GM Sued for Alleged Crashworthiness Defects

Automobile manufacturers have a legal responsibility to design and produce vehicles that provide a reasonable level of protection to occupants during foreseeable accidents. When a vehicle’s safety systems fail to perform as intended, the consequences can be devastating. This issue was highlighted in a lawsuit filed by a DeKalb woman against General Motors after she suffered injuries in a collision involving her Chevrolet Venture minivan. According to the lawsuit, the vehicle’s airbag failed to deploy during the crash, leading to injuries that she believes could have been prevented if the safety restraint system had functioned properly.

The case centers on the legal concept of “crashworthiness,” a doctrine that requires manufacturers to design vehicles that minimize injuries during an accident. Even though accidents are often unavoidable, consumers have the right to expect that their vehicles will provide adequate protection when collisions occur.

What Is Crashworthiness?

Crashworthiness refers to a vehicle’s ability to protect its occupants in the event of a crash. Manufacturers understand that motor vehicle accidents are a foreseeable part of driving, which means vehicles must be designed with safety features capable of reducing the risk of serious injury or death.

Safety components that contribute to crashworthiness include:

• Airbags
• Seat belts and restraint systems
• Crumple zones
• Roof structures
• Head restraints
• Side-impact protection systems
• Vehicle frames and structural supports

When any of these components fail due to a defect, injured occupants may have grounds to pursue a product liability claim against the manufacturer, distributor, or other responsible parties.

Vehicle Defect Cases Differ From Ordinary Injury Claims

Unlike traditional personal injury cases, product liability claims involving defective vehicles do not always require proof that a manufacturer acted negligently. Instead, the focus is often on whether the vehicle itself contained a dangerous defect that caused or contributed to the injuries.

This distinction is important because an injured person may still recover damages even if the accident itself was caused by another driver or an unavoidable circumstance. The key issue is whether the defect increased the severity of the injuries beyond what would normally have occurred.

For example, if a collision would have resulted in only minor injuries but a defective airbag, seat belt, or vehicle structure caused severe injuries, the manufacturer may still be held responsible for the additional harm.

Elements of a Vehicle Defect Claim

To successfully establish liability in a crashworthiness or vehicle defect case, an injured plaintiff generally must demonstrate three important elements.

The Vehicle Contained an Unreasonably Dangerous Defect

The plaintiff must show that the vehicle or one of its components had a defect that made it unreasonably dangerous. This defect must pose a risk beyond what an ordinary consumer would expect.

Examples may include:

• Airbags that fail to deploy
• Seat belts that unlatch during a collision
• Fuel systems prone to explosion
• Defective braking systems
• Roof structures that collapse in rollovers
• Faulty electronic safety systems

The Defect Caused a Foreseeable Injury

The plaintiff must also establish a connection between the defect and the injuries sustained. In other words, the defect must have caused or worsened injuries during a foreseeable use of the vehicle.

Manufacturers are expected to anticipate that vehicles will be involved in accidents. Therefore, injuries resulting from the failure of a safety feature during a crash are often considered foreseeable.

The Vehicle Was Not Substantially Altered

Finally, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the vehicle remained substantially unchanged from its original condition when sold. Significant modifications or aftermarket alterations can complicate a claim because they may affect the vehicle’s safety performance.

Courts often examine maintenance records, repair histories, and vehicle inspections to determine whether changes made after purchase contributed to the failure.

Types of Vehicle Defects

Not all vehicle defects arise from the same source. Understanding the different categories of defects can help identify who may be responsible for an injury.

Design Defects

A design defect exists when a product is inherently dangerous because of the way it was conceived and engineered. In these cases, every vehicle produced according to that design may contain the same hazard.

Examples include:

• Poorly designed fuel tanks that rupture during impacts
• Roof structures incapable of withstanding rollover forces
• Airbag systems with known deployment failures

Because the flaw exists before manufacturing begins, every vehicle produced under the defective design may be affected.

Manufacturing Defects

Manufacturing defects occur when mistakes are made during the production or assembly process. Unlike design defects, these issues may affect only a specific batch or group of vehicles.

Examples include:

• Improperly installed airbags
• Defective seat belt components
• Faulty welds in structural elements
• Missing safety hardware

Even a well-designed vehicle can become dangerous if manufacturing errors compromise its safety systems.

Distribution and Shipping Defects

Damage may also occur after a vehicle leaves the factory. During shipping, storage, or delivery, critical components can be damaged or improperly handled.

For instance, a safety system damaged during transportation may not function correctly when needed, creating a hidden danger for consumers.

Failure to Warn

Manufacturers have a duty to provide adequate warnings and instructions regarding known risks associated with their products.

A failure-to-warn claim may arise when a manufacturer:

• Does not disclose known safety hazards
• Fails to provide proper operating instructions
• Omits information about maintenance requirements
• Neglects to issue timely recalls or safety notices

Consumers can only make informed decisions when they are given complete and accurate information about potential dangers.

Common Injuries Associated With Vehicle Defects

Defective vehicle components can lead to a wide range of serious injuries, including:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Neck and spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Internal organ damage
• Severe lacerations
• Burns from post-collision fires
• Permanent disabilities
• Wrongful death

In many cases, these injuries could have been reduced or avoided entirely if the vehicle’s safety systems had functioned as intended.

Compensation Available to Injured Victims

Individuals injured by defective vehicles may be entitled to pursue compensation for losses such as:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical treatment
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Rehabilitation costs
• Permanent disability
• Wrongful death damages for surviving family members

The amount of compensation available often depends on the severity of the injuries and the extent to which the defect contributed to the harm.

Why Legal Representation Matters

Vehicle defect and crashworthiness cases are often complex and involve extensive technical evidence, engineering analysis, and expert testimony. Manufacturers typically have significant legal and financial resources dedicated to defending these claims.

An experienced product liability attorney can investigate the accident, preserve critical evidence, consult with engineering experts, and determine whether a design defect, manufacturing defect, or safety-system failure contributed to the injuries. By thoroughly examining the circumstances surrounding the crash, legal counsel can help injured victims pursue the compensation they deserve and hold manufacturers accountable when defective vehicles fail to provide the protection consumers reasonably expect.