Attorney Craig Swapp joined us with what you need to know about vehicle recalls.
A vehicle recall is when the manufacturer determines that a model or several models has a safety-related defect or doesn't currently comply with federal safety standards. Owners will be alerted to the problem and usually offered a free repair.
Swapp says it's not always just the car that is recalled. Recently there have been airbags, tires and seatbelts recalled:
- Takata airbags (current) (exploding on deployment, sending shrapnel into the vehicle) - approximately 37 million vehicles and counting across multiple manufacturers (NHTSA) - 23 deaths, 300 injuries worldwide
- Firestone tires (tread peeling off leading to very high tire failure rates, often causing the vehicles to roll) - 6.5 million SUVs affected - 46 deaths, hundreds of accidents
- Takata seatbelts (button on the latch of the belt prone to crack and jam the locking mechanism, trapping the driver and passengers in their seats) - 8 million vehicles affected across multiple manufacturers.
Many people wonder why the public isn't protected against these safety defects before they cause serious problems. Swapp says "There are few issues, but a big one is that oftentimes the manufacturer doesn't catch the recall until there have been complaints from the vehicle owners. For example, the recent Takata airbag recall that made worldwide headlines didn't happen until there had already been deaths and injuries caused by the exploding airbags."
Those injured by defective vehicles deserve fair and full compensation from the manufacturer. It gets complicated through. If the defect is exposed because of an accident with another vehicle, the manufacturer may argue that the vehicle caused the injury because of the accident instead of the safety defect. An experienced personal injury attorney, specializing in auto recall issues can hold the manufacturers responsible, and help the victim reach a fair compensation.
At Craig Swapp & Associates, their specialists and experienced attorneys are ready to help anyone who may have been injured due to a vehicle recall. Give them a call at 1-800-404-9000 or check out their website at craigswapp.com.
