Everyday drivers in Mississippi are involved in serious accidents caused by careless drivers that violate traffic safety laws, fail to give undivided attention to one’s driving or engage in aggressive driving practices to get to one’s destination a few minutes faster.  While these types of unsafe driving are responsible for the vast majority of Mississippi traffic collisions, there are a fair number of accidents that are caused at least in part by defective motor vehicle components.  When you are involved in a collision caused by the failure of a component or system in your vehicle, you may be able to assert a product liability claim against the manufacturer of your car, truck or SUV.  Product liability claims against the manufacturers of motor vehicles require a law firm with extensive experience and substantial resources.  Barrett Law has been effectively representing those injured by the negligence of others in Mississippi for more than 75 years.

There are two basic types of motor vehicle defects: (1) product defects that increase the likelihood of a collision; and (2) product defects that cause more severe injuries when a collision occurs.  There are some defects that both increase the probability of a Mississippi motor vehicle collisions and the seriousness of injuries.  Faulty brakes are an example of the type of defect that makes a collision more likely whereas a defective seatbelt or airbag is the type of defect that may cause more serious injury though not raise the odds that a motorist will be involved in a Mississippi motor vehicle collision.  Defects like tread separation will both increase the likelihood of a collision if a tire blows out and also result in more severe injuries because the vehicle may rollover causing roof crush injuries or a vehicle ejection.

Some of the most common forms of motor vehicle defects that may cause Mississippi car accidents include the following:

Defective Safety Equipment: When an airbag or seatbelt fail they may leave a vehicle occupant unprotected in the event of a collision.  A seatbelt may have a defective buckle that does not fully engage or that releases in a collision.  The webbing of the belt itself may also be defective so that it rips or tears during a collision.  While some injuries are caused by airbags that fail to deploy leaving the driver or passenger without adequate protection during a collision, some airbags may independently cause injury.  Airbags deploy at enormous rates of speed so the timing of their deployment is critical to avoid injury.  If the airbag deploys too late or in a low speed collision, an overly aggressive airbag may slam into a vehicle occupant causing severe facial or head injuries including traumatic brain injury.

Tire Defects: When your tires have steel belts, it is critical that the rubber and steel belts properly bond during the manufacturing process.  When this does not happen, the tread can separate from the tire causing the tire to blowout.  Tire blowouts often result in rollover accidents, which are extremely dangerous because vehicle occupants may be ejected from the vehicle.

Defective Latch Systems on Car Doors: When a vehicle rolls in a collision it puts stress on the frame of the vehicle.  If the latch mechanisms on car doors are defective, it can cause the doors of the vehicle to swing open so that vehicle occupants may be thrown from the vehicle.

Unintended Acceleration Accidents: There are few experiences as frightening as having your vehicle suddenly accelerate uncontrollably even as you attempt to apply the brakes.  There are a variety of defects that may contribute to this type of accident including defective floor mats and electrical systems.  Because the vehicle may accelerate to high rates of speed, these accident may easily result in catastrophic injury or wrongful death.

If you or someone you love has been injured or a loved one dies in a Mississippi car accident caused by a defective car, truck or SUV, you or your loved one may have a right to seek compensation for any injuries or other loss.  The experienced Mississippi product defect car accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to person injury victims for over 75 years. We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.