If you have owned several cars, chances are good you have probably received a notice from your auto manufacturer at some point informing you that your vehicle is subject to a recall and is eligible for free repairs. While many are tempted to toss these notices out with the rest of their junk mail, this can be a major mistake.
Your Life Could Be At Risk
Automotive safety recalls are only issued when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines that there is a major safety hazard with a particular make and model of a vehicle. Since recalls are expensive and time consuming for car manufacturers, and may even inflict serious damage to a car company’s reputation, recalls are only reserved for large-scale liability situations in which when serious dangers are detected in vehicles. As such, by ignoring your recall notice and continuing to use your vehicle, you could be putting yourself and others at serious risk of injury, property damage, or even death.
Recalls can be issued in relation to a wide variety of hazards, including:
- Faulty brakes
- Defective airbags
- Seat belt failure
- Tire failure
- Car structural defects
- Collapsing seatbacks
Auto manufacturers who issue recalls do so to protect their own interests. If they choose to go through the trouble of sending you a notice and offering some sort of remedy to address the issue, there is likely a very good reason for doing so.
Your Personal Injury Claim Could Be Jeopardized
In addition to protecting your safety and the safety of others, ignoring a safety recall could harm your ability to seek compensation in the event that the cited defect should cause you injury. For example, say your make and model of car has a critical defect in its brake lines and is recalled due to numerous collisions connected to the issue. If you knowingly ignore the manufacturer’s recall notice and are involved in an accident caused by the defect, resulting in injury, you could face reduced compensation in a personal injury lawsuit or even be held partially responsible for the crash due to negligence.
At The Gilbert Law Group®, P.C., our Denver auto defect lawyers strongly urge you to take any recall notice seriously and pursue the available remedies to protect your safety and interests. Likewise, if you have been injured by a defective vehicle or vehicle part, our team of award-winning advocates can provide the powerful guidance you need to pursue every penny’s worth of your entitled compensation.
Call (888) 711-5947 or contact our office online today to get started towards filing a claim.
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