Defective Auto Products Class Actions

The United States is largely a nation of commuters. With exceptions in only a few cities, we depend on cars and trucks to travel throughout our sprawling neighborhoods, cities, and rural areas. Cars travel millions of miles, perhaps more, on American roads every day, meaning that we rely on the quality and craftsmanship of millions of individual vehicles. Each of these vehicles results from a lengthy design, manufacturing, and distribution process, and each uses parts and components from suppliers all over the world. When any part of an automobile is defective or dangerous, it threatens not only the driver and passengers of that automobile, but also others on or near the road. People who have suffered injuries due to a dangerous or defective condition of an automobile or automobile part may have the right to recover damages from the manufacturer, distributor, or dealer of that product. The Chicago auto defect lawyers at Nationwide Consumer Rights have extensive experience asserting the rights of groups of consumers who have suffered similar injuries because of a dangerous or defective product.

Defective Auto Products

Automobile manufacturers use parts from countless suppliers, and have the responsibility of ensuring that the final product is reasonably safe and suitable for use on the road. Automobile products that may have defects or dangerous properties that threaten consumers may include:

• Tires;
• Brake pads;
• Transmissions;
• Engines and engine parts;
• Seat belts;
• Airbags, impact beams, and other safety features; and
• Windows and windshields.

Auto Products Liability Law

Automobiles are subject to a wide range of regulations from multiple levels of government, including local requirements regarding seatbelt use, state laws governing licensing and impaired driving, and federal regulations regarding automobile safety. If a defect in an auto part causes an injury to a driver, passenger, or anyone else, the injured person may have a claim against whomever manufactured or distributed the part or the vehicle itself. Products liability law allows an injured person to recover damages if they can demonstrate that a dangerous condition or defect existed, that it caused their injuries, that they were using the product correctly at the time of the injury, and that the injury was a reasonably foreseeable result of correct use of the product. In the case of an automobile, “correct use” typically means that the injury did not result from improper or illegal operation of the vehicle, although many exceptions may apply depending on the circumstances.

Auto Defective Products Class Actions

A class action lawsuit allows multiple people who suffered similar injuries from a dangerous or defective condition in an automobile to assert their claims together. This is a particular benefit when individual plaintiffs may not be able to bring a lawsuit for their individual claims due to the expense and time involved. Class action litigation for defective auto products also ensures that the defendant cannot attempt to brush aside seemingly minor claims brought by individual consumers.

Nationwide Consumer Rights’ Chicago auto defect attorneys bring decades of litigation experience to the service of plaintiffs in claims for violations of consumer protection statutes and other civil claims. We strive to protect the rights of consumers around the country. Contact us today online or at 630-333-0333 for a free and confidential consultation with an auto defect lawyer in the Chicago area.