Vehicle Crashworthiness Litigation

Trusted Springfield Product Liability Attorneys Since 1976

Every motor vehicle is rated by manufacturers for “crashworthiness” and “aggressivity.” The crashworthiness rating reflects the vehicle’s ability to prevent a serious injury to its own driver and passengers in the event of an accident. The aggressivity rating reflects the risk the vehicle poses to the driver and the passengers of the other vehicle involved in the collision. Manufacturers are required to manufacture vehicles that pass only minimum crashworthiness standards.

If you have been injured by a poorly designed car that did not pass crashworthiness tests and should not have been put on the market, you may have grounds for an injury claim against the automaker. Our Springfield vehicle crashworthiness attorneys at Strong-Garner-Bauer P.C. are prepared to tenaciously protect your rights, just as we have been doing since the ‘70s.

Crashworthiness Lawsuits

Examples of vehicle crashworthiness lawsuits we can handle include:

• SUV rollover accidents: For years, SUVs have been criticized for inordinate rollover risks. The high center of gravity on these lifted vehicles makes them more likely to roll over during a sharp turn or side-impact collision.
• Tire failures: A tire that fails or bursts while a vehicle is in motion can be the singular cause of a violent car accident because the driver will lose all control. At highway speeds, a tire defect is even more dangerous.
• Roof crush: Some vehicles have poorly designed roofs that can crumple like aluminum if the vehicle rolls onto its roof in a crash. If an engineer inspects the vehicle and finds that its roof was poorly designed, then it could be the start of a strong case.
• Seatback failure: In recent years, the front seats in some minivans have been known to collapse backward in a crash. This defect can hurt the back of the person in the seat while also crushing the person behind it.
• Airbag failure: Airbags that fail to deploy do not offer any protection to the driver and passengers. Some airbags have been known to explode violently without warning, too, such as Takata brand airbags that are now fully recalled.
• Seatbelt failure: If a seatbelt does not secure in place, then it is rendered mostly ineffective in a crash. Our team could investigate your vehicle’s seatbelt to see if a defect caused it to fail and therefore caused your severe injuries.
• Auto glass injuries: The windshield and windows of a car should web when broken, which prevents it from forming shards and sharp edges. If you were cut on a piece of broken glass in a crash, then it might have been that the glass was defective.
• Gas tank fires: In some collisions, a vehicle’s gas tank can leak or become ignited. Fuel systems should be designed to prevent such fires in most situations. If a fire did start after your car accident, then we will want to see if the fuel tank or system was made incorrectly or unsafely.