Defective Brake and Tire Car Accidents

When you’re on the highway driving 60 miles per hour, you’re traveling 66 feet per second. That is a lot of distance when you think about how quickly you may need to stop if you encounter an obstacle in the road. The time it takes you to stop in an emergency situation depends not only on your driving experience, physical well-being, and state of mind, but also on the condition of your brakes and tires.

Most drivers assume their brakes and tires will be responsive in the event of an emergency stop. Unfortunately, however, automakers and tire manufacturers have historically allowed defective braking systems and tires into the marketplace, which in turn can cause and contribute to serious injury crashes. In 2016, Toyota recalled hundreds of thousands of its Prius vehicles for problems with defective brakes that caused accidents, injuries and even deaths.  And just recently in 2018, GM, Mitsubishi and Subaru recalled almost a million vehicles for defective brakes.  The brake defects ranged from faulty automatic brake pad adjusters, defective electronic park brakes, and faulty rear brake caliber pistons which led to spongy brakes.  All of these brake defects were found to increase the risk of a crash.  

Types of Brake System Defects

Modern brake systems are very complicated—they are comprised of service brakes as well as parking brakes/emergency brakes, which each containing numerous parts, such as pads, shoes, rotors, pistons, and calipers. A defect in any of these components can compromise the safety of your vehicle. Some common brake system defects include:

• Improper installation of the brake/shift interlock
• Malfunctioning hydraulic lines
• Brake fluid leaks caused by defective components
• Problems with brake drums, linings, rotors, and pads

Because a car’s braking system is so essential to automotive safety, manufacturers should never attempt to cut corners or costs by using untested or inferior brake parts. If you have been injured in an accident involving bad brakes, we can help you recover compensation for your damages.

Tires are a critical safety component on any vehicle—they affect steering, handling, traction, stability, and braking—which means sudden tire failure can have devastating consequences, especially if the failure occurs at high speeds. When tire failure is caused by a manufacturing defect, the problem often involves poor adhesion between the tire tread and belts. This can result in tread separation and blowouts.

You can check your tires for obvious defects by looking for bulges, cracks, lumps, missing chunks of rubber, and excessive run-out. If you see any of these problems, your tires are not safe and need to be replaced right away.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident involving brake or tire failure, contact the legal team at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers in Atlanta. During a free initial consultation, our attorneys will discuss your options for recovering compensation for your damages. We represent clients across the State of Georgia, including Atlanta, Marietta, Decatur, Roswell, and Savannah. Call (404) 460-0101 today!