Over 47,000 Kenworth and Peterbilt semi-trucks were recalled due to loss of steering control issues according to our Naperville, Illinois truck accident attorneys. According to Paccar, the steering assemblies may have been incorrectly assembled, with fewer recirculating balls than are required for the steering mechanism. Due to the missing recirculating balls, there is a chance that the semi-truck drivers affected may lose their ability to control steering and crash.
Vehicle recalls are common, and millions of recalls happen every year. In fact, in 2017, 42 million commercial and personal vehicles were recalled. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle, equipment, car seat, or tire creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety requirements. Manufacturers often recall vehicles prior to the NHTSA’s involvement because of the safety risks associated with the vehicle defects. Often, defective and incorrectly assembled products can cause serious injuries and may even result in a fatality.
While the NHTSA does not have any available data regarding the injuries already reported concerning the Paccar steering assemblies, there is copious data on accidents involving semi-trucks. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in 2021 (the last available data year), 5,904 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes throughout the nation, an 18 percent increase from the previous year. In the same year, there were 11,178 crashes involving semi-trucks in Illinois, accounting for approximately 3.8% of all crashes in Illinois.
In Illinois, manufacturers and sellers have a duty to the public to produce and sell safe products. When a manufacturer or seller has placed a product into the stream of commerce and that product has injured one or more persons, a product liability claim may arise. For more information about product liability law in Illinois, visit our previous blog HERE.
It is important for an individual that has been injured by a defective or misassembled product to retain a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer to handle their product liability claim. An experienced Illinois personal injury attorney can hire experts and engineers to prove that the product was defective or unsafe when it was placed into the stream of commerce by the manufacturer or seller.
Defective products, especially those in large machinery like semi-trucks, can cause serious accidents, resulting in serious injuries. The knowledgeable Naperville personal attorneys at John J. Malm & Associates have successfully handled complicated injuries for our clients who have suffered serious injuries as a result of defective products. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a product failure, contact the Naperville product liability lawyers at the law firm of John J. Malm & Associates to learn more about how you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries.