When it comes to car safety, many of us focus on the importance of having recalled and potentially defective vehicles repaired as soon as possible so crashes and injuries are avoided.
When companies ignore issues and fail to launch recalls, people get injured and even killed. That’s when automakers are held liable for their actions. But what happens when a vehicle you own is recalled, you know it has been recalled, but you fail to have the vehicle repaired?
Many consumers don’t know whether they may end up being held liable in case an accident happens. In order to avoid headaches in the future, read more about your responsibilities as a car owner as we address this issue. Especially because there are scenarios where you could be held liable in case someone gets injured.
Ignoring Recalls Will Cost You
When car owners are aware that their vehicle was recalled over a safety issue but they choose to ignore or postpone the repairs, crashes may ensue. If a crash happens and you’re injured, you are still eligible to seek damages with the manufacturer, but you may also end up holding some of the responsibility as well.
That’s why safety advocates and personal injury lawyers urge car owners to have their vehicles fixed promptly when they learn about a recall campaign.
Selling Your Car? Get It Fixed
If you own a car that has been recalled over a safety issue, avoid ignoring the recall, especially if you’re going to sell it. If you do end up ignoring the campaign and your vehicle is sold while the recall is still open, you may be held liable for injuries incurred by an occupant or driver who’s involved in an accident caused by the defect tied to the recall.
Make sure your vehicle is repaired promptly in order to avoid this type of lawsuit.
But what happens when you’re not aware of the recall and you sell it anyway? You may also be held liable.
So avoid incidents or future headaches by staying on top of all recall campaigns and having your car fixed whenever it’s tied to a recall campaign.
For more information on auto recalls and how to have your vehicle repaired in case it’s impacted, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.
