Truck Defect Recalls

Although cars and trucks have made significant strides in safety features over the years, there is still a potential for parts or vehicles to be defectively manufactured or contain flaws in their design. A truck with a defective part that has been recalled can cause serious accidents and injuries to truck drivers as well as other motorists on the road. The Miami truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon help victims injured by a truck defect or recall file appropriate legal claims against irresponsible manufacturers and other parties. Our firm offers knowledgeable and compassionate legal representation to clients in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties in all types of personal injury and wrongful death claims. If you have been injured or have lost a loved one due to an accident involving a defective truck that should not have gone out on the road, contact our office today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your potential legal claims.

Defective parts in any vehicle are dangerous to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and others on the road. However, a defective truck part raises the risk of serious injuries or death exponentially, since these massive vehicles are much larger and heavier than a standard car. Although trucks go through extensive testing for safety, sometimes they are released to the market with dangerous defects or design flaws, leading to a recall. Recently, in 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall that affected almost a quarter of a million vehicles after a steering capacity defect was discovered in some 2016-2017 model Cascadia trucks. The NHTSA has also listed the following defects that have commonly led to safety recalls, including:

• Defective airbags
• Tire defects
• Emission standard failures
• Steering defects, leading to the loss of control of a truck
• Failure of accelerator mechanisms
• Brake defects
• Fuel leaks, leading to fires

When a victim is injured due to a truck defect that has been subject to a recall, they can file suit against the responsible manufacturer, as well as any other party that was negligent in causing an injury. Liability for a defective truck part is usually based on either a manufacturing defect or a design flaw.

Manufacturing defects exist when a vehicle or part is not assembled properly, leading to a small number of products in the line that are flawed. These flaws can affect a make or model of a truck, or they can be traced back to a manufacturing plant in a specific place. Manufacturers are strictly liable for any defect that is present when the product leaves their control. Therefore, for example, if a truck accident is caused by a defect in a tire, causing it to blow out and leading a driver to lose control, the manufacturer of that tire and the truck itself could be held liable for any injuries that result. Once liability is established, victims can recover compensation for medical costs, lost income, diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering.

Victims of truck accidents often have no way of knowing that a vehicle’s part has been recalled for a defect, or that it had anything to do with causing a collision. Trucking companies, manufacturers, and others have a vested interest in keeping this type of information unavailable, leaving victims with limited options for recovering the financial assistance that they need to aid their recovery. Consulting an experienced Miami attorney at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can help make sure that your legal rights are protected and advanced in the aftermath of a serious truck accident. If you need legal guidance following a truck accident involving a defective vehicle, or in any other type of injury claim, call 877.499.4878 or contact us online for a free consultation with an attorney. We represent people in Miami, West Palm Beach, and the surrounding areas.