Vehicle Defects

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Some car manufacturers persist in making and selling defective vehicles. At Searcy Denney, we are not afraid to take them on.

When a catastrophic vehicle accident happens, car manufacturers are usually quick to blame the driver – and often they are right. But sometimes, the fault lies with auto makers who make and sell products with defects that make them time bombs ready to go off at any time, even under normal driving circumstances.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines a safety-related vehicle defect as a problem in a vehicle, or its equipment, that “poses a risk to motor vehicle safety, and may exist in a group of vehicles of the same design or manufacture, or items of equipment of the same type and manufacture.”

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Examples of possible vehicle defects include:

  • Vehicle parts, such as a roof, that fail crashworthiness tests;
  • Steering elements that cause the vehicle to lose control;
  • Fuel system components that leak and can cause fires;
  • Accelerator controls that break or stick;
  • Cracked wheels that cause loss of control;
  • Windshield wipers that don’t operate correctly;
  • Seats and seat backs that fail;
  • Faulty wiring systems that can catch on fire;
  • Air bags that deploy unexpectedly;
  • Child safety seat components, such as buckles, that create injury risks.

Since 1966, when a precursor agency to NHTSA was given the authority to require recalls of vehicles that do not meet Federal safety standards, the recall numbers are staggering: 390 million cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles; 6 million pieces of vehicle equipment; and 46 million tires. Yet, some automakers continue to put their profit before your safety, and millions of defective vehicles are still on the road – accidents waiting to happen.

At Searcy Denney, our attorneys have substantial experience representing clients and families that have lost loved ones or sustained horrendous injuries in accidents caused by vehicle defects. In most of these cases, the defective vehicles had been marketed by big automakers with full knowledge of their safety risks.

  • Safely belted in her Ford Explorer, a Deerfield Beach woman was rear-ended and the Explorer’s seat-reclining mechanism failed, collapsing onto the rear seat. The woman was thrown backwards and suffered permanent damage to her spine, requiring 24-hour nursing care the rest of her life. A jury found Ford Motor Company and a Delray Beach Ford dealership liable for selling a defective vehicle, and awarded the woman $10.4 million.
  • A 17-year-old high school senior, also wearing his seat belt, swerved his Chevrolet Suburban to avoid another car, and his SUV rolled over. The roof section above his head crashed downward, striking his head and causing serious skull fractures and massive brain swelling. Despite the high-powered defense firms retained by General Motors, Searcy Denney attorneys Chris Searcy and Darryl Lewis were able to negotiate a substantial confidential settlement based on discovery that General Motors had long known about the roof crush defect.

Vehicle defect cases, especially roof crushes, are considered some of the most complex and hard-fought cases in our legal system. The experienced attorneys at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley have the skill, the resources, and the persistence to fight for the justice you deserve. If a loved one has been killed, or you or a family member has been injured, in an accident caused by a defective vehicle, please fill out our Contact Form, or call us to learn more and arrange for a confidential free consultation.