Car Part Malfunctions Can Happen In Electric Vehicles, Too
Research into ways to make motor vehicles safer is a lucrative industry, and it appears to be a successful one, too. Fatalities from traffic collisions are much less frequent than they were several decades ago, and the fact that cars are safer now than they were when your parents first learned to drive is part of the reason. The car part that has prevented the most fatalities and serious injuries in car accidents is the seatbelt; air bags are a distant second. Electric vehicles are much safer for the environment, and therefore the long-term survival of the human race, than their petroleum-guzzling counterparts, and they are not inherently more dangerous than gas-fueled cars. Tesla, the most famous electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States, has been a defendant in several high-profile product liability lawsuits related to fancy technologies in its cars, not necessarily to the cars’ electrical power system. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a malfunctioning part in an electric vehicle, contact a Jacksonville car accident lawyer.
Florida’s Scariest Tesla Malfunctions
These are some of the scariest and most famous accidents caused by electric vehicle malfunctions in Florida:
- Omar Awan, an anesthesiologist from Broward County, was involved in a single-vehicle crash in February 2019, when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a palm tree. He suffered only minor injuries in the crash, but he was unable to unlock the doors, which had gone into emergency mode, so he was trapped inside the car when it burst into flames, killing him. He was 41 years old.
- Mena Massoud, an Egyptian-Canadian actor bought a Tesla Model 3 in South Florida shortly after he finished filming the movie Aladdin, where he played the title character. Less than 24 hours after he bought the car, the wheel spontaneously detached while he was driving, causing a single vehicle collision. Massoud did not suffer serious injuries.
- In May 2018, Barrett Riley was driving a Tesla Model S in Fort Lauderdale, and his friend Edgar Montserrat Martinez was riding in the passenger seat. Riley lost control of the car, and it jumped a curb and then crashed into two walls. Riley and Martinez, both 18 years old, died in the accident.
Product liability lawsuits are not exclusive to electric vehicles. Every time a consumer product malfunctions and causes injuries, the injured people have the right to sue for damages. Product manufacturers have a legal responsibility to ensure that the products they sell are safe for their intended use and cannot easily be used dangerously. Product liability lawsuits have led to the discontinuation or redesign of many products, including but not limited to car parts, toys, pharmaceutical drugs, furniture, and personal care products.
Contact Douglas & Douglas About Car Accident Cases Involving Vehicle Malfunctions
A North Florida car accident lawyer can help you get a fair insurance settlement or file a personal injury lawsuit if the accident was the result of a malfunction of a car part. Contact Douglas & Douglas in Jacksonville, Florida for a free consultation.
Sources:
nbcnews.com/business/business-news/tesla-crash-case-florida-jury-awards-multimillion-judgment-riley-rcna38932
nbcmiami.com/news/local/lawsuit-teslas-door-handles-blamed-for-broward-doctors-death/2770024/
tmz.com/2019/05/31/aladdin-star-mena-massoud-suing-tesla-lawsuit/
