The purchase of a vehicle is a major expense for most families and automakers are legally bound to do their utmost to ensure the one they sell you is free from safety defects.

   Car companies also must be proactive in notifying you of safety defects in a timely manner and are usually required to fix them free of charge.

   Federal law requires all vehicles sold in this country be free of unsafe defects and a vast safety-recall system recalls millions of vehicles each year to correct problems that pose a potential safety risk to owners and passengers.

   At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, we have been fighting for the rights of people seriously injured or killed in vehicle crashes since 1971. Each accident is different and has its own contributing factors and causes. But sometimes a vehicle defect – whether previously recalled or not – can be a factor or even the cause of a serious crash.

   Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards set minimum requirements for those parts of the vehicle that most affect safe operation (lighting, tires, brakes) or that protect drivers and passengers from death or serious injury in the event of a crash (airbags, safety belts, child restraints). Such standards apply to all vehicles and related equipment manufactured or imported for sale in the United States.

   The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 gives the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the authority to issue standards and mandate recalls. Since then, more than 390 million vehicles, 45 million tires and 42 million child-safety seats have been recalled to correct safety defects.

   In fact, from 1995-2004, more than 180 million vehicles were recalled, according to Automotive Digest. In 2007, General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler and Toyota recalled vehicles for such issues as possible malfunction of airbags, seatbelts, suspension, door locks and fire danger.

   If you have or someone you love has been in a serious automobile accident or if you think an injury or death was caused by a vehicle defect, we urge you to call Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers for a free appointment to discuss your case.

   We can arrange a visit at any of our office locations in Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sebring, Venice, Aracadia or Port Charlotte. We will even come to your home or hospital room to discuss your rights.

   If we can help, we will take your case and pay the cost of fighting for your rights. Because at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, you’ll pay us nothing unless we win.

Some examples of possible vehicle defects can include:

• Malfunctioning airbags that deploy when they are not supposed to or do not deploy during a crash.
• Child safety seats with defective belts, buckles or other parts that can cause injury, with or without a crash.
• Accelerator controls that can break or stick, resulting in uncontrolled acceleration or no ability to accelerate.
• Steering controls that break suddenly or cause partial or total loss of vehicle control
• Malfunctioning brakes.
• Problems with the fuel system, particularly those open to damage or leakage due to design or other flaws, or that otherwise pose the risk of additional hazard during an accident.
• Faulty wheels that crack or break, resulting in a crash.
• Windshield wipers that fail to function properly.
• Seats, seat backs or seatbelts that fail.
• Wiring systems or lighting problems that can cause fires, accidents or other safety risks.
• Car ramps or jacks that collapse or cause injury while someone is changing a tire or working on a vehicle.