The Dangers of Defective Brakes

 Posted on January 19, 2018 in Personal Injury

The brakes are one of the most important components of your vehicle. When they are defective and cannot work properly, your risk of a car accident significantly increases. Let’s take a closer look at some dangerous brake statistics and the signs of bad brakes.

Dangerous Brake Statistics

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a survey in 2015 that states brakes were the cause of 10,000 of the car accidents that occurred between 2005 and 2007. This data shows that brakes contribute to thousands of accidents each year as well as thousands of injuries and deaths.

Signs of Faulty Brakes

If your brakes are defective and lead to an accident, you are not automatically liable for the accident and its financial consequences. However, if the defective brakes were the result of improper vehicle maintenance, you may be viewed as negligent and responsible for an accident. To ensure that you properly maintain your vehicle, you should look for the following signs of defective brakes:

• Strange Noises: If you hear any screeching, grinding, or any other strange noises when you press on your brakes, they should be checked and repaired if necessary. Wear and tear will likely be the issue.
• A Warning Light: If you notice a warning light on your dashboard that indicates there is a problem with your brakes, you should have them inspected right away.
• Strange Vibrations: If you find that your brake pedal, steering wheel, or any other part of your car vibrates when you press on the brakes, a part of your brakes may be broken, meaning you should take your car to a mechanic.
• Delays: If you notice your brakes are delayed or don’t stop your car as quickly as they used to, you should get them checked.

Defective Brake Recalls

Although you are usually responsible for the condition of your brakes, you may have defective brakes and be unaware because of a mistake by your auto manufacturer. The brake-related auto recalls that have occurred this year prove that even new vehicles may be equipped with unreliable brakes. Some of these recalls include:

• Approximately 228,000 2014-16 Mazda 3 and 2014-15 Mazda 6 vehicles were recalled for a faulty hand-operated parking brake in July 2017.
• Fiat Chrysler recalled over 565,000 2011-14 Chrysler 300s, Dodge Challenger coupes, Dodge Chargers, Dodge Durangos, and 2012-14 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs due to an issue with the antilock brakes.

Consult Our Hinsdale Car Accident Lawyers

If you get into an accident that was related to faulty brakes, you should call our experienced DuPage County car accident lawyers today at 630-920-8855. A thorough investigation will help determine who is liable by revealing whether a defect, improper maintenance, or another issue was the cause.

Sources:

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812115

https://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1111310_2014-2016-mazda3-mazda6-recalled-over-parking-brake-woes-228000-vehicles-affected

https://www.cars.com/articles/2011-2014-chrysler-300-dodge-challenger-charger-durango-2012-2014-jeep-grand-cherokee-recall-alert-1420696205875/