Improve Vehicle Safety and Purchasing Decisions

Friday, September 20, 2013

Improve Vehicle Safety and Purchasing Decisions

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

The attorneys at Malman Law, believe that consumers should be protected from defective or unsafe products as they can cause serious injuries and in some cases death. Our team of personal injury attorneys will submit your product liability claim accurately and aggressively to compensate for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

We know that it can be hard to keep up with automotive recalls, being that there are millions of vehicle models that are distributed throughout the world. What if you could easily access an online tool that allows for you to see all uncompleted vehicle recalls with the click of a button? Apart from the efforts made by personal injury lawyers to make the roads safer, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration is also implementing effective tools to improve vehicle safety. The NHTSA has created a new development that will allow for consumers to scan a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on a vehicle to check for uncompleted recalls. This new feature is suspected to improve safety on roadways and help consumers to make more informed decisions when purchasing a vehicle.

The organization is requiring all automakers and motorcycle manufacturers to provide consumers with the free online VIN-checker tool starting in 2014. The rule will also require manufacturers to inform NHTSA about crash related technologies that vehicles have. In addition, manufacturers will be required to notify owners with direct notice of recalls within 60 days of reporting the recall to the NHTSA.

During a press conference regarding the new technology, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “Safety is our highest priority, and an informed consumer is one of our strongest allies in that effort.”

There are already a lot of automotive manufacturers who already use this tool, but for those who do not have it readily available, they will have until August 14, 2014 to do so. This feature will not only be available on all of the manufacturer’s websites, but will also be featured on the official automotive safety website at www.safercar.gov.

Despite manufacturers’ dedication to creating safe vehicles for their consumers, recalls still do occur from almost all manufacturers. For example, in 2012, Toyota Motor Co., announced the world’s biggest recall in 16 years. NBC News reported that in the U.S., it had recalled 2.5 million vehicles sold due to a potential fire risk.

It is too often that consumers make purchases on recalled vehicles that puts them at risk for injury. If you or a loved one were hurt due to defective or unsafe product, consider making a product liability claim with a personal injury attorney at Malman Law. We have both the knowledge and skill to make a successful personal injury claim.

Product liability law falls under consumer products, including food, toys, electronics, real estate, drugs, furniture, clothing, motor vehicles, medical devices, maps, instruction manuals, home and office appliances, and commercial airplanes.

Call our office today for a free consultation and legal advice if you feel that you have suffered an injury due to an unsafe product.