Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident and products liability lawyer since 1979, I see many cases where an inexperienced lawyer goes for the “easy A” and settles a potentially large personal injury case while failing to recognize other avenues and theories of recovery. Commonly in serious car accident cases there is often an element of defective product design or product failure involved such as a seat back failure, seat belt failure, or airbag failure. Each year these types of product defects lead to serious and catastrophic injuries by thousands of Americans. Although a governmental agency known as NHTSA is supposed to be addressing these problems, I find that they drag their feet and are not as aggressive as they should be.

Recently the Los Angeles Times published an article entitled “Auto Safety Agency Labors To Keep Pace” noting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has looked into forcing automakers to build stronger seats and considered new rules in the 1990s but declined to issue them due to automakers’ objections that the matter needed more study. In 2004 the agency formally shelved the issue. The largest fine ever issued by NHTSA for a seat back defect was $1 million dollars which is small change for auto manufacturers with billions of dollars in annual sales.

Despite NHTSA investigating sudden acceleration problems involving Toyota and Lexus motor vehicles since 2003, the problem persisted, ultimately leading to a massive 4.2 million vehicle recall that was initiated by the automaker in the hopes of putting the matter to rest.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a serious car accident, it pays to seek an experienced lawyer familiar with not only simple automobile crashes but also with the complexities of automotive product liability litigation. For a free no obligation consultation, please contact one of our experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.