Automotive Crashworthiness
Traffic accidents happen six times a minute in the United States resulting in millions of serious or life-threatening injuries every year. Most of these accidents and resulting injuries, however, are preventable. Car manufacturers are legally responsible for making sure their vehicles are crashworthy to prevent unnecessary pain and suffering.
If you or someone you love has been harmed or killed in a motor vehicle accident, it’s possible that the automotive crashworthiness is responsible for some or all of the injuries sustained. You may be eligible to seek compensation for your damages. Please contact Aitken * Aitken * Cohn today to speak with a qualified and compassionate Orange County crashworthiness attorney who can evaluate your case FREE of charge and determine the best course of action for you.
Factors to Consider in Automotive Crashworthiness
In a motor vehicle accident, two impacts occur: initial impact and second impact. The initial impact is the actual crash. During the initial impact, automotive crashworthiness is determined by several safety factors that include, but are not limited to:
- Seat belts
- Side impact protection
- Crumple zones
- Airbags
- Roofs that resist roof collapse
- Interior padding, including headrests to reduce whiplash
- Laminated windshield and side/rear windows
After the initial impact, a crashworthy automobile should maintain space within the car for passengers to survive, have adequate fire prevention, and have proper restraint and ejection safeguards.
The term “second impact” refers to any blows or injuries suffered by passengers as a result of the initial impact. Second impact can occur if a passenger’s head or body strikes the dashboard or steering wheel or if they are ejected from the vehicle, usually resulting in the most serious injuries. Automotive crashworthiness is especially important in reducing second impact injuries.
Automotive Crashworthiness and Your Rights
If you or a loved one has been in an automobile accident and received injuries as a result of defective safety features, please contact us today to learn more about your rights and options. We’ll help you understand a car manufacturer’s legal responsibilities to ensure that your vehicle’s crashworthiness is as high as possible. We have the experience and knowledge to aggressively and independently investigate injuries caused by inadequate automotive crashworthiness. Our office capitalizes on the insight and expertise of the best known legal experts in the industry.
