Nov 16 2008
Defective Door Latch
A door latch may seem like a small detail among your car’s arsenal of equipment, but the safety implications of a defective latch are huge. When a door flies open unexpectedly, especially during an accident, terrified passengers can be thrown from the vehicle and killed or seriously injured.
Over the past decades, multiple major auto manufacturers have recalled cars due to defective door latches. Several of these recalls have taken place only after a series of lawsuits brought the public’s and the government’s attention to the problem. Most recently, a series of lawsuits against the Ford Motor Company alleged that the company included defective latches on several models sold between 1997 and 2002, including the Focus, F-150, F-250 and Expedition. Worse, some of these lawsuits allege that Ford knew about the problem beforehand, and even canceled its order for more of the latches, but halted the recall process when the company realized that it was more expensive than simply settling the inevitable wrongful death litigation. Instead, the plaintiffs alleged, they found a less stringent standard that their door latches could meet, then insisted the vehicles were safe.
Car accidents can destroy a life in an instant, turning families upside down and radically changing a victim’s future. If you have been in an accident due to a defective door latch or other defective automotive product, you have the right to hold the manufacturer liable in a court of law for your injuries, disability, disfigurement, financial losses or loss of a loved one. But time is important; the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit can be short.