Product Liability & Car Defect Attorney in Northern California

It’s been a long-held legal truth in the United States that consumers have a reasonable expectation that the products that they buy and use are free from dangerous defects. Manufacturers, retailers, and the distributors that deliver products from the former to the latter are legally obligated to make sure that the products they profit from will not cause injury or death when used for the intended purpose, even when the user is not necessarily following detailed instructions as provided. That is, if you don’t misuse something in a flagrant and obvious manner, then the product should operate safely.

Ashton & Price is an aggressive defender of this common sense principle. Our firm is one of Sacramento’s foremost injury law firms, and we have represented hundreds of people who have been victims of injury or death caused by defective products throughout Northern and Central California.

If you or a family member have been injured or killed by a defective product, we will work with you to help you recover the maximum, full compensation that you are owed for costs incurred due to lost wages and medical care, as well as damages for injuries, pain, and suffering. We have always and will continue to serve our clients with integrity and in an honest fashion, providing sound legal advice and the best possible legal representation to our clients.

We will work hard to make sure that you receive the best possible medical treatment from a network of some of the foremost medical experts in the country, often without any insurance or out-of-pocket costs necessary. Until we have recovered money for you through a jury award or settlement, you will pay us no attorney’s fees for our services.

We Have Represented Clients Who Have Been Injured by a Wide Variety of Defective Products

Injuries and wrongful death resulting from product defects are unfortunately far more common than they have any right to be. This is why we work hard to protect your right to be safe from such injurious and dangerous products. Some of the cases we have represented have involved defective products including:

Automobile defects and seatbelt failure
Home appliances and devices
Dangerous and defective power tools
Children’s toys, clothing, and furniture
Improper or missing labeling
Unclear, vague, and incorrect instructions and warning labels
Industrial accidents
Products that explode and catch fire, such as those using lithium batteries, and others containing potentially harmful compounds
Products containing toxic or caustic chemicals

Automobile Parts and Vehicle Failure

Every year, Americans are injured or killed in motor vehicle accidents that aren’t truly accidents, but instead are the direct result of malfunctions caused by manufacturing defects and neglect. Even a brief review of recent incidents is profoundly disquieting:

For years General Motors has been embroiled in controversy due to defective ignition switches installed in 25 million American cars. The switches could cause vehicles to unexpectedly lose power, causing accidents in which the airbags would fail to deploy. As of June 2015, GM has confirmed responsibility for the deaths of 114 people, extreme injury to 13, and injuries requiring the hospitalization of 216, all linked to the defective ignition switches.
As of January 2015, five deaths have been linked to faulty airbags installed in cars manufactured by Honda.
In 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that at least 89 people were killed in Toyota vehicles manufactured between 2000 and 2009, due to equipment failures resulting in “unintended acceleration.” In one case that made headlines around the world, a passenger in a Lexus ES 350 (made by Toyota) driven by an off-duty CHP officer in San Diego called 911 to report that the car’s accelerator was stuck and the brakes were inoperable, causing the car to reach speeds of more than 125 mph. While the call was in progress, the car went through an intersection, hit an SUV, rolled, and burst into flames. All four passengers in the car were killed. In 2014, Toyota reached a settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in which it agreed to pay a $1.2 billion fine for its cover-up of the widespread defects in their vehicles’ gas pedals and floor mats.
In 2000, Ford and tire manufacturer Firestone became embroiled in national controversy when, after years of lawsuits, they recalled more than 14 million faulty tires installed on Ford Explorers. It had been noted as early as 1990 during testing, several Ford Explorers test models rolled due to their high century of gravity. To compensate, engineers lowered the recommended tire pressure. However, the consequence of this in many cases was the separation of the tread from the body of the tire. When this occurred at speed, the result was catastrophic rollover. It’s believed that throughout the 1990s, more than 240 people died due to the Firestone defects, and more than 3000 were catastrophically injured. It’s unclear how much Ford paid out in the hundreds of lawsuits filed against it, but in 2001 Ford stated that the then-current sum total of sought damages exceeded $590 million.

These are only few of the many notable large-scale vehicle recalls that have occurred over the last few decades, though thankfully most of them haven’t been responsible for as many deaths and injuries as those described above. But many defects don’t occur on a scale of millions of vehicles. Most can be very difficult to detect and identify.

That’s why it’s important to consult with a trained product liability lawyer to determine if your car or truck’s manufacturer may be responsible for your accident, and thus responsible for your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. At Ashton & Price, we have represented hundreds of clients who have been injured due to accidents stemming from part defects or failures. Some of the common automobile defects we have handled include:

Seat belt and airbag failure or malfunction
Seat back failure
Brakes that failed or didn’t work fully
Steering failure
And many more auto defects

If you believe that a car part or safety feature in your vehicle failed due to defect, causing injury to you or your family, contact us at Ashton & Price. We offer free attorney consultations, and we will give you an open and honest assessment as to whether you have a viable case.