3 Things to Know About Auto Recalls

It may surprise you that the Titanic met all federal safety standards regarding lifeboats; however, we now know that the minimum standards for lifeboats on the Titanic were clearly inadequate. When it comes to automobiles, it’s important to understand how minimum standards apply to your vehicle, including airbags and various parts, and how safe you would be if you were in an accident. Here are 3 things to know about auto recalls.

1. A vehicle is recalled when it doesn’t meet minimum safety standards. Even when a vehicle does meet minimum standards, if it is deemed not crashworthy, the manufacturer can do a voluntary recall. If the government thinks it’s necessary, it can force a recall.

2. A defective vehicle does not have to be recalled for there to be a viable case against the manufacturer. Most auto defect cases involve vehicles that met minimum standards, but like with the Titanic, the minimum standard wasn’t enough. “We’ve successfully handled many cases against vehicle manufacturers, and none of our cases included a vehicle that had been subject to a recall,” said Nick Cronauer, attorney with Cronauer Law, LLP. “Manufacturers will perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the cost of a recall exceeds the collective quantifiable costs to pay potential claims. To the one person harmed or killed in a defective vehicle, however, that is one claim too many.”

3. Even when a vehicle meets all minimum federal standards, vehicles still have to be considered “crashworthy”, and this analysis applies whether or not the vehicle meets federal standards. “If a single vehicle rollover harms an at-fault driver, the driver has a potential claim against the manufacturer because rollovers are so common they should be guarded against and mitigated by the manufacturer,” added Cronauer.

The lawyers at Cronauer Law are interested in helping people who have been injured in a vehicle, regardless of what or who caused the crash. For more information, please contact:

Cronauer Law, LLP

1101 DeKalb Avenue Ste. 2

Sycamore, IL 60178

815-895-8585

cronauerlaw.com