Car and Truck Defects — Accident Lawyers Serving Missouri Victims Statewide
Although the majority of motor vehicles are designed with safety in mind and are carefully manufactured, some are inherently dangerous. Poorly designed or manufactured vehicles can be very dangerous and cause serious injury or even wrongful death. Seat belts, airbags, door latches, and other automotive components are designed to increase the safety of automobile occupants. When these parts malfunction, the outcome can be devastating. At Wiley & Terrell, our car and truck accident lawyers provide experienced, trustworthy, and aggressive representation. Serving Jefferson City, Columbia, and Missouri victims statewide, our truck and car accident lawyers have successfully represented victims of automotive defects, including those injured by roof crush in rollover accidents. Our car and truck accident lawyers consult with design experts, engineers, and restraint system experts to determine if factors such as defective tires or seatbelts contributed to your injury. Our Missouri firm can help you achieve the full compensation you deserve when an automotive defect causes you or a loved one to suffer injuries.
Defective Seatbelts
Seatbelts save lives. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that if all vehicle occupants over age four wore seatbelts in 2004, 21 lives could have been saved. Properly functioning seatbelts minimize or eliminate occupant contact with the vehicle's interior or the chances of ejection. The results of seatbelt failure are often catastrophic. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in an accident because of defective seatbelts, our Missouri auto accident lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Common Seatbelt Defects:
- Seatbelt buckles that fail
- Seatbelt retractors that fail
- Shoulder-only belts can cause strangulations, neck, or spinal injuries
- Lap-only seatbelts can cause internal injuries
- Door-mounted seatbelts are inherently dangerous
If you have been injured in an auto accident or truck accident involving defective seatbelts, contact the car and truck accident lawyers — serving Columbia, Jefferson City, Springfield, and Missouri victims statewide — at Wiley & Terrell.
Defective Tires
The most common cause of defective tires is tread separation. Tread separation can result from design or manufacturing defects. Tire failures are particularly dangerous when they occur on a vehicle with a high center of gravity, such as an SUV, due to the possibility of rollover accidents. Although not all tire failures result in a serious accident, when defective tires suddenly fail, the driver often loses control of the vehicle. This can result in rollover accidents or collisions with other vehicles.
When a vehicle is traveling at highway speed, defective tires become particularly dangerous. If you have been injured in a truck or car accident as the result of defective tires, contact the accident lawyers at Wiley & Terrell — serving Columbia, Jefferson City, and Springfield, Missouri.
Bald Tires
Tire tread is responsible for giving a vehicle traction. As tread wears, tires begin to loose their effectiveness. Poor maintenance or failure to replace worn tires requires a vehicle to travel much greater distances before stopping thereby creating unreasonable risk to other drivers.
Defective Brakes
Braking systems are incredibly complex. There are a number of ways in which they can malfunction:
- The manufacturer can fail to install a the device that prevents the driver from shifting out of park without depressing the brake pedal
- The parking brake system can be defective
- The hydraulic lines may not be attached to the brake system
- The brakes may overheat, leading to damaged rotors and brake pads and early brake failure
Semi-trucks generally use air powered and operated braking systems. A defect in that system can cause the brakes to not operate properly or fail completely, often resulting in catastrophic collisions.
Other Common Auto Defects
Although airbags have demonstrated success in the prevention of serious bodily harm, defective airbags can inflict serious injury. Airbags may cause injury when they:
- deploy when they should not.
- deploy too slowly.
- deploy with too much force.
- do not deploy when needed.
Another all too common defect is a vehicle's propensity for roof crush. Many of the fatalities associated with rollover accidents are a product of a vehicle's insufficient roof strength. Recognizing roof crush as a serious threat to driver safety, organizations such as the NHTSA have proposed more stringent standards for motor vehicle roofs. However, the government has yet to direct manufacturers to implement the requirements.
Wiley & Terrell represents accident victims of many types of car or truck defects. Talk to our car and truck accident lawyers — representing Columbia, Jefferson City, and Springfield, Missouri victims — if you or a family member has suffered injuries due to auto defects including door latch defects, reclined auto seats, child car seats, fuel-fed fires, or defective auto seats.
Contact Our Lawyers Serving Columbia, Jefferson City, and All of Missouri
If you have sustained injuries due to defective auto parts, contact Wiley & Terrell's car and truck accident lawyers. We provide representation to Columbia, Jefferson City, and Springfield, Missouri victims. Our experienced and aggressive lawyers will help you get the compensation to which you are entitled. We have successfully collected damages for clients who have been hurt as a result of auto and truck defects such as defective tires and seatbelts. We know Missouri's laws. If you have been injured, contact us today.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of defective tires, seatbelts, or another auto defect; contact Wiley & Terrell's car and truck accident lawyers — serving Jefferson City, Columbia, and Springfield, Missouri — today.
Wiley & Terrell Law Office, L.L.C.
Crane Office
105 Cortney Lane
Crane, Missouri 65633
Phone: (866) 383-7684
Fax: (417) 723-5686
