Auto Defects Category Archives

Ford Pickup Truck Roof Collapse Leads to $1.7 Billion Punitive Damages Award

October 25, 2022 | Edward Smith

Potential Danger in Millions of F-250s and F-150s Highlighted by Ford Pickup Truck Roof Collapse Verdict

A trial court jury in Georgia recently awarded a major punitive damages verdict for the surviving family members of a couple killed in an accident. Their Ford F-250 pickup truck rolled over, and its roof was crushed. In addition to the substantial monetary award against Ford, the trial also included evidence submitted by the plaintiffs’ attorneys pointing toward design defect dangers in the roofs of several million older Ford F-250 and F-150 models still on the road and the potential for numerous additional Ford pickup truck roof collapse incidents.

Lack of Pretensioners Considered to be Seat Belt Defect

December 30, 2021 | Edward Smith

Pretensioner Units are Key to Proper Seat Belt Operation

Automobiles have many different safety systems installed as standard parts of modern vehicles, from front and side airbag systems to seat belts, anti-lock braking devices, and state-of-the-art driving assistance systems that help us keep our vehicles safely on the roadways. When we hear that a vehicle we’re purchasing has either the latest electronic safety feature as an optional add-on or a mandatory safety item like seat belts, most people assume that all the parts necessary for that system to work properly are included. One instance where that is too often not the case is the presence (or lack) of seat belt pretensioners being attached to all the seat belts in a vehicle. The lack of pretensions can and should be looked on as a type of seat belt defect in vehicle design.

Defective Tire Lawsuits

November 12, 2021 | Edward Smith

Defective Tire Lawsuits for Personal Injuries

The tires on our automobiles and trucks are crucial elements of vehicle safety, because they are literally “where the rubber meets the road” — the sole point of contact between our vehicles and the roadways upon which we operate them. They are important for the proper steering, braking, and stability of our cars. And when a tire fails suddenly, the consequences can be dire, with a loss of those abilities to steer, brake, and maintain control that keep us safe. A sudden blowout or separation of the tire tread can result in a high-speed collision with other moving vehicles, with guardrails, divider walls, or other parts of the roadway, or with stationary vehicles, trees, buildings, or other objects near the road. Since tire failures most often occur when tires are under maximum stress — at highway speeds – this can result in very serious injuries or death to the occupants of the vehicle whose tire has failed, those in other vehicles nearby, or even pedestrians unlucky enough to be in the vicinity. Defective tire lawsuits can be effective at recovering compensation for those who have sustained such losses.

Dangerously Old Tires and Product Liability

August 16, 2021 | Edward Smith

Dangerously Old Tires Can Lead to Personal Injuries and Deaths

Many people who faithfully buckle up their seatbelt as soon as they sit down in a car or who immediately take their vehicle in for repairs when a safety recall is issued may never once think about the age of their vehicles’ tires. Dangerously old tires — not necessarily overworn, just old — should be every bit as much of a safety concern as seatbelts and airbags, but many of us don’t think to ever check our tires ages. More significantly, many of the auto service centers we rely upon to maintain our vehicles don’t think to look at them either.

Ford Tailgate Recall Fixes Have Ongoing Problems

June 20, 2021 | Edward Smith

Continued Complaints Put Recall Repairs in Doubt

It’s not unusual for a consumer product manufacturer to recognize that one of its products is defective and issue a recall notice to either offer repairs or replace the defective product. Sometimes these defects become apparent through continued testing by the manufacturer, but they are often identified through consumer complaints. For defects in products as expensive and as safety-impactful as motor vehicles, the hope is that repairs following recalls will completely resolve the problem. However, that’s not always the case, as seen in current Ford tailgate recall problems.

Defective Seatbacks Kill Children

June 1, 2021 | Edward Smith

Defective Seatbacks Can Lead to Serious Injuries and Deaths

When we consider defects in an automobile that could lead to serious injuries and deaths, we tend to focus on safety-related parts (airbags and seat belts) or control the vehicle (steering, tires, and brakes). These parts — for the simple reason that we do focus on them — also tend to be reviewed and improved on a more regular basis. Unfortunately, some other parts of automobiles can also lead to serious injuries and death, but without getting nearly as much attention. Which is one reason why defective seatbacks kill children.

Signs Your Accident Injury May Be from an Auto Defect

May 31, 2021 | Edward Smith

Defect in Motor Vehicles May Be Responsible for Accidents

At the Law Office of Edward A. Smith, we’ve handled thousands of traffic accident injury claims for our clients over the years. In the vast majority of those cases, our client’s injuries were caused by the negligent behavior of other drivers. But sometimes, there are other factors involved, such as defects in the design, construction, and maintenance of the roadway, for which a state, county, or city may bear liability.

Fiat Chrysler Announces Recall Due to Cruise Control Glitch

May 30, 2018 | Edward Smith

Fiat Chrysler Announces Recall Due to Cruise Control Glitch

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento auto product liability lawyer. Fiat Chrysler announced that it is scheduling a recall of almost five million cars from the United States market. The recall is due to a software glitch that can make it impossible for the driver to disengage the cruise control. This results in a driver being unable to control the speed of their vehicle, possibly leading to severe accidents. This recall is another example of software dysfunction during a period where it is being used more frequently to take over safety functions. This is the first time the company has issued a large recall since one was announced two years ago. That recall involved 4.3 million automobiles with air bag-related issues. The company was fined penalties of $175 million in 2015 for other safety issues.

Hyundai Seatbelt Recall

March 17, 2017 | Edward Smith

Hyundai Seatbelt Recall

The Korean automaker, Hyundai, has recently issued a safety recall for nearly one million of their vehicles on the roadway today. The reason being that there may be a defect in the seatbelt component of the vehicle. This may bring a concern for safety for occupants riding in the vehicle in the incident of an automobile accident.