Our KY Attorneys Explain the Surge in Vehicle Recalls and What it Means for Car Accident Victims
If you’ve noticed an increase in car recalls on the news lately, it’s not your imagination. Vehicle recalls are on the rise. The defects that lead to these recalls can increase the risk of traffic safety accidents and other types of injuries. 
Handling a car accident injury claim that involves defective vehicles isn’t a straightforward process. If you think a defective vehicle part contributed to your accident, you should turn to experienced personal injury attorneys who can explore avenues for holding car manufacturers accountable. The law firm of Skeeters, Bennett, Wilson, & Humphrey is ready to handle complex cases like yours and pursue claims against all defendants, including car manufacturers.
Vehicle Recalls Have Surged in Recent Years
Between 2002 and 2016, the number of individual recalls more than doubled (from 506 to 1,031), and the number of vehicles affected by these recalls more than tripled (from 25,264,339 to 76,071,445), a 2023 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed. Recalls issued in the past 10 years account for more than two-thirds of all vehicles affected by recalls during the 21-year-period spanning 2002 to 2022, according to NHTSA data.
The first two months of 2024 alone saw the recall of up to 750,000 affected Honda and Acura vehicles over airbag defects and 2.2 million Tesla vehicles over warning lights that violate federal safety standards.
Experts blame the surge in vehicle recalls largely on the development of more advanced vehicle systems, as ABC News reported. The more components that make up a vehicle, the greater the likelihood of one of those components malfunctioning or being defective in design, installation, or for some other reason.
The Most Common Types of Vehicle Recalls
Recalls can result from any kind of defective part, system, or design. Some types of recalls are more prevalent than others. Among the most common causes of car recalls are:
- Airbag defects
- Accelerator defects
- Faulty brakes
- Defective steering systems
- Fuel leaks
- Tire defects
- Electrical problems and other wiring issues
- Explosions or vehicle fires
- Sensors that malfunction
- Backup camera malfunctions
- Issues with warning light design or malfunction
Any one of these defects, as well as other causes of vehicle recalls, could cause or contribute to a crash.
If a Recalled Vehicle Component Contributed to Your Accident
The types of defects that lead to vehicle recalls can pose a considerable safety hazard. Car owners can proactively visit the NHTSA website to check for recalls that could affect their vehicles. They should also receive notice of the recall in the mail. When a driver receives notice of a recall, they should schedule an appointment to get the car fixed (at no cost to them) and, in the meantime, take any recommended precautions. This might include not driving the vehicle until it can be fixed.
Of course, it’s possible for defective vehicles to cause harm before they get fixed or before the recall has even been issued. When that happens, a person injured because of the defective vehicle may be entitled to compensation from the manufacturer of the vehicle or the defective components.
If you were injured by another driver, you might already be pursuing a claim against the motorist who hit you. The involvement of a vehicle defect and recall makes your existing case more complicated. It’s important that you hire a Kentucky personal injury attorney to handle this legal matter, if you haven’t already, so you can make sure all defendants are included in your case.
Suppose you were the driver of the car that has since been recalled. You may have been blamed for the accident when it wasn’t even your fault. You also may have believed you didn’t have the grounds to seek compensation from anyone. The notice that your vehicle has been recalled for a safety hazard that aligns with the cause of the crash could mean you now have the right to hold the vehicle manufacturer accountable.
If Your Accident Involved a Recalled Vehicle, You Need to Take Action Fast
Although the news of the vehicle recall can affect whether you can pursue a personal injury claim and who you can seek compensation from, rules like statutes of limitations still apply to your case. If you miss these legal deadlines, you may not be able to pursue compensation at all.
You need to seek legal guidance from the experienced attorneys at Skeeters, Bennett, Wilson, & Humphrey as soon as possible to ensure your legal rights are preserved and protected. Don’t let concerns over the cost of hiring a car crash lawyer or questions about the auto accident lawsuit process keep you from moving forward with your claim. Our Central KY personal injury attorneys work on contingency. This means you pay nothing unless we succeed in getting compensation for you.