Las Vegas Personal Injury Attorney Law Firm – (Car Accidents) Defective Car Door Latch
No doubt that accidents occur daily in the state of Nevada, as in all other areas in the country. Car accidents are the most highly recorded category of accidents because of the many safety hazards on the road. However, sometimes the cause of the problem arises from within the car. This is the case in Defective car door latch accidents. Such occurrences are caused by a defective door that may jam or open up as the vehicle is moving.
As a result of defective door latches, there are many recorded fatal accidents based on the horrible nature that victims fall off or succumb to other afflictions while inside or outside the cars. Usually, a vehicle’s design should be up to the expected standard to prevent or reduce the risk of car accidents caused by defective door latches.
If you or your loved one is a victim of defective door latch car accidents, you have the right to seek just compensation. Your rights are mainly based on the fact that such an accident is not your fault. You can consult with the Las Vegas Personal Injury Law Firm attorneys who are sure to offer you viable solutions and legal advice. We represent you in civil court as well and fight for compensation on your behalf.
Nature of Defective Car Door Latch Accidents
An accident arising from a broken car door happens when the latch does not hold in place, therefore securing the door in position. The latch is built such that it has a designated fastener where the opposite projection rests or move in position to open or close the door. When a latch does not lock, passengers are at risk of exposure to accidents because the door will probably open as the car is in motion.
If a door opens up as the car moves, the passengers may be thrown out of the car by the moving force and end up severely hurt by the hard ground or concrete road. The doors are prone to opening when a vehicle comes to a sudden stop or suddenly hits an obstacle on the way like a sizable rock. Similarly, applying sharp brakes as a reaction to an unseen speed bump also warrants the broken door to open. Consequently, ejection of the passengers is likely.
In other scenarios, when a defective door latch causes the lock to jam, victims are trapped inside the car. Such a case is dangerous because they may be trying to escape dangers inside the vehicle like fires. Sometimes, the door latches fail innocent victims of kidnapping who may be trying to find a way to escape their kidnapper by opening the car and trying to jump out. However, such an attempt may still be dangerous for the victim unless he or she is sure that it is safe to do so. Furthermore, a victim may fall off from a moving vehicle, hurt himself or herself, and, therefore, allow the kidnapper to catch up.
Overall, defective door latches cause very severe accidents to the passengers involved. They sustain many injuries that may range from mild to severe cases. Sadly, most of these accidents end up as fatal, causing worse situations for the victims’ loved ones as well as the other patients who survive them.
Types of Car Door Latch Defects
Car doors are not defective because of a single malfunction from the latches. Sometimes, the root of the problem is from other mechanisms connected to enable the door to operate as a whole. It is, therefore, essential to go through the different causes so that you can establish what other probable causes of the door defects could be and prevent them.
- Defective Door Locks
In a car door, locks play an essential role in securing it when it is closed. Thus, doors secure the passengers inside from any possible danger of the door opening. In addition, door locks can fail to operate because of a misplaced latch. The jam is dangerous because of the trapped condition caused. As earlier observed, a trapped passenger is posed with the threat of succumbing to dangerous conditions like fire that spreads within the car. If a door latch does not disconnect, it gets difficult for the passenger trying to open the door to open it.
Besides, some of the jams are caused by the interconnected mechanical circuit that connects to the driver’s control buttons. They can lock and unlock all the doors in the car. Because of the complexity of the wires and metal rods that promote movement to enable locks to open and close, it is easy for a malfunction to occur.
- Defective Door Hatch
A car door hatch basically holds the entire door to the body of the car. It is the turning point that allows the opening and closing of the door. If some fastening screws are loose, the hatch will be defective and pose a risk of falling off. In adverse cases, door hatches may completely disconnect from the body of the car and fall off. This is mostly caused by previous high impact accidents that result in fallen doors. When the car owner engages a mechanic to fix it, he/she may do a substandard job and fail to tightly secure it back to the body of the vehicle.
Door hatches should also cover the mechanical door structures on the inside. They prevent human interference with other covered mechanical parts that play a role in securing the door. Therefore, if the door hatch is not properly placed, these other important mechanisms are prone to destruction and malfunction.
Most door hatch accidents cause ejection of the passengers . They often land in a violent manner, resulting in severe fractures and abrasive injuries. Essentially, should door latches that secure hatches fail, an entire door part may fall off. As a car owner, we advise that you ensure your vehicle is well maintained by running routine checks on the parts.
- Defective Rods
If the interconnected rods are misaligned and disfigured, they do not secure the appropriate latches. A door lock system, therefore, becomes defective and creates a safety risk for the passengers. The rods are strategically placed in different places inside the door structure. Some of the disfigured rods are because of deep debts or previous accidents that caused impacts on the door. You should check and ensure that the rods are straightened to prevent the occurrence of defective door latch accidents.
- Defective Door Handles
A car handle is the most common interface between the passengers and the internal mechanisms that enable locking and unlocking of the door. Thus, if the door handle is faulty, passengers could face the risk of doors opening as the vehicle moves. If the victim had not worn a seatbelt, he or she could quickly fall off the car. The effects are foreseeable and are difficult to come to terms with.
Causes of Defective Car Door Latches
Unfortunately, most causes are usually preventable, and only arise because of the greedy or selfish nature of the manufacturer or mechanic in charge of car repairs. However, in other cases, high impact from accidents simply causes door latches to break or disjoint. Some of the causes of defects are:
Cheap Car Door Part Manufactures
Some manufacturers are enticed to buy cheaper manufacturing products at the expense of quality. Due to the preference, the finished product is of lower quality than expected and is more prone to latch defects. For example, if the rods installed are weaker than they should typically be, they will quickly wear off or bend and become disfigured. The result is a jammed or non-secure car door, even when it is closed.
Negligence During Assembly of Car Parts
Assemblers may not always pay attention when carrying out their job. Sometimes, he or she could install a faulty latch into the car door structure and lead to future defects. As expected, an accident will probably occur and hurt innocent passengers. Luckily, advanced technology has paved way for automated assembling robots that are more accurate in the process and have improved the quality of installation work done.
Ageing of Car Parts
When a car has served you for a significantly long time, it’s parts are likely to wear off. Sometimes, you could purchase a vintage vehicle in the belief that is was well maintained over the years. However, many reported cases indicate that older cars have many defects, including in door latches. Rusting of the metalic latches is bound to happen over time, and it is up to the owner of the vehicle to ensure that he or she does constant repairs and check ups on the car.
Law Provisions on Car Accidents-Defective Car Door Latch
As a basic principle of law, a manufacturer has a duty of care to ensure that his products are up to reasonable standards that ensure the safety of the clients. Under the law of Tort, the neighbor principle imposes a responsibility on each manufacturer to have their customers in mind. Upon establishing this, a victim of defective car door latch accidents have every right to sue for compensation for the inconvenience and hardships caused after the accident happens.
Despite the allowance of bringing a suit forth, the Nevada Statute Of Limitation has set a time limit after which a court cannot listen to a personal injury suit. Section 11.190(4) provides for the specific limit as two years after the occurrence of the accident. Accident victims should, therefore, ensure to contact their personal injury attorneys and establish the course of action to take. Typically, you have sufficient evidence to instigate a suit. As a result, you should not hesitate to consult with your attorney and commence litigation immediately.
Injuries Sustained From Defective Car Door Latch Accidents
Any kind of car accident brings about repercussions that vary from one set of circumstances to another. Accident victims are left with a lot on their plates in regards to recovering from the severe injuries obtained from the mishaps. Where they are lucky, the injuries do not have a permanent effect on their lives. However, sometimes dramatic and life altering results prevail and render the victims scarred for life both metaphorically and literally. Common car accidents are:
- Spinal Injuries
Once a passenger is ejected from a moving vehicle, he or she will likely have a significant fall. They force on the body as it hits the ground is overwhelming, and especially on the spine. A human’s spinal cord supports the rest of the bone structure as well as holding nerve endings together. Therefore, a spinal injury is potentially fatal. In unfortunate cases, the victim may succumb to the immense disfiguring of the spine.
Besides, spine injuries cause adverse bodily paralysis. Depending of the severity of injury, a victim may suffer partial or full body disease of paralysis. The effects of the disease cause drastic changes in the lives of the affected people. They are unable to carry on with life as they are used to. Their independence is also compromised, because of the need for physical support. Some patients become wheelchair bound.
Luckily, most injuries are manageable, ableist requiring surgical procedures to reconstruct the spinal cord.
- Burn Injuries
When a car door latch fails to adequately work and jams the lock, a victim trapped inside may succumb to dangers like fire. When a car hits an obstacle or rolls over, fuel may leak and ignite. The situation is common after many vehicle accidents. Thus, a passenger trapped inside because of a defective latch may suffer burns.
Fire burns are very severe, as they cause many open wounds. Doctors have to constantly clean these wounds and wrap them to prevent bacterial infections from attacking patients. Additionally, scars from the burns cause a significant change in an accident victim’s lifestyle. When visible parts of the body like the face, neck or arms suffer burns, concealing them on a daily basis may be tasking. Fortunately, medical professionals provide skin grafting procedures to reconstruct the skin and try to eliminate burn scars. However, it is a costly procedure.
- Traumatic Brain Injury
Similar to other injuries, a traumatic brain injury will mostly arise from ejection of passengers from a moving vehicle. When a loose latch leaves doors to open any time, passengers who fail to wear seatbelts are at a highly disadvantaged position. They may land on their heads or bang them against a hard surface after they fall off. Brain injuries may also vary in severity depending on the circumstances leading to the accident.
The injuries may be mild on a patient, causing only occasional headaches or concussions. Conversely, some conditions are advanced. A victim may suffer significant memory loss or even lose cognitive skills and functions. Such a result means that they become highly dependent on their caregivers to do almost everything for them.
- Fractures
Broken bones are a foreseeable effect of defective door car accidents. Despite succumbing to fracture injuries from falling off the car, passengers may also obtain them from trying to escape or of the car if trapped. The fractures may be on the arms, legs, and pelvis.
Besides, victims may sprain ankles or burst their knee caps as they try to establish a safe landing. Disturbing cases are in record whereby patients suffering from fractures waited for too long before seeking treatment. The conditions usually worsen, causing severe inflammation. In a worst case scenario, an amputation may be ordered on the patient. Therefore, regardless of the fracture sustained, victims should seek treatment expeditiously.
- Lacerations
These are injuries that affect the body’s soft tissue. If the skin breaks and wounds open in the soft tissue area, they are termed as lacerations. Typically, lacerations do not pose a ting threat to a victim’s health, as long as they are cleaned and covered before invasive bacteria affects the open wounds.
Passengers sustain lacerations when sharp objects like tree branches or debris on the road get into contact with their skin as they fall off. Moreover, lacerations may be caused by skin tear caused by protruding parts of a defective door car once it falls out of place after a high impact accident. When treated properly, a patient should be back on their feet in no time. An important pointer to note is that the wounds require constant change of dressing to keep off disease-causing organisms.
- Wrongful Death
In unfortunate circumstances, accident victims do not survive the chaotic turn of events. Death may result from immense blood loss or occur instantly due to injuries on very sensitive organs of the body. For example, if a victim hurts their head and the brain is instantly injured, most bodily functions cease, as the brain controls them. Consequently, blood circulation may also stop, resulting in instant death.
On the other death, some patients succumb to injuries when already in hospital. When a victim is in a vegetative state because of loss of bodily function, he or she is basically kept alive by life support machines. When medics establish that nothing more can be done to salvage their situation, they may require to pull the plug. We understand how difficult it is to let go of a loved one because of preventable accidents. It is, therefore, one of our core duties to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Liability of Parties and Compensatory Claims to Make
When it comes to establishing the party to be held liable for the cause and effect of a defective car door latch accident, your personal injury attorney needs to perform due diligence. He or she should find out the manufacturers responsible for production of the car you used at the time of the accident. On top of that, your lawyer will also redress events leading to the accident to establish whether an oncoming driver acted negligently and led to an accident that also affected the defective door latch.
Therefore, the liable parties in an accident caused by defective car door latches could be:
- Vehicle manufacturers
- Other drivers on the road
- Vehicle maintenance mechanics
- Road maintenance authority
For a valid claim to be brought forth in court, your attorney should ensure that all factors are aligned and remove any blame from your side. However, this is not always easy to do because the events leading to an accident often happen very quickly. Also, an assessment cannot always reveal if the vehicle in question always had defective doors or whether the latches and other door mechanisms were destroyed after the accident. The difficulty arises from the grisly accidents that may completely destroy a car or cause significant and irreparable damage. Consequently, it is often the victim’s statement against the defendant’s.
Some accidents only result because of a poor state of roads, whereby there is a lot of debris or even holes on the tarmac. The situation is rampant in the highways that transverse the desert. Although some roads are in hardship desert areas and may take a while to refurbish the maintenance authorities still have a duty to ensure that they are well maintained. Therefore, in the event of any accident, they may be held liable.
Claims
- Compensation for Medical Bills
As an accident victim, you may spend significant amounts of money on treatment in the hospital, especially when you remain as an inpatient for a while. Other treatments like physiotherapy and surgery are also costly, despite provisions of insurance covers. Besides, drugs are also expensive to purchase, depsite being absolutely necessary for any improvement to b noted. All these expenses spent can be raised against the defendant, since he or she will primarily be the cause of the turmoil.
The judge will order the defendant to grant you monetary compensation, which should be sufficient to cover all present and future medical bills.
- Loss of Future Income
When you suffer serious injuries that result in life altering consequences, you could be unable to work, and lose a source of income. Undergoing serious procedures like amputation means that you lose a significant body part, especially the limbs.
Due to the disadvantaged position you are in, the defendant liable for causing an accident will have to pay money that values future income you would have made until you retired. The court engages a specialist to do the mathematics and make projections of possible promotions or retirement benefits you would have had access to. They do this to ensure you receive just and satisfactory compensation. Your personal injury attorney plays a significant role in ensuring that the judge is aware of all the hardships and costs you have borne so far, because of the life-altering injury.
- Wrongful Death
When a loved one passes away, times can be extremely difficult. Adding funeral expenses and dealing with life without them can also take a toll on the faimly. Liable parties are required to pay compensation for the pain and suffering caused, as well as cover for all the processes that the family has to undertake to ensure that the deceased is buried. Additionally, compensation will cover for all the future income the deceased would have brought it. The claim can be raised separately as mentioned above.
- Destruction of Property
On top of suffering injuries, you can seek compensation for the destruction of your vehicle as well as other property in close proximity of the accident. The defendant may choose to engage their insurance in providing the compensation. However, dealing with attorneys is much easier because of the hidden terms and exclusion clauses in insurance documents.
Precautions to Take in Preventing Car Accidents-Defective Car Door Latch
We advise our clients to always take their safety, and that of their loved ones very seriously as they drive or take on any other activities. Some of the precautionary measure to take are:
- Always wear a seatbelt to protect you from car ejection.
- Do not lean on the car door especially when the vehicle is moving.
- Ensure your children under 12 years use a booster seat and secure it with the main car’s seatbelt.
- Secure child lock on the side that children sit in the car.
- Get your car checked and maintained regularly to ensure replacement of defective car door latches.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Near Me
Car accidents of any kind are very hard to deal with. We understand the nature of the stress that comes after occurrence of such an accident, and are willing to support you. We ensure that our clients receive the best legal services as we purposefully litigate on your behalf to seek justice. Contact us today at 702-996-1224.
Get professional assignment help cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason may is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Our essay writers are graduates with diplomas, bachelor, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college diploma. When assigning your order, we match the paper subject with the area of specialization of the writer.
Why choose our academic writing service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
