How Do I Know If a Recalled Product Caused an Accident?

Posted On May 8, 2017 In Local Car Accidents

Auto recalls happen on a regular basis, and many owners of vehicles with recalled parts may not even find out about the recall until months later, or have a used vehicle with a recalled part they didn’t know about. In many cases, vehicle manufacturers do not advertise recalls to the majority of the public. Vehicles are recalled because the defective product can cause serious, potentially life-threatening injuries. Whether you were aware that your vehicle had a recalled product at the time of the accident, or not, you may have the potential to claim compensation for your losses. Knowing if the recall was the cause of your car accident can be difficult, however there are several ways to find out.

How Do You Check for Recalls on Your Vehicle?

There are multiple online resources that store vehicle recall information online. Search for your vehicle on one of these sites and you may find the type of product that was recalled.  This can help determine the cause of the accident.

When Did the Accident and Recall Occur?

Were you in an accident before the recall was announced? Let’s say that you got in an accident when your tire blew out, and the insurance company claimed it was your fault because you swerved into another car. Three months later, your vehicle’s axle is being recalled for being unsafe, you may have a case against the car manufacturer for damages that happened in that accident. Take pictures of the damages in any accident for your records. You never know when a recall can happen.

What if the recall already did occur? If you were aware of the recall, and experienced an accident related to the function of that product, contacting an attorney and allowing them to inspect the damages could be the best option. Having your vehicle fixed before legal professionals can look at it could eliminate the evidence.

Recall Cases Can Be Complicated

There are multiple kinds of product defects, and having a Lufkin product liability attorney can help you determine if your accident was the cause of a faulty product. Attempting to take action against a large auto corporation on your own can be expensive and extremely risky.