Car defect recalls can be scary, dangerous, and confusing. If your vehicle has been recalled, you need to act quickly. Recent recalls from vehicle manufacturers, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Honda have endangered the lives of millions.

For example, recent news shows manufacturers producing defective tires that caused accidents that resulted in eight deaths and 69 serious injuries. Another issue with vehicle safety was the manufacturing of airbags that resulted in a product recall.

A car recall occurs when either the manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines that there is a defect, or potential defect, in every car of that make or model that makes the vehicle unsafe.

The federal government maintains safety standards for vehicles, and if a manufacturer fails to comply with those standards the vehicle may be recalled. If your vehicle has been recalled, you will have it repaired or replaced free of charge.

After a recall, the manufacturer and distributor of the vehicle are required to send out a notice to any consumers of the product. You will receive a letter in the mail if your vehicle has been recalled. The letter will contain:

• A description of the defect
• The risk or hazard posed by the problem (including the kinds of injuries it can cause)
• Potential warning signs
• How the manufacturer plans to fix the problem (including when the repair will be available and how long it’ll take)
• Instructions regarding what you should do next

If you don’t receive a car recall notice, however, you can search through current safety recalls on the NHTSA’s site. And whether you received a letter or not, the manufacturer is still obligated to repair the defect (for free). The NHTSA recalls site is usually updated before the letters go out, so it’s a great resource to have on your radar and provides pertinent info about recalls on cars.

If your car is on the NHTSA’s car recall list, all recall-related fixes should be done free of charge. You’ll need to take your car to an authorized dealer since they contract directly with the manufacturer. Also, to avoid complications, it’s best to bring your recall letter with you (if you have one).

What to do if you’re in a car accident due to a defect in the car?

While you are typically able to pursue legal damages for defective vehicle accidents, if you were warned about the issue and had reasonable time to correct it before the accident then you may not be able to win a legal judgment against the manufacturer.

Ignoring a vehicle recall warning can have serious consequences by both increasing your risk of an accident and hurting your chances of receiving financial compensation from an auto insurance claim.

To ensure that you’ll get fair compensation out of your insurance coverage, you should hire a personal injury attorney. Personal injury lawyers work in numerous practice areas including motor vehicle accidents.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident due to a product safety issue, please do not hesitate to contact Roxell Richards Law Firm. After 15 years in practice, we have expertise in dealing with personal injury claims. Plus, we genuinely care about you and your loved ones.

Our personal injury lawyer is highly successful in taking on insurance companies and we will work diligently on your personal injury case to get you the compensation you deserve.

Payments are on a contingency fee basis, so unless your case is won, you don’t have to pay anything. Give us a call today at our local phone number (713) 974-0388 or toll-free number 1-855-GOT-INJURED for a free consultation.