Auto Defect Injuries
Dangerous or Defective Autos and Auto Parts
Advances in technology have made cars safer than ever before. However, in the quest for profit, auto manufacturers may cut corners or allow vehicles on the market with defects in design or manufacturing. Sometimes the very features intended to increase safety lead to serious injury for occupants.
If a family member has been injured or killed in an auto accident, and you suspect the manufacturer is to blame, contact a Georgia auto defect injury lawyer at Gary Martin Hays & Associates. Our experienced trial lawyers represent victims and their loved ones throughout Georgia in seeking compensation through settlement or lawsuit.
Auto Defect Injuries
Our Atlanta-based firm has the resources to take on even the largest auto manufacturers. We are familiar with all types of crashes relating to failure of the vehicle and its components:
Seat belts: Serious abdominal, head, neck, shoulder, facial and leg injuries are common results of seatbelt failure. The cause may be poor design of the seat latch, failure of the belt to catch when brakes are applied, poorly designed pressure points where the lap or shoulder harness cut into the body, or weakness or tears in the seat belt itself.
Air bags: An air bag injury may result when the bag deploys at low impact. The tremendous force of an inflating airbag is meant to counter the forward momentum of a high-speed crash. At low speed, deployment can snap the head and neck back severely, resulting in spinal damage, brain injury and soft tissue damage. Facial lacerations and even broken bones in the face are also common. Sometimes air bags fail to deploy when they should, resulting in chest, head, face and or neck injury as the body is propelled against the dashboard, windshield or seatback.
Child car seats, booster seats and adult seats: Poorly designed infant and child car seats can result in major injury to children. The seat itself may not be crashworthy due to design or manufacturing defect. In many cases, the shoulder harness catches the child at neck height, resulting in cervical (neck) injury or even decapitation. If an adult seat collapses upon impact, injuries are compounded when the seat is forced into the victim's back, causing spinal damage or crushing the person against the steering column.
Tire Failure: Well-documented design defects in some tires may lead to tread separation and blowout, increasing the chances of careening suddenly into oncoming traffic or causing vehicle rollover accidents.
Other vehicle defects may include sudden acceleration, fire or electric shock hazards, faulty brakes and crumpling zones in the body of the car.
NOTE: You are not required to get rid of your vehicle in the event of an accident. The insurance company may request possession of the car, which hampers the ability to pursue a product liability claim. It is important for your attorney to examine the car as soon as possible after the crash. Gary Martin Hays & Associates often purchases the wrecked auto and stores it in a climate-controlled facility so our experts can examine and preserve the wreckage for important evidence.
Compensation in Auto Defect Claims
Even if the vehicle was recalled by the manufacturer because of a reported defect, victims may be able to recover damages for the ensuing injuries in a crash. Gary Martin Hays & Associates can work with a nationwide network of experts in all aspects of vehicle design and manufacturing. It is important to obtain records relating to the automaker's processes and research any history of related claims.
Injuries often include spinal injury, brain injury, broken bones, lacerations, burns, paralysis and other catastrophic injury.
These cases require you to take on automakers and their insurance companies to seek full compensation for:
- Medical expenses, including all future medical needs
- Lost wages and future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life due to permanent disability
- Wrongful death resulting from auto defects
For a Free Consultation, Call Toll Free 866.710.4116
Contact the Georgia auto defect injury lawyers of Gary Martin Hays & Associates immediately. We offer a free consultation to evaluate your claim and advise you of your rights. We are active in clients' recovery, working with your physicians to ensure you get proper treatment and total compensation for all losses and expenses. We maintain offices in Atlanta (Duluth) and Athens, Georgia, and our attorneys are available 24 hours a day.
