Defective Vehicle Lawyers

We can make sure that all vehicles involved in your crash are left untouched until they have been photographed and examined. We will not let important evidence get lost or destroyed.

A defective vehicle claim requires the insights of highly qualified accident reconstruction specialists, engineers and auto safety experts. In fact, many cases turn on who wins the “battle” between a crash victim’s experts and the auto company’s experts.

You can expect automakers and parts manufacturers to use their extensive financial resources to challenge a product liability claim at every stage. We can rely on our own resources to aggressively challenge any efforts to put obstacles in your way and “drag out” litigation. We are passionate about protecting our clients’ rights.

More often than not, a vehicle defect that has harmed you or a loved one has harmed many others as well in Texas and throughout the country. As a result, your case may be a part of larger, national litigation. Our law firm knows how to work with other attorneys when it comes to establishing a case. We also will ensure your unique interests are protected.

We know how to get cases ready for the courtroom. We focus on every detail and leave no stone unturned. We also use cutting-edge techniques such as jury consultations and state-of-the-art exhibits. We believe this approach not only allows us to present a solid case at trial, it also gives us leverage when seeking a settlement that can avoid the need for a trial.

We know how important it is for our clients to receive the funds they need to move on with their lives after a crash caused by a vehicle defect. We work hard to resolve cases as quickly as possible. At the same time, we strive for full compensation, including:

For their own business purposes, automakers and vehicle parts manufacturers may agree to settle individual claims or offer affected consumers the opportunity to file a claim with a settlement fund.

At Tate Law Offices, P.C., we urge you to refrain from accepting any settlement until we have reviewed your case. You don’t want to accept a settlement for less than what your claim may be truly worth. You should also never give a statement to an insurance company without first meeting with an attorney from our firm.

Our law firm can represent clients in Dallas, Houston, Ft. Worth and throughout Texas in a wide range of defective vehicle claims, including the following:

Rollovers frequently involve trucks, SUVs and large passenger vans. Several types of defects can cause a vehicle to roll over. The most common causes are:

• The vehicle was designed with too high of a center of gravity
• A tire blew out due to de-tread or some other manufacturing defect
• The vehicle lacked electronic stability control (ESC), which has been proven to dramatically decrease the chance of a vehicle rollover.

Many models of cars, trucks, and SUVs lack adequate roof strength. When the roof of a vehicle is not strong enough to resist impact, it may be crushed in too far. The driver and/or passengers can, in turn, suffer serious injuries during a vehicle rollover. Sadly, Dallas vehicle occupants are often killed or rendered quadriplegic or paraplegic because of roof crush, or collapse.

Even though they are designed to protect drivers and their passengers, seat belts can release, unlatch or “spool out” during a car wreck. As a result, vehicle occupants may suffer a severe blow from the unlatched seat belt, or they may be ejected from the vehicle. Additionally, even though auto manufacturers have long known that a three-point seat belt is much safer than a lap belt, many cars, trucks and vans still come equipped with only a lap belt for the center passenger.

Airbags can be lifesaving when they work properly. However, defective airbags can be extremely dangerous to vehicle occupants. When airbag sensors are not calibrated properly, the airbags may not deploy during a car wreck, or the airbags may deploy too hard, leading to severe injuries or death. In other instances, vehicle drivers or passengers are injured because the vehicle’s airbags were designed to protect the chest area but not the head, or vice versa.

In particular, millions of cars have been recalled in recent years due to defective Takata airbag that can rupture and spray metal shards and shrapnel at occupants. The defect is due to a propellant inside the devices which can degrade as time passes.

In some Dallas car accidents, especially rear-end crashes, the seat back on a bucket seat breaks, causing the seat occupant to be violently thrown into the backseat of the car. Because the occupant is moved away from the seat belt and airbags, serious head, neck, and back injuries often result. Seat failure is also dangerous for passengers behind the defective seat, especially children. This is because the entire weight of an adult can be forcefully thrown against a backseat passenger, causing permanent injuries or death.

Defects in tires may cause them to blow out, de-tread or otherwise fail to perform properly. Additionally, tires that are too old have a high failure rate. Tire manufacturers such as Firestone, Michelin, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich, Dunlop, Uniroyal, Cooper, Yokohama, Goodyear, Pirelli, Continental and Titan may produce tire that cause injury. Tire retailers such as Discount Tire, Firestone, Wal-Mart and Sears may also cause devastating vehicle wrecks due to their improper tire installation, inspection or service.

The purpose of a vehicle safety cage is to preserve the passenger compartment in order to protect the occupants if a crash or vehicle rollover occurs. Inadequate door beams, metal design and door latches can allow intrusion into or ejection from the safety cage compartment of the vehicle.

Vehicles may explode or catch fire during an auto accident due to defects such as:

• Placement of fuel tank within the crush zone of the vehicle
• Failure to install anti-siphoning valves
• Incorrect routing of fuel lines
• Lack of fuel filler tube check valves

Even though statistics show that passengers ejected from a vehicle are 25 times more likely to die than passengers who remain inside a vehicle, auto manufacturers have not used laminated safety glass on windows in many vehicles that would help prevent passenger ejections.

One of the largest automotive recalls in history occurred when it was revealed that ignition switches in GM cars could suddenly switch from the “on” position to “off” position due to a defect. If this occurred, it could endanger passengers by causing the engine to abruptly shut off and disable safety features such as power steering, brakes and airbags.