Why Are Midsize SUV Headlights Failing Safety Tests?

Recent studies, completed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, suggest that many midsize SUV’s headlights are lacking in quality and safety. Headlights are critical to road safety, and factors such as how much visibility is created by the headlights, and how much glare is caused by the headlights were tested. The majority of vehicles were found to produce too much glare for sufficient night driving safety. Car manufacturers are responsible for providing safe products. Crashes are much more likely to happen at night, even though there is much less traffic on the road.

Safety Tips for Driving at Night

• Vision correction: Human vision is much worse at night. Make sure you have correctional lenses on if you do not have perfect vision. Anti-glare lenses can help increase vision quality and safety while driving at night.
• Stay awake: Driver fatigue is a huge contributor to road accidents. Make sure you are awake and alert, an if you start to feel sleepy, pull over to a nearby resting area to sleep.
• Clean your windshield: Dust and grime can accumulate on your windshield and refract light coming from other vehicles, clouding your vision and increasing the risk for an accident.
• Dim your dashboard lights: Limiting the amount of light entering your eyes from inside the vehicle will increase your vision capacity outside of your car.

These are some great tips to keep you safe, but some accidents are caused by the negligence of car manufacturers. In the SUV case mentioned above, there were no recalls issued, but if a product is too unsafe, a liability case can form.

When Is an Accident a Car Manufacturers Fault?

• Defective products: Faulty products cause accidents in many ways. Faulty tires that blow out, dangerous exploding airbags, and failing brake systems are examples. Car components have a strict set of safety standards they need to adhere to for legal reasons. A product liability attorney has the resources to investigate if your vehicle meets those specific standards.
• Failure to warn drivers: In the event of an auto recall, the manufacturer needs to notify drivers by mail within 60 days the recall is issued with options for remedying the issue. You can check for existing safety recalls on safecar.gov.

If you suspect that an auto accident happened due to a defective component in your vehicle, a Lufkin auto accident attorney at Mike Love & Associates, LLC is dedicated to investigating your case for breaches in auto safety laws. 

Details About the Takata Airbag Recall, the Largest in U.S. History

You may have heard about the Takata airbag recall, an issue affecting 42 million vehicles in the United States with exploding airbags, but do you know the details about the case? The recall has been ongoing since 2013, and has continued to grow in scope during its lifetime. A long road riddled with safety negligence and unaccountability make the number of vehicles that are affected difficult to track. Announced in April 2013, initially only six vehicle makes were identified as being affected. Reports have come out that Takata and Honda have allegedly known about the dangerous airbags since 2004, but failed to report the issues. A Takata plant in Mexico was found to be allowing a defect rate that was six to eight times the acceptable limit.One of the main contributors to the shrapnel explosions is high humidity, and many vehicles in hot and humid climates have had to be recalled. Takata denies the New York Times report that they found out about the issue in 2004 and destroyed the evidence. Now the scope of vehicles affected has grown to encompass many more makes and brands of cars, operating in different climates. This issue has not only affected Takata, as many vehicle manufacturers have had to pay owners for economic losses and personal injury issues. Many makes and models affected were only found after a dangerous explosion occurred.

How Can You Check Your Vehicle for Recalled Parts?

An auto manufacturer is legally required to notify all the owners of affected vehicles that they know of within sixty days the recall is reported. Once you receive the notice, details of how to remedy the issue for free should be included in the letter. If you are suspicious that your vehicle may have a defective part, you can check on safecar.gov to see if there are any existing recalls on your vehicle. In many cases, recalls are started because of consumer reports.

How Do You Report a Potential Auto Defect?

You can file a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) online, by filling out a form. Providing the make, model, your vehicle identification number, and any photos or police reports that support your claim will help. You can also call the Vehicle Safety Hotline, powered by the NHTSA, to document your claim. The NHTSA reviews consumer reports and determines if it is necessary to contact an auto manufacturer about a potential recall. You may also report the issue to your vehicle manufacturer.Lufkin product liability attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC have years of experience proving product liability in the event of a vehicle accident or injury.

Could Computer Software Cause a Car Accident?

A current recall of a faulty software component affecting 1.25 million Chrysler vehicles is causing side air bags not to deploy and causing issues with the seatbelts. Many components of modern vehicles are managed by software programs, and when they malfunction, the results can be very dangerous. Another example would be recent issues with Uber’s self-driving cars getting into accidents.As software starts controlling more vehicle functions, we are likely to see more software components recalled. This causes questions to arise, such as, is the auto manufacturer responsible for the flaw? Alternatively, is it the software company?

How Do I Know If Computer Software Caused a Car Accident?

1. Have you checked for recalls online? Check online at safecar.gov to see if there are any current recalls on your vehicle following an accident. If they have issued one, the dealer needs to replace your vehicle component for free. You can pair with an auto injury attorney who can call in accident reconstruction experts who have advanced knowledge in finding the cause of accidents.
2. Which parts of your vehicle are controlled by software? In modern cars, more of your vehicle may be controlled by software than you think. Sensors control many vehicle safety features. When they malfunction, they cause things like airbags not deploying, as in the case with Chrysler above.
3. Was their negligence involved? If your vehicle has software that needs to be updated or replaced to function properly, it is the vehicle manufacturers duty to communicate that information to all owners of the vehicle within 60 days.

Who Can Prove That a Software Component Was Faulty?

Proving that software was the cause of an accident could be very difficult. Major car manufacturers and software companies have strong legal resources and trained professionals on their side. Pairing with an experienced attorney can help you get help from professionals who study automobile function and the causes of accidents. If you think that an unknown car error caused you to get in an accident, start taking action today.Contact Lufkin car accident attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC for more information about accident liability and obtaining compensation for your injuries.

Auto Recalls Hit Record High: Here’s What You Can Do if Your Vehicle Has a Recall

Recalls on defective auto parts have hit record highs for the third year in a row. In 2016, 53.2 million vehicles and 927 recall campaigns were enacted. The Takata airbag recall is the largest in U.S. history, responsible for over 42 million recalls. Recalls on Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and General Motors make up the rest of the list. These auto manufacturers are liable for injuries caused by these parts and need to be diligent in repairing the issue. Toyota recently had to pay $1.2 billion to the U.S. Department of Justice for not repairing an accelerator issue. Given that there are more recalls than ever, let’s take a moment to go over some helpful tips for dealing with a recall that involves your vehicle.

Questions to Ask About Your Recall

• How serious is the recall? There may be a long delay in repairing your vehicle depending on how large it is. Many recalls will involve a component that is not fully necessary to the operation of the vehicle. In these cases, it is still safe to drive but your car may not be operating at full efficiency. In other cases, you may receive a recall notice that lets you know you need to stop driving altogether. The manufacturer should provide you a loaner vehicle until the repairs are complete. They are also legally required to notify affected vehicle owners in a timely manner.
• What can be done to fix the issue? The dealer should be replacing the part for free. In some cases, they may ask to repurchase the vehicle or replace the vehicle entirely. If your auto manufacturer is not complying with fixing your recall, you should call the dealer department and show them your recall notice. If you are still experiencing issues, contact the vehicle manufacturer. In some cases, you should file a claim with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA’s website has an online form for car safety reports. This is a great place to report a suspected recall and other vehicle defects.

Cases involving injuries that result from recalls can get complicated, and having an experienced auto accident attorney can help you get the coverage you need from the auto manufacturer. Many times, products that have not been recalled can be proven to be the cause of serious accidents with the help of product liability lawyers and accident reconstruction specialists.Contact a Lufkin product liability attorney at Mike Love & Associates, LLC for more information about defective products and obtaining compensation for your recall related injuries.

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

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.