Knowing Whether A Car Wreck Is A Product Liability Case: Help From Experienced Attorneys
When someone is seriously injured or killed in a car wreck, he or she may have claims against the manufacturer of the vehicle if it had a defective condition that caused the injuries or death. Our lawyers at Crawford & Brown Law Firm LLP have represented clients against auto manufacturers in a variety of cases, including rollovers, seat back failures, gasoline fuel-fed fires, roof crush incidents, faulty seat belts, and defective door latches.
The crucial first step in analyzing any potential product liability claim is to make sure the vehicle involved in the wreck is preserved as evidence for subsequent examination and inspection. It is important to involve an attorney right away who can help you ensure that this vital piece of evidence is preserved. Once the vehicle is preserved, an experienced Columbus car accident lawyer from Crawford & Brown Law Firm can examine it along with leading independent engineering experts to determine the viability of a claim against the car manufacturer. It is important to take photographs of the components at issue, whether the seat belts, the area of roof crush, or a damaged gas tank, before the vehicle experiences prolonged exposure to the weather.
The Need To Preserve Evidence
The vehicle is not the only item of evidence in motor vehicle accident cases needing preservation. It is important to interview all witnesses to the wreck and those who arrived after the wreck to provide medical care and assistance. Medical personnel can often provide crucial testimony about the condition of the vehicle. In many cases, medical personnel is the most important witnesses for confirming that a door was already open or a seat was inclined rearward immediately after the impact. These witnesses on the scene prior to first responders often provide important details like the progression of a fire and the location where the fire started on the vehicle. These important details can be preserved through statements taken by one of our lawyers as part of the investigation into a car fire or seat failure.
Investigating The Accident Scene
Another matter needing immediate attention in the days and weeks following a wreck is the accident scene. While law enforcement will often photograph the scene, this is not a guarantee and might be done at night, which may impact the quality of the photographs. Our Columbus product liability lawyers have worked closely with a number of independent accident reconstructionists who can analyze and document the wreck scene by photographing tire marks, gouge marks and other evidence that might prove to be extremely important in determining exactly what happened in the wreck. Even if your car wreck did not involve a gasoline fire, faulty seat belt, defective door latch, or rollover and roof crush, it is important to preserve as much information about the wreck as possible.
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a car wreck, it is important to hire a qualified and experienced lawyer to protect your rights by examining whether a product liability claim exists and recovering the proper amount of damages allowed by the law. In addition to product liability claims in car wrecks, our lawyers have represented clients injured by other consumer products like lawn mowers, gasoline cans, and farming equipment.
Free personal injury consultation: Contact a lawyer at Crawford & Brown Law Firm LLP in Columbus, Georgia, for a free initial consultation today so we can begin to protect your rights. Call us at 706-320-9646.