Injuries Caused by Defective Auto Parts: Who Is Responsible?
April 24, 2025
When people think of car accidents and the injuries that result, they often picture collisions in which one of the drivers was at fault. But what if the vehicle itself is to blame? When a car malfunctions in any way, there can be catastrophic consequences that could leave everyone involved with costly injuries. Understanding defective auto parts liability isn’t easy, which could make filing a claim for compensation seem like an insurmountable challenge. Having qualified legal representation can make all the difference.
If you’ve been hurt in an accident resulting from defective auto parts, the accomplished personal injury lawyers at Wapner Newman can help you hold the liable parties accountable. By filing a car defect injury lawsuit, you may be able to recover the losses you sustained.
Call our product liability lawyers at (215) 569-0900 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how to assert your rights after an accident.
What to Know About Product Liability Cases
How Having a Lawyer Can Protect Your Claim
Product liability lawyers represent clients who suffer injuries because products don’t function as they should. Product manufacturers have a responsibility to create reasonably safe products for consumer use, and this includes car makers. If you’re injured due to a defective part that causes a car accident, you may be entitled to file a claim against the manufacturer.
Product liability cases are different from other types of personal injury claims, including ordinary car accidents. One of the reasons for this is that you don’t have to demonstrate that the defect occurred as a result of negligence.
This often leads people to believe that filing a claim against a manufacturer is easy and doesn’t require legal assistance. In fact, product liability claims are complex cases that frequently involve substantial evidence showing that the vehicle didn’t function as intended, as well as input from expert witnesses like engineers.
The amount of evidence needed to file this type of claim can make meeting the statute of limitations more difficult, too. In Pennsylvania, you generally have two years from the date of the accident (or the date you realized you suffered injuries) to file a personal injury claim. If you fail to do so, you’ll be barred from recovering your losses. Working with a lawyer can protect your claim by ensuring that you meet this crucial deadline.
Establishing Liability in Defective Auto Part Cases
You have a few options for pursuing compensation after an auto accident stemming from negligent manufacturing practices, depending on the type of insurance you carry.
If you have limited tort insurance, you can file a claim with your own personal injury protection coverage. This doesn’t require you to prove liability, but it might not offer the full assistance you need. For one thing, you can’t receive damages for pain and suffering. The only way you would be able to file a lawsuit for further compensation would be if you sustained a serious injury and could prove that the other party is liable.
That’s also the case with full tort insurance coverage. You can file a claim or lawsuit against the at-fault party no matter what type of injury you suffered, but you must demonstrate liability.
In an accident in which you lost control of your vehicle because of a defective part, such as faulty brakes, the liable party would likely be the manufacturer. However, there might also be other parties involved. For example, if you took your vehicle in for maintenance and the mechanic failed to notice a defective component that another mechanic would have spotted, you can take legal action against them as well.
What if the accident was someone else’s fault, but the majority of your injuries occurred because of a defective airbag or seat belt? In such an instance, you could pursue a claim against both the other driver and the manufacturer of the faulty part.
In recent years, the skilled legal team at Wapner Newman has helped clients recover more than one million dollars in product liability claims.
Common Injuries Caused by Defective Auto Parts
Defective auto parts can open the door to numerous injuries, beginning with soft tissue damage. If a seat belt doesn’t function as necessary, for instance, it could lead to strained or even torn ligaments in your neck, shoulders, or extremities.
If the airbag deploys with too much force, the impact could break bones. Fractured ribs can easily puncture vital organs like the lungs, heart, and spleen. Even if you don’t break anything, an overly intense airbag deployment could result in other forms of internal damage, such as ruptured blood vessels.
Burns are also a possibility. When an airbag deploys improperly, it can release debris and other substances, including chemicals that can burn the skin.
In a more serious accident, you could also suffer spinal cord injuries. These are extremely severe types of harm that can occur if your seat belt fails to protect you in a crash or a steering system defect causes you to lose control over your vehicle.
Another serious type of injury you might suffer due to an auto part malfunction is head trauma. If your airbag fails to deploy, and you hit your head against the steering wheel or another surface, concussions or more serious issues could be the result.
Seeking Fair Compensation After a Crash
Wapner Newman Can Be Your Dedicated Legal Advocate
Following an accident arising from a defective auto part, you may have the right to file a legal claim against the manufacturer and other parties that contributed to the collision. The experienced attorneys at Wapner Newman can help you initiate your claim and fight for the compensation you need to recover from your injuries.
Contact us at (215) 569-0900 today to speak with a knowledgeable attorney about your legal rights and options.