Car accident claims in fault-based states like Washington require an investigation to determine the cause of the accident and the liable party. In most cases, a car accident is caused by a careless or reckless driver and requires clear evidence of the negligent driver’s liability. Less commonly, a car accident results from a defective auto part or tire, requiring an entirely different claim process against a large manufacturer, the company’s attorneys, and their powerful insurers. Call or contact the Arlington car accident lawyers at Wells Trumbull to learn about your rights in this challenging claim process.
What Types of Automotive Defects Cause Car Accidents in Washington?
All car accidents are traumatic and distressing, but when a crash stems from a defective car or faulty auto part, it’s even more startling and frustrating. The most common types of automotive defects in car accident cases include the following:
- Defective tires
- Faulty brake systems
- Steering system defects
- Defective accelerators
- Battery fires
- Defective fuel system fires
- Electrical system defects, such as sudden loss of headlights, brake light outages, or sudden engine shut-offs
- Defective autonomous (self-driving) features
- Structural design defects, such as tall vehicles that tip easily, a weak roof structure, or extensive blind spots
Sometimes defective automotive parts don’t cause the accident, but worsen the severity of injuries in a crash. For example, when a defective airbag or seatbelt malfunctions and causes more severe injuries, or when an unnecessary airbag deployment causes a crash, the manufacturer of these safety components may be held liable, in whole or in part, for car accident injury damages like medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering.
What Types of Washington Car Accidents Result From Automotive Defects?
Driving becomes second nature, much like walking. We expect our cars to work as expected, as responsive as our own bodies. When a vehicle malfunctions, it can cause a shocking loss of control, often followed by a collision or another type of crash.
Automotive defects cause accidents such as the following:
- Tire blowout accidents
- Rear-end collisions or T-bone accidents in intersections due to brake failures
- Roadway departures caused by steering failures or stuck accelerators
- Head-on collisions caused by steering failures
- Collisions with obstacles or other vehicles caused by headlight failures
Automotive defect accidents sometimes involve pedestrians, motorcyclists, or commercial trucks, increasing the complexity of the claim.
What Types of Injuries Result From Auto Part Defect Accidents In Washington?
Automotive defect accidents often cause severe or catastrophic injuries, or even wrongful death, due to the loss of control, particularly in cases of brake system or accelerator defects. Common injuries in this type of crash include:
- Lacerations, contusions, and abrasions
- Soft-tissue damage, such as sprains, tendon damage, and ligament injuries
- Bone fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), ranging from mild concussions to more severe injuries with permanent impairment
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burns
- Facial and dental injuries
- Traumatic amputations
Injuries are expensive to treat as well as painful and traumatic. In the worst cases, a car accident caused by an auto part defect can leave an injury victim facing disability and an uncertain future. A car accident fatality can leave a family facing emotional anguish and cause years of financial hardship.
Why Is an Automotive Defect Accident Claim Different Than a Typical Car Accident Case?
When a careless or reckless driver causes an accident, an injury victim’s compensation claim requires evidence of the responsible party’s negligence. In these claims, the evidence must show that the at-fault party had a legal duty of reasonable care to the injury victim. They breached their duty of care, and the breach of duty caused the injury, resulting in economic and non-economic damages. This leaves the negligent party liable for the damages.
In an automotive defect accident claim in Washington, the case becomes a product liability claim. Under Washington RCW 7.72.030, manufacturers are held to the standard of strict liability. This standard means that the injury victim does not have to prove negligence. Instead, a successful defective product claim requires evidence of one of the following:
- The product had a design defect that made it inherently unsafe, or
- A manufacturing defect occurred, resulting in a faulty product, or
- A marketing error made using the product or part unsafe, due to incomplete directions or the lack of adequate instructions
It often takes an experienced Washington defective product attorney with access to mechanical experts to investigate, gather evidence, and build a strong case during settlement negotiations for the injured victim’s damages or in court.
Under Washington’s comparative negligence system, all parties who contributed to an accident may be held liable, including through an automotive defect claim against a manufacturer.
What Types of Damages Are Recoverable in Washington Automotive Defect Accident Cases?
Car accidents sometimes cause more than property damage to a vehicle. A serious auto defect accident may cause severe injuries with long-term financial impacts to the injury victim and their family. While a successful product liability case and car accident claim cannot erase the accident, they bring a sense of justice through financial accountability and ease financial stress. Common damages recovered in successful claims include the following:
- Reimbursement for medical experts
- Anticipated future medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Lost wages
- Future income loss/diminished future earning capacity
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Catastrophic injury compensation for permanent injury, such as scarring, loss of vision, hearing loss, loss of an organ, traumatic limb loss, or diminished quality of life
If an automotive defect accident caused a family member’s death, a wrongful death claim filed by the deceased’s loved one’s personal representative can bring the family justice and relief from financial hardship.
How Can a Washington Automotive Defect Accident Attorney Help Me?
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in an accident caused by a defective auto part or vehicle, an attorney is the key to a successful case. A trusted accident attorney from Wells Trumbull conducts an independent investigation and documents compelling evidence indicating that the defective part had a design defect, manufacturing mistake, or marketing error that caused the accident, and that the accident victim suffered injuries resulting in economic and non-economic damages. Call or contact Wells Trumbull online to set up a free consultation so we can begin strategizing the best possible economic recovery strategy, so you can focus on your physical or emotional healing.