Defective Vehicle Lawyers

When you drive, you expect your vehicle and its equipment to aid in your safe travels. However, it only takes the failure of one component to put you, your passengers, and other motorists at risk. If you or someone you love experienced a vehicle defect that led to injuries, you may be entitled to recover compensation.

The skilled auto defect lawyers at Nelson & Nelson in Belleville, Illinois represent clients in Illinois and Missouri. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case. Our personal injury attorneys can work to ensure your claim is taken seriously and that you receive the right compensation following an injury.

Types of Car Defect Claims

Unlike an ordinary personal injury claim for negligence after a motor vehicle accident, you do not need to show that a vehicle manufacturer or seller was careless to establish liability for a car defect. Instead, liability in motor vehicle defect cases is controlled by the doctrine of strict liability. No matter the steps a manufacturer or dealer says it takes in designing, assembling, or handling a motor vehicle, failing to inspect or discover a faulty error could lead to a defect.

You can make a strict liability claim based on a defect if all three of the following conditions exist:

You were injured because the vehicle or one of its components had an “unreasonably dangerous” defect. The defect can come into existence either in the design of the vehicle, during manufacture, during handling or shipment, or through a failure to warn consumers of a dangerous aspect of the vehicle.
You were using the vehicle in a way that it was intended to be used when the defect caused the injury. (For example, you may not be able to recover if a sports sedan was used to cross a stream.)
The vehicle had not been substantially changed from the condition in which it was originally sold. (“Substantially” means in a way that affects how the vehicle performs.)

Common safety-related vehicle defects include:

Seat belts that don’t work properly
Airbags that fail to deploy
Accelerator controls that break or stick
Braking systems that fail
Steering components that fracture, causing loss of control
Faulty wiring systems that lead to loss of light or cause a fire
Door latch mechanisms that break
Roofs that collapse during a rollover crash
Tires that break, causing loss of control

Accidents due to defective car parts have been proven to cause catastrophic injuries including:

Neck injuries
Back injuries
Concussions
Fractures
Severe burns
Lacerations
Facial disfigurement
Traumatic brain injuries
Wrongful death

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How Our Auto Defect Lawyers Can Help

Defective vehicle litigation is complex and costly. Not all injuries from a car crash result from a defective condition. It can be difficult and costly to prove liability for these injuries. These claims require the diligence and knowledge of experienced lawyers with superior resources. At Nelson & Nelson, we maintain relationships with respected experts who help us fully evaluate and support your claim. Our personal injury attorneys understand how to represent a defective vehicle injury victim in the best possible way.

Whether there is a design flaw or a problem with quality control in the plant, manufacturers are responsible for ensuring safe production prior to sending vehicles to the market. Several companies may bear some responsibility for the liability of a defective vehicle part. Our car defect lawyers can conduct a thorough investigation and determine any and all parties responsible for the defective vehicle.

Responsible parties might include:

The vehicle manufacturer – The manufacturer could have failed to issue a recall notice, or they failed to warn of the danger of a safety defect they are aware of.
The parts manufacturer – The vehicle manufacturer could use parts made by a different company, and the maker of the parts may be responsible for causing your injuries.
The middleman – Sometimes vehicle parts pick up defects along the chain of distribution, such as the shipping company that handles them, where the parts are stored, or the company that distributed the parts.

Whether it is in settlement negotiations or in court, our personal injury attorneys are prepared to aggressively fight for justice and the fair compensation you deserve.

Compensation for Defective Vehicles

When harm is caused by the negligence of a vehicle manufacturer, the plaintiff may be entitled to compensation for damages suffered, including:

Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Pain and suffering
Wrongful death benefits

Sometimes, in defective vehicle cases, punitive damages are awarded to compensate a plaintiff for their injuries. Punitive damages are only rare, but they can range into the tens of millions of dollars in certain instances and are intended to punish vehicle manufacturers and encourage them to fix inherent defects in vehicle designs that have resulted in injury.

Contact Our Illinois and Missouri Vehicle Defect Lawyers

At Nelson & Nelson, we are proud to serve clients throughout southern Illinois and into the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County. If you believe you suffered damages due to a vehicle defect, contact our skilled car defect lawyers today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.