Although nothing can replace the loss of a dear friend or family member, the comfort of knowing that the individual(s) responsible for his or her passing have been punished goes a long way in the healing process. For those who died before their time, a wrongful death attorney may be able to help secure monetary damages and get you moving on the road to recovery. 

While there are numerous circumstances that warrant a wrongful death claim, the automobile industry probably provides the most of any one sector. This article discusses three distinct automotive failures that qualify for wrongful death lawsuits.

Defective Airbags

Airbags are designed to save lives in the event of a severe collision, but malfunctioning airbags can actually be more dangerous than beneficial. In fact, some models can inflate with a force equivalent to a roughly two hundred mile per hour impact. That equates to roughly 2,000 pounds of force.

One can imagine just how devastating that impact would be for an elderly individual, or even a average man or woman that was unprepared for it. When these airbags deploy in minor fender benders, or without any stimulus at all, the consequences can be fatal. 

If your friend or family member was killed as a result of airbag deployment, a wrongful death attorney can help ensure that those responsible are held accountable for the faulty design or malfunction of their product.

Defective Or Poorly Constructed Tires

Even at moderate speeds, exploding tires can spell disaster for the person behind the wheel, as well as for other motorists in the vicinity, and potentially nearby pedestrians. On the highway, traveling at seventy or eighty miles per hour, these dangers are only compounded. Additionally, tires that suffer tread separation can be just as dangerous, often sending vehicles off the road or into oncoming traffic. 

Whether it was defective tire beads, tire tread, or simply a blowout that cost your friend or loved one his or her life, an experienced wrongful death attorney can help set things right. More important than even the money is the fact that your loved ones passing will be honored by ensuring the guilty parties are held liable for their oversights. 

Seatbelt Failure

Perhaps the most egregious automotive failure is that pertaining to the vehicle's seatbelts. In certain instances, the seatbelt may fail to securely lock into place and slip out during a collision. Other times, design flaws or manufacturing errors lead to the device's failure, and ultimately to the demise of those in the automobile. Whatever the reason, if there is one component of an automobile that should never fail, it's the seatbelt mechanism. 

In the end, whether it was a defective airbag, tire, or seatbelt that led to your loved one's death, a wrongful death attorney from a firm like Burgess & Perigard can make sure that those responsible are punished to the full extent of the law, while also securing monetary damages to help you through this difficult time.