Did Defective Tires Cause the Accident?
When a car accident occurs, the fault usually lies with one or more of the drivers involved. However, sometimes an accident can be caused by a defect in your vehicle. It could involve the design of the car itself, or a faulty part. If defective tires caused the accident that caused your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation.
Identifying the parties are potentially liable for your accident can be tough, but figuring out each party that is responsible is essential to your case. This article will discuss the process of determining liability on the part of multiple defendants.
Chain Of Distribution
If you are injured in a car accident as the result of a defective vehicle, you will need to look at each entity that is a part of the chain of distribution. The chain of distribution can be described as the chain of companies or individuals who had a part in manufacturing your vehicle and getting it into your possession.
When it comes to motor vehicles, the chain of distribution could involve a few different parties. Those parties could include
Manufacturer – the company that manufactured the vehicle.
Distributor – the company that transported the vehicle to the dealer.
Parts manufacturer – the company (or companies) that manufactured the parts used to make your vehicle.
Retailer – the company that sold the vehicle to you.
These, and possibly more, are the potential defendants in your personal injury case.
All of the parties that are involved in the manufacture and transportation of your vehicle could be held liable.
There are certain situations where blame is not readily apparent. In this case, you may need to list a John Doe defendant in your complaint if your state allows it.
Manufacturer
The company that manufactured your vehicle could be an obvious culprit. If it is found that the company did not build your vehicle correctly, they may owe you compensation.
Parts Manufacturer
In some cases, the issue may not be the way the vehicle was built, but the parts that were used to manufacture it. In this case, the company who built the car may still hold some liability because they didn’t check the faulty part, but the parts manufacturer will be held liable for building a bad product to begin with.
Distributor
The company that distributed the vehicle will most likely be partly liable for your injury. Even though they had no part in manufacturing the car, they are required to exercise a certain amount of due diligence in making sure the vehicles they sell to dealers are safe.
Retailer
The retailer may also be held liable for selling you a defective vehicle. Even though the distributor is supposed to inspect the vehicle, it is still expected that the retailer would do their own inspection as well.
Understanding the chain of distribution is important to any defective product case. If you have sustained injuries due to a defect in your vehicle, you might be able to receive damages from all parties involved in getting the car to you. Consult with a personal injury attorney in Florida who can help you with your case.
