Product liability news
02/04/2007

Car accidents caused by model fault could lead to claims

BBC consumer awareness programme Watchdog has once again brought a safety issue concerning a French car manufacturer to the attention of the British public and hinted that a flood of product liability claims could be imminent.

Reports told how bonnets were opening on a particular car model without warning while the vehicle was moving. This was in turn cracking the windscreen, obscuring the driver's vision and causing a major car accident hazard for both the driver and other motorists.

From April 2006 until March this year (2007), Watchdog has featured this potential safety issue on its television show three times. They have also received more than 1,000 communications from people who have experienced a problem with their bonnet safety catch.

For example, one man had been travelling at 70mph when his car bonnet suddenly flew open. He attempted to pull over onto the hard shoulder but unfortunately a bus crashed into the back of his car. The car was a complete write-off although, remarkably, no personal injuries or fatalities were sustained.

Watchdog employed the help of an expert to examine the alleged fault and it was revealed as hazardous. Their expert concluded that if the car owner was to pull on the catch with too much force they would easily be able to leave it in an unsafe position which could leave it liable to fly open and cause a road accident.

The French car manufacturer came back to the consumer programme stating that they did not believe that the design of this specific model presented a problem and that the incidents so far could be due to motorists simply not closing their bonnets securely. To find out more about this product liability story visit www.bbc.co.uk.

If you, or someone you know, have experienced a problem with your bonnet catch which has flown up and caused a car accident in which you have sustained personal injury, you could be eligible to make a product liability claim. Read more about making a product liability claim.