us at Howe Law.
Who is to Blame for a Car Accident Caused by Defective Vehicle Parts in Georgia?
Determining who is responsible for a faulty car part after an accident can be tricky. In a product liability case, you might have a claim against anyone in the chain of sale of the faulty car part. This means that anyone involved in the manufacture and sale of the item might be held liable. This includes manufacturers, car dealerships, and independent retailers.
Manufacturers are often implicated in product liability claims because they are the ones who actually made the defective car part. For example, you might have been injured in an accident because your brakes failed. The company that manufactured the brakes might be liable if they manufactured them incorrectly.
Other people and entities who helped the faulty car part get to the unassuming consumer can also be liable. Perhaps you recently purchased the vehicle from a dealership before the brakes failed. Not only could you sue the manufacturer for producing the faulty car parts, but you might also sue the dealership for selling you the car with the faulty parts. Dealerships have a responsibility to make sure the vehicles they sell are safe. If they fail, accidents might happen, and people could get hurt.
Perhaps the faulty part was not original to your vehicle. Perhaps you had the faulty part installed to replace an old one, but the new one was defective. In that case, the retailer who sold the defective part might be liable for damages.
Filing a Product Liability Claim Against the Manufacturer of Defective Vehicle Parts in Georgia
Product liability claims tend to be based on products that are damaged when purchased by the consumer or parts that are poorly designed and inherently defective. Determining which category your case falls under is crucial to holding the appropriate parties liable and getting fair compensation.
The Part was Damaged
If you believe the vehicle part in question was defective because it was damaged, our Georgia personal injury lawyers can help you show how the damage occurred. Essentially, you need to show that you did not damage the car part yourself.
Damage in car parts is often the result of defective manufacturing. Parts might be incorrectly assembled or installed, making them dangerous on the road. Identifying such defects can be challenging, as the average person might not know the first thing about automotive manufacturing. An automotive expert can examine the vehicle and the defective parts to determine how they were likely damaged.
The Part was Defective
Another possibility is that the part is not damaged but poorly designed, so it cannot be used safely. These kinds of defects often stem from serious design flaws that manufacturers should have caught but did not.
For example, suppose that the brakes in your vehicles were manufactured properly and undamaged when installed in your car. However, the brakes might be so badly designed that they do not stop your car even when you floor the brake pedal. In that case, you could sue the manufacturer for designing such a dangerous product.
The same could be said of almost any other car parts. For example, tires might be badly designed and cause your vehicle to easily lose traction on wet roads. Maybe the headlights on your car are designed in such a way that light is badly diffused, and you have low visibility at night.
Complications in Cases for Defective Vehicle Parts in Georgia Car Accidents
One of the biggest issues in product liability cases is determining how the product in question became damaged or defective. Defendants often try to evade liability by arguing that the plaintiff damaged the part themselves or misused it dangerously. These allegations are common, and you should talk to your attorney about how to prepare for them.
In Georgia, courts adhere to strict rules regarding contributory negligence. According to O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, a plaintiff’s damages award may be reduced in proportion to their contributory negligence. If you are deemed 25% responsible for the accident, your damages may be reduced by 25%. If the court deems you more than 50% responsible, you are barred from recovering any damages.
Defendants in car accident cases related to faulty car parts often try to argue that something other than the defective part caused the crash, usually the plaintiff. They might try to claim that the plaintiff was driving recklessly when the accident occurred and that the faulty vehicle part had nothing to do with it. In that case, you would have to show that you were driving safely and using the vehicle and all vehicle parts for their intended purpose.
Speak to Our Georgia Car Accident Attorneys About Filing a Product Liability Claim
Call our Harrison, GA car accident lawyers at (844) 876-4357 to schedule a free, private case review with us at Howe Law if you were injured in an accident due to faulty vehicle parts.
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