While human errors account for the vast majority of car accidents in cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico, negligence is sometimes not a factor. There are times when auto defects - problems with the way a vehicle or vehicle component is designed, manufactured, or marketed - contribute to or cause car accidents. In fact, research suggests that two percent of all auto accidents in the United States are caused by an auto defect.
If you’ve been injured in an Albuquerque auto defect accident, it’s critical for you to know your legal rights. Just because a driver on the scene isn’t at fault doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to seek compensation. In these situations, you might have a strong claim against the car manufacturer. Taking on a powerful car company can be a challenge. After all, it’ll have considerable resources at its disposal and skilled defense attorneys waiting to squash your claim.
That’s why it’s imperative to level the playing field by hiring an experienced Albuquerque car accident attorney to handle your auto defect claim.
Singleton Schreiber is a trusted legal advocate for injury victims and families throughout the state of New Mexico. Led by award-winning civil trial attorneys whose collective experience spans decades, we’ve helped our clients win over $3 Billion in financial awards. Discuss the details of your auto defect case and discover why you’ll want our top-rated legal team in your corner by calling us for help today. There’s no charge for your initial case evaluation.
What Are the Most Common Types of Auto Defects?
Defects are, simply put, problems with a problem that make them inherently unsafe for consumers. Defects can exist because of problems with a product’s design, the way in which they are manufactured, or because of the way they’re marketed.
Regardless of the reason a product is defective, it can have the potential to cause catastrophic harm, especially when that defect affects a motor vehicle.
A car is a complex machine that’s made up of thousands of components. Some big, some small. If there’s a problem with just one of those components, it can cause the vehicle to malfunction and cause a motor vehicle accident.
While it’s possible for almost any component of a motor vehicle to suffer from a defect, some of the most common vehicle defects include the:
- Airbags
- Electrical power systems
- Brakes
- Tires
- Seatbelts
- Headlights
- Tail lights
- Turn signals
- Door latch mechanisms
- Windshield
- Steering columns
- Accelerators
- Engines
- Engine cooling systems
- Fuel systems
- Air conditioning systems
- Transmissions
- Batteries
Auto defect accidents have the potential to injure the occupants of the defective vehicle, as well as occupants of other cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, e-scooter operators, and innocent bystanders.
How Are Auto Defect Accident Cases Different From Other Types of Car Accident Cases?
Many car accidents in Albuquerque, New Mexico, happen because a motorist is negligent. In these situations, a crash victim reserves the right to file a lawsuit against that negligent motorist (and/or their insurance company) to hold them accountable for resulting damages. When an auto defect causes a car accident in Albuquerque, the defendant becomes the company that designed, manufactured, and/or sold the vehicle or vehicle component.
Further, auto defect cases aren’t usually based on the tort of negligence. Rather, they’re based on strict liability. That’s because, under New Mexico’s product liability laws, a company that creates or sells a product can be strictly liable for defects in those products, regardless of how careful they were to build something safe. If a vehicle or one of its components is defective, the company can be on the hook for your damages.
When you’re the victim of an auto defect accident in Albuquerque, you need to prove the following things:
- The vehicle or vehicle component was designed/manufactured/sold by the defendant
- The vehicle or vehicle component was defective because of its design, the way it was manufactured, and/or because the defendant failed to warn about potential threats to consumer safety
- The defect caused a car accident in which you were injured or experienced the wrongful death of a family member
- You’ve suffered damages, as a result.
You don’t have to prove the car manufacturer was careless or that they knew the product was defective. All that’s required is that you can prove the defect exists and that it caused your car accident.
Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Attorney in Albuquerque If I’ve Been Injured in an Accident Because of an Auto Defect?
Building a successful legal claim against a powerful car manufacturer can take time and require extensive resources. It’ll also require an in-depth knowledge of New Mexico product liability law and experience litigating car accident cases. If you don’t hire a personal injury attorney near you in Albuquerque, you’ll give the car manufacturer and its insurance company an unnecessary advantage throughout the claims process.
Working with an attorney ensures that your rights under the law are protected. It gives you an opportunity to rest and shows the vehicle manufacturer that you’re willing to be patient and fight for the case results you deserve.
Your choice of legal representation matters. It’s why crash victims, injured consumers, and families in Albuquerque turn to Singleton Schreiber.
Singleton Schreiber is home to award-winning Albuquerque car accident attorneys with a passion for helping everyday people stand up to corporations in power. Recognized for leadership in civil litigation by Best Lawyers in America, Law Dragon 500, and Super Lawyers, we’ve been successful in recovering billions of dollars for our clients.
We utilize smart legal strategies that can be adapted to benefit each and every client we represent. When you ask for our help with your auto accident case, we’ll go above and beyond to help you find a way to recover maximum compensation and move forward with your life.
There’s only a limited window of time in which you can file an auto defect claim in New Mexico, so reach out to our Albuquerque, NM, law office for a free consultation today.
