In general, all parts of a car are required to function correctly to provide the highest level of safety for the driver, any passengers, and others who share the road. When part of the vehicle malfunctions, it may decrease the driver’s ability to control the vehicle, increase the risks associated with driving the vehicle, and has the potential to contribute to an accident and injuries.
In some cases, even a defective car instrument panel can have devastating consequences. Speak with a defective products attorney if you have sustained injuries in an accident that was caused by defective car instrumental panel.
What is the instrument panel?
The instrument panel will contain the:
- speedometer.
- odometer.
- fuel gauge.
- and, any other indicators or warning lights that the vehicle offers.
Additionally, airbags are often housed behind or near the instrument panel. The instrument panel is one of the most important parts of a vehicle as it provides the driver valuable information ranging from the vehicle’s speed to fuel level and more.
How a Defective Car Instrument Panel Leads to an Accident
When an instrumental panel is defective, the gauges may:
- perform erratically.
- stick.
- only work intermittently.
- or, not function at all.
When this happens, it can obviously hinder the driver’s ability to measure his or her own actions while driving the vehicle.
For example, a defective instrument panel in a car may contribute to reckless driving, especially if the driver’s speedometer reads incorrectly. Additionally, a faulty fuel gauge may cause the driver to assume that he or she has more gas than he or she actually does, causing the vehicle to stall out on the highway, greatly increasing the driver’s risk of danger.
A defective car instrument panel can pose other threats to drivers too. In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall of BMW X3xDrive 28i/35i vehicles for a manufacturing defect in the tear seam of the instrument panel. The recall was based on the thought that the manufacturing defect in the instrument panel could possibly hinder the deployment of the airbag.
How to Receive Compensation for Your Injuries
If a defective car instrument panel has caused an accident which resulted in an injury to you or a loved one, you may be entitled to compensation. According to product liability law, a person filing a personal injury claim may be awarded damages if the defect caused the accident or the injury that they sustained as a result of the accident was greater than it would have been but for the defective product.
If you’ve been involved in an accident that involved a defective instrument gauge, you deserve to receive compensation for your injuries. In New York, the statute of limitations for pursing a product liability case is three years from the time of injury, according to New York Civil Practice Law § 214. If you’ve been injured, the time to act is now.
An attorney can help provide you with more information about how to prove that a faulty instrument panel was directly responsible for your injury. To get started on filing your claim, call the attorneys at Gacovino, Lake & Associates, P.C., today at 800-550-0000.
