Is My Car Wreck a Product Liability Case?

When someone is seriously injured or killed in a car wreck, they may have claims against the manufacturer of their vehicle if their car has a defective condition which caused their injuries or death. The lawyers at Daughtery, Crawford, Fuller & Brown, LLP have represented clients against auto manufacturers in a variety of cases, including rollovers, seat back failures, gasoline fuel fed fires, roof crush incidents, faulty seatbelts, and defective door latches.

The crucial first step in analyzing any potential product liability claim is to make sure the vehicle involved in the wreck is preserved as evidence for subsequent examination and inspection. It is important not to delay the involvement of a lawyer who can help you insure this vital piece of evidence is preserved. Once the vehicle is preserved, an experienced lawyer from Daughtery, Crawford, Fuller & Brown, LLP can examine the vehicle along with leading, independent engineering experts to determine the viability of a claim against the car manufacturer. It is important to take photographs of the components at issue; whether it is the seatbelts, or area of roof crush, or damaged gas tank before the vehicle experiences prolonged exposure to the weather.

The vehicle is not the only item of evidence which needs preservation. It is important to interview all witnesses to the wreck and those who arrived after the wreck to provide medical care and assistance. Medical personnel can often provide crucial testimony about the condition of the vehicle. In many cases, the medical personnel are the most important witnesses for confirming that a door was already open or seat was inclined rearward immediately after the impact. These eye witnesses on the scene prior to first responders often provide important details like the progression of a fire and the location where the fire started on the vehicle. These important details can be preserved through statements taken by a Daughtery, Crawford, Fuller & Brown, LLP lawyer as part of the investigation into the car fire or seat failure.

Another matter which needs immediate attention in the days and weeks following a wreck is the accident scene. While law enforcement will often photograph the wreck scene, this is not a guarantee and, for example, may be done at night which may impact the quality of the photographs. The lawyers at Daughtery, Crawford, Fuller & Brown, LLP have worked closely with a number of independent accident reconstructionists who can analyze and document the wreck scene by photographing tire marks, gouge marks, and other evidence which might prove to be extremely important in determining exactly what happened in the wreck. Even if your car wreck did not involve a gasoline fire, or faulty seatbelt, or defective door latch, or rollover and roof crush, it is important to preserve as much information about the wreck as is possible.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a car wreck, it is important to hire a qualified and experienced lawyer to protect your rights by examining whether a product liability claim exists and recovering the proper amount of damages allowed by the law. In addition to product liability claims in car wrecks, lawyers at Daughtery, Crawford, Fuller & Brown, LLP have represented clients injured by other consumer products like lawn mowers, gasoline cans, and farming equipment.

Free personal injury consultation: Contact a lawyer at Daughtery, Crawford, Fuller & Brown in Columbus, Georgia, for a free initial consultation today so we can begin to protect your rights.