NY rollover

According to news reports, Thomas Smolinski, a former diving champion, was riding in his brother’s Ford Explorer in 1999 when the vehicle rolled over. Smolinski suffered severe and permanent injuries to his spine which left him wheelchair bound and unable to completely care for himself. He sued Ford Motor Company and a New York jury awarded him $40 million for past and future medical expenses and other damages. Unfortunately, the jury also held that his brother was partially liable for the accident.

Product liability

Ask any experienced products liability attorney and they’ll tell you that product liability should always be considered when dealing with car accident cases – especially cases like this that involve rollovers. Product liability cases can include defective seatbelts, tires and brakes as well as other parts of the car.

Defective design can also be compensable. When sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were first introduced, many were thought to be dangerous due to their design and propensity to roll over. While car manufacturers often claim that these design flaws have been fixed, rollover cases continue today.

The bottom line is that when a manufacturer places a defective or dangerous car or truck into the marketplace and someone is injured because of that defect or danger, it may be liable for any injuries sustained. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you owe it to yourself to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer to see if your vehicle’s manufacturer might be responsible.

“On the fence” about finding out more?

Even if you’re not sure that product liability is relevant to your case, New York product liability attorneys generally work on a contingency fee basis – which means they don’t get paid until you recover. In addition, most provide free consultations, so calling to discuss your situation won’t cost you anything.