Can safety defects lead to a crash?

North Carolina residents like you rely on your vehicles to transport you safely wherever you need to go. Unfortunately, safety-related defects can cause once-safe cars to become high risks. Today, we’ll take a look at how to identify a safety defect and how it can contribute to your chances of getting into a crash.

FindLaw defines safety defects as any defect involving car parts, or the entirety of a vehicle, that hamper its safety in any way. If a part fails to reach the standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, it may be recalled. These failures usually affect components of a car that are critical to your safety, or critical to the car’s functionality. For example, safety belts, airbags, steering and brakes are often the subject of recalls.

When these parts of a vehicle fail, it increases your chance of getting into a crash or suffering from more severe injuries. If a seatbelt does not properly restrain you, you can injure yourself if hit. If your airbag could deploy under circumstances that it is not meant to deploy under, you could become injured and get into a crash. If your seat or seat backing fails during normal use, it can leave a driver prone to wrecks.

Have you been involved in a crash for any of the aforementioned reasons? Was your crash related to a failure in components of your vehicle that are crucial to its ability to function? If so, consider contacting an attorney who can help you gain compensation for the damages you face.