Defective Door Latch Attorneys in Jacksonville, Florida
Defective Door Latch Lawsuits
When consumers purchase a new car or truck, they assume the manufacturer has adhered to minimum federal crash standards. While these requirements are often generous to auto companies to begin with, defective automobiles and automobile parts that do not even meet the minimum safety standards slip through the cracks from time to time. Although manufacturing mistakes are generally unintentional, a frightening reality is that recalls often cost more money than settling auto accident claims, including Florida defective door latch lawsuits. For this reason, the lawyers at our Jacksonville, Florida firm have taken an interest in defective auto parts litigation. Our goal is to send a message to the auto industry that safety should always be above all cost concerns.
Contact Farah and Farah today to discuss your claim with our defective door latch attorneys in Jacksonville, Florida.
- Defective Vehicle Parts and the Auto Industry's Response
- The Donnelly Defective Door Latch
- Defective Door Latch Lawsuits
- Frequently Asked Questions
Defective Vehicle Parts and the Auto Industry's Response
The infamous case of the Ford Pintos in the late 1970s paints a disturbing picture of the automobile industry's willingness to put profits ahead of human lives. But even though many of us regard the Pinto travesty as a tragic lesson learned, auto companies still strive to minimize their losses when recalls are necessary. By allowing defective parts to be used in vehicles, these manufacturers cause many unnecessary deaths and serious injuries each year. Those who have been injured by defective vehicle parts should contact our defective door latch attorneys in Jacksonville, Florida today. We can help victims obtain the compensation to which they are rightfully entitled.
The Donnelly Defective Door Latch
Between the years 1997 and 2000, Ford Motor Company released a series of model light trucks - including F-150, F-250, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator - that were equipped with substandard door latches. These door handles, released by Donnelly Corp, lacked the ability to withstand 30 G's of force, as required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 206. A defective door latch recall was scheduled during March 2000, and plans were made to increase the torque of the latch springs by 130 percent.
However, a month later, Ford cancelled the defective door latch recall after one of its engineers decided the door latch could pass an alternate test that required only that handles can withstand a brief pulse of pressure instead of prolonged force. Furthermore, even though the improved handles were released for subsequent models of the trucks, owners of trucks with a defective door latch were never notified about the safety hazard!
Defective Door Latch Lawsuits
Over the past four years, Ford has worked diligently with its own attorneys to dodge liability from any injuries or deaths purportedly caused by a Donnelly defective door latch. However, an increasing number of defective door latch lawsuits have arisen in the past year in Jacksonville, Florida and throughout the nation, and several cases have been quietly settled in cash, outside of the courtroom. If you were injured or have lost a loved one as a result of Ford's negligence, contact our defective door latch lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida immediately! Our attorneys will use our expertise and experience in product liability law to help victims pursue defective door latch lawsuits.
FAQs and Defective Door Latch Information
Vehicle defects present serious dangers to automobile consumers. For those who would like to know more about defective vehicle parts and Donnelly defective door latch lawsuits, the lawyers at our Jacksonville, Florida firm have provided the following list of frequently asked questions:
What constitutes a vehicle defect?
There are three types of vehicle defects.
- A manufacturing defect generally denotes the failure to include a required safety mechanism in an automobile. While Ford engineer Bharat Malhotra warned against the manufacturing defect in the Donnelly door latches, no recall was ever implemented.
- A design defect causes injury or death due to a poor design decision, such as placing a fuel tank too close to a position of frequent impact.
- Failure to warn occurs when the manufacturer of an automobile containing an unsafe feature fails to adequately warn consumers of this issue.
Contact Farah and Farah to learn more about defective door latch lawsuits. Our Jacksonville defective door latch attorneys will be happy to answer further questions about potential vehicle or door handle defects.
How do I find out if my vehicle contains the purportedly defective door latch?
If you own any of the following models of Ford trucks, manufactured between the years of 1997 and 2000, you may have one of the affected vehicles:
- F-150
- F-250
- Expedition
- Navigator
- Blackwood
For a complete list of vehicles containing the Donnelly door latch, contact our defective door latch lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida.
I believe that my family member (or I) was injured as a result of a defective door latch. What should I do?
Immediately contact the defective door latch attorneys at Farah and Farah so we can begin to gather evidence.
What type of compensation can I expect?
Confidential cash settlements have been awarded to several victims and others have initiated class action lawsuits. The largest suit is being filed in South Carolina, but trucks containing defective latches were shipped to more than just one state! Our defective door latch attorneys in Jacksonville, Florida will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Defective Door Latch Lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida
Florida defective auto parts litigation is a highly specialized area of law that requires the knowledge and expertise of a qualified professional. At Farah and Farah, our attorneys have successfully handled defective door latch lawsuits in Jacksonville and throughout Florida. We will work with a team of experts to build and prove your case - contact Farah and Farah today to schedule your complimentary case review.