Lawyers Make Us Safer?

“Lawyers Make Us Safer?” by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Daniel Willis

Your car is full of safety features that you may not ever think about; seat belts, airbags, windows that prevent occupants from being ejected, design of fuel tanks, etc.  The reason these safety features and many more exist is because of personal injury attorneys.

Your car is safer and numerous lives are saved every year because personal injury attorneys insisted on it.

Perhaps the most famous example of this is related to the Ford Pinto.  In short, a design flaw in the Pinto made it possible for the fuel tank to explode in rear-end collisions.  An internal memo showed Ford was aware of the design flaw, but decided it would be cheaper to face potential lawsuits than redesign the vehicle.  As a result, some estimates say the design flaw resulted in  over 500 deaths.  You can read more about the Ford Pinto debacle here.

An article in the Washington Post, “How Our Cars Got Safer,” does a great job detailing how litigation has forced car makers to add safety features they otherwise would not have.  A short excerpt from the article is printed below:

It is easy to take for granted just how much safer vehicles have become and how safety measures have been standardized. For years, the auto industry has worked to undermine regulations and limit its liability by pushing for complete immunity from lawsuits when their vehicles comply with minimum federal safety standards. This would, in short, be devastating for consumers.

Recall that the Pinto’s design met all government standards of the time. Had compliance with federal standards been a complete defense of vehicle safety, Ford could not have been held accountable for the many burn victims that the company was later shown to have anticipated.

Put another way, without the civil justice system, gas tanks would still explode in rear-end collisions, seat belts and airbags would not be standard, and cars would roll over onto roofs that would be easily crushed.

Unfortunately, money, not safety, is the number one motivator for most companies.  History has shown that hitting a company where it counts, their pocketbook, is the only way for some to add necessary safety features.

The jury foreman in one Ford Pinto case where a woman died and her 13-year old passenger suffered burns on over 90% of his body was asked why the damages awarded were so high.  He replied, “so that Ford wouldn’t design cars that way again.”

If you or someone you know has been injured by a defective vehicle, please contact the Begum Law Group today.  As always, it’s free to meet with us and you don’t pay any attorney’s fees until you receive compensation.  We would love to help you.