Modern vehicles are equipped with safety equipment that would have been the stuff of science fiction just a few decades ago.  In fact, vehicles were not even required to be fitted with seatbelts until 1968, and it was not until 1987 that Pennsylvania passed a law requiring that passenger use these seatbelts.¹ Today, vehicles are equipped with rear-facing cameras, crash avoidance systems, lane departure alerts, tire-pressure monitoring, and occupant sensitive airbags. Future technologies could even use eye-movement tracking or posture-monitoring devices to determine whether a driver is dozing off during long trips.

Victims can recover for injuries caused by defective products

With all these technologies, one may wonder how car accidents still occur with such regularity. After all, the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) indicates that more than 2 million people were injured in traffic accidents during 2012 alone.² The reality is that while these technologies can mitigate driver error, such errors still account for the vast majority of motor vehicle accidents. In addition, these devices are not infallible, and in some cases, may even cause or contribute to accidents or injuries themselves. When they do, victims may be able to recover for their injuries and other losses by filing a legal claim against the manufacturer of the vehicle or the particular device that caused their injuries.  Because these parties are extremely sophisticated and understand that they operate in a high-risk industry, it is important that  victims discuss their options with an experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.

Car safety equipment failures can cause accidents

In some cases, the failure of a vehicle’s safety equipment can cause an accident that results in injuries. For example, if a vehicle’s tire-pressuring monitoring system failed, and that failure caused a driver to drive on underinflated tires causing an accident, the manufacturer of the vehicle could potentially be held liable for any injuries that occurred as a result.

Car safety equipment failure can directly cause injuries

In other cases, a malfunction with vehicle’s safety equipment may itself cause an injury. For instance, faulty airbags have been known to cause serious burns, fractures, concussions, and other issues when they deploy without warning or with excessive force.

Anyone who believes that they may have a legal claim should contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

The Levin Firm
123 S Broad St. #1200  
Philadelphia, PA 19109
http://www.levininjuryfirm.com/practice-areas/automobile-accidents/car-accidents/

References:

¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt_legislation_in_the_United_States

² http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811856.pdf