Cars and trucks come with several safety features to protect you while driving, but collisions can also happen when a vehicle is parked. Rollaway accidents can cause property damage and personal injury similar to any other car crash. Models such as the Jeep Cherokee, Dodge Durango, and Range Rover are prone to this issue, as well as Ford and Chrysler vehicles.
The Lyon Firm has years of experience working with auto defect accident victims, including those who have suffered from a rollaway collision. If you or a loved one have been injured in a rollaway accident, we will provide guidance and aggressive representation for you. Contact us at (513) 381-2333 or use our convenient online form to schedule a free consultation today.
What is a Rollaway Accident?
Rollaway accidents occur when a parked vehicle begins moving when the vehicle is left unattended. This commonly occurs when a defective transmission or parking brake allows the car to slip into reverse or neutral, causing a rollaway accident. Cars can roll into property, over people in their path, or into roadways with traffic.
Rollaway accidents are more common than you may think. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that as many as 142 people die in rollaway accidents each year, with up to 2000 injuries resulting from driverless cars rolling over individuals. This accounts for a full 17% of all accidents involving individuals who are not in the vehicle during a crash.
Who is Liable for a Rollaway Accident?
Many accidents are the result of bad vehicle design from the carmaker. Several different makes and model years of vehicles are plagued with transmissions that allow the gear shift to accidentally be knocked into reverse, neutral, and even drive. Inadvertent contact from a person or object can put the car at risk of rolling or driving into property or people.
For instance, one manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, has issued recalls for nearly 350,000 F-series 2018 pickup trucks and 2018 Expeditions sold in North America. The recalls were for faulty transmission parts that can cause the gear shift lever to indicate that the vehicle is in park, even when the defective gear shift cable locking clip is not fully engaged. This allows a driver to walk away from an automobile that appears to be turned off and safely parked when it actually presents a dangerous risk.
Determining liability can be difficult and often requires the guidance of a skilled auto defects lawyer. The Lyon Firm specializes in investigating every aspect of your case to understand who is responsible for the crash. They also know how to pursue the maximum compensation to cover your injuries and property damage. We focus on getting the facts so you can recover and heal.
What Damages Are Available in a Rollaway Accident Lawsuit?
When you are injured or have your property damaged by a rollaway vehicle, you face bills for your medical care and perhaps vehicle repairs. There are a number of expenses that can pile up, and a skilled attorney can help you calculate the damages you should seek. They can also explain costs that may not be familiar to you, such as pain and suffering.
The Lyon Firm has successfully recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients, including over $9 million in defective auto product cases. Every claim is unique in its details, and our professional legal team will evaluate your circumstances to present a complete picture of how your life has been affected.
Common damages that may be sought include:
- Medical expenses, including surgery, ICU, and ER costs
- Loss of income while you recover
- Loss of future wages if you are left disabled
- Emotional distress
- Loss of companionship or consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Property repair or replacement costs
Your attorney can help you create a full accounting of both economic and non-economic damages to pursue. Economic expenses are losses with a specific dollar cost or receipt, such as medical bills. Non-economic losses can include suffering such as mental anguish. Your lawyer may even request punitive damages if it appears the defendant’s negligence was especially heinous or purposeful.
What Are Driverless Rollaway Accidents?
Driverless rollaway accidents occur when a driver is not behind the wheel as a vehicle rolls away and causes a collision or injury. There are many ways a car could be involved in a rollaway accident without a driver present:
- Contact with the gearshift: An object may accidentally bump the gearshift out of park, especially if the windows are rolled down or the car is a convertible vehicle with the top down.
- Another object strikes the car: A vehicle, tree, or any other object interacting with the car could knock it out of park and send it rolling away.
- A transmission or braking part fails: Defective auto parts in the transmission or brake system could cause the car to roll.
When a faulty part or system causes a rollaway accident, you could need the services of an auto defect attorney. At The Lyon Firm, we specialize in car accident cases and pursuing manufacturers who release products that cause injury and damage. Several prominent carmakers have been named in numerous lawsuits to address their designs that brought suffering and loss to unsuspecting victims.
Fiat-Chrysler, Dodge, and Ford have all been involved in fines, legal actions, and recalls for faulty transmission modules that allow their vehicles to slip out of park and cause rollaway accidents. Holding car manufacturers accountable for these problems is a powerful way to influence them to institute safety measures. One such measure is a Brake Transmission Safety Interlock (BTSI) system, a technology that works with automatic transmissions to prevent cars from slipping out of gear.
How Can a Lawyer Help With a Rollaway Accident Lawsuit?
Car manufacturers have a duty to produce vehicles that safely carry drivers and their families for work, play, and travel. Part of that includes making sure a car can be parked without fear of facing the devastating loss of a rollaway accident. When carmakers fail in this duty, you need the help of an experienced lawyer who knows how to investigate product defects and auto accidents.
Joe Lyon and his colleagues work with clients across the nation to successfully litigate both class action and individual lawsuits. Our team stays up to date on vehicle recalls, multi-plaintiff claims, and settlements to ensure that you have the most accurate information to support your case. We research whether other cases like yours exist to understand how precedent is being set by the courts.
A Cincinnati auto defect lawyer can assist in not only reviewing your accident and injury case but can hold large corporations accountable for their negligent actions in releasing unsafe products to the public. Auto companies must be held liable to keep the roads safe in America. The Lyon Firm will not only seek compensation for injured plaintiffs, but we can file lawsuits to punish car makers for neglecting to properly test their auto parts before they are sold to the public.
If you’ve been injured in a rollaway accident, you need time to heal and put your life back together. Our team has worked on cases in all fifty states in the US, so we are familiar with filing requirements throughout the country. We put our team into action immediately to ensure you can file your case in time.
Contact a Qualified Auto Defect Attorney for Your Rollaway Accident Today
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati product liability lawyer and Ohio catastrophic injury attorney who has litigated a wide variety of cases for clients just like you. He has built a team of legal professionals who pride themselves on high-quality and compassionate legal representation, no matter how complicated the case may be.
The Lyon Firm has worked on cases in every U.S. state helping individuals fight for the compensation they deserve. We investigate your accident and gather all the documentation needed to build a solid claim. We also work with you to negotiate with insurance companies and opposing counsel.
If you or your loved one has suffered a rollaway accident, you need the experts on your side. The Lyon Firm can aid you in determining who is at fault and how to develop your case. We will not rest until we reach the best outcome for you. We offer no-risk, no-obligation consultations completely free. Call us at (513) 381-2333 or connect with us through our online form to set up a meeting today.
