Texas Car Accident Lawyer: Vehicle Recalls and Your Rights

If your vehicle has been recalled or if you vehicle’s defect resulted in an accident, the Cooper Law Firm is a Texas car accident law firm that may be able to help you seek damages from the car company for your medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. While you can’t sue a car manufacturer simply because your vehicle was recalled, or simply because you were in an accident with a defective vehicle, you may be able to sue the manufacturer if the vehicle defect caused the accident, or if you or a passenger were injured in the car due to the vehicle defect. Vehicle defect claims are not simple claims, but they can sometimes protect individuals who are being blamed for an accident that may have not been their fault. For example, if your brakes fail due to a vehicle defect and you are being blamed for a crash, if you can prove that defective brakes were the cause of your accident, then you and the other party involved may be able to seek damages from the car company.

According to Forbes, in 2017, 30.7 million vehicles were recalled. Unfortunately, not all defects are always caught, and sometimes people only discover a vehicle has been recalled when an accident takes place. The Takata airbag recall, which resulted in the recall of 65 million air bags due to the risk that the air bags could explode when they opened, involved a few cases where people were seriously hurt when these airbags exploded. More recent recalls include Ford F-150 trucks recalled due to defective door latch systems, 1.1 million Honda Accords recalled due to battery short-circuit issues, several Ram models recalled due to faulty rollover sensors, 1 million Hyundai Sonatas recalled due to defective seat-belt linkages, BMW recalls due to electric wiring problems, and more.

When it comes to vehicle recalls, one of the issues consumers face is the fact that consumers who own defective vehicles may not always receive the recall notice. Secondhand car sellers are not required to inform secondhand car buyers that a car might be subject to a recall. In fact, secondhand car buyers are left to investigate for themselves whether a vehicle they are about to purchase is subject to a recall. Not all car owners may receive recall notices when vehicles are recalled. Notices are often sent to owners who bought the car new, but secondhand buyers may not always get these notices. One way you can check to see if your car has been recalled is to check your car’s VIN against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s database. This system can help you see if your car has been recalled. Because so many cars are recalled each year, it is a good idea to check this database periodically.

Finally, if you’ve been injured in a car accident and believe a vehicle defect may have led to your accident, you may have the right to seek damages from the car company. Furthermore, if you’ve been in an accident and are being blamed for the crash, but believe the accident was caused due to a vehicle defect, you may have certain rights under the law. The Cooper Law Firm is a car accident law firm in Texas that helps victims of car accidents protect their rights. There are many reasons why car accidents take place. If you have been hurt due to another person or company’s negligence, the Cooper Law Firm may be able to help you.

What to Do If You Receive a Recall Notice in Texas?

If you receive a recall notice in the mail, what steps can you take to protect your rights? If you receive a safety recall notice in the mail, open the letter and read it. According to Kelley Blue Book, only 75% of vehicles that get recalled get repaired. That’s a lot of defective cars still on the road. If your vehicle has been recalled, often you can get the vehicle repaired for free at an authorized dealer. According to Kelley Blue Book, you don’t need to take the vehicle to the dealer where you purchased the car. Any authorized dealer for your make and model will do. You can take the car to the dealer for repairs whether you bought the car used or new. If you take the vehicle to a mechanic, you’ll have to pay for repairs yourself, but if you take your car to the dealer, the dealer will cover the repair.

If you were hurt in a car accident and later learned your vehicle was subject to recall, you may have the right to seek damages if the defect caused your accident. The Cooper Law Firm is a Texas car accident law firm that helps people who have been hurt in crashes. We are here to help. Defective car claims can be complicated, but the Cooper Law Firm can help. Reach out to us today or connect with our Texas car accident attorney through USAttorneys.com.