Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog
Earlier this month, Ford announced the recall of several of its Freestar and Mercury Monterey Vehicles. Owners of either of these types of vehicles should check any records they have relevant to their vehicles, and contact the dealer if necessary in order to determine if your vehicle is affected by this recall.
Vehicles subject to this recall meet all of the following criteria:
- have a manufacture date falling within the period of March 24, 2003 through November 7, 2006
- are equipped with a third row seat
- originally sold in, or are now registered in the following states: CO, DE, IL, IN, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, WV, WI, and Washington D.C.
The recall has been initiated due to a potential defect in the stowable seat in the third row. The anchor mechanism that is mounted to the rear wheel wells can suffer from corrosion, leading to structural degradation. Thus, as a result of the corrosion, the third row seat may not latch properly into its seating position. This is potentially dangerous, because a rear end collision could cause great personal injury to a person sitting in an unlatched seat.
Ford has said that it will notify owners and that dealers will install replacement third row seat latch striker mounting brackets, which will hopefully rectify the problem.
If you or a loved one has suffered harm because of a corroded third row seat latch, you may be eligible to file a claim against the manufacturer. Manufacturers are liable for the resulting harms that their defective products cause. They owe a duty to consumers to ensure that the products they offer for sale are generally safe.
Harmful and defective products fall within the purview of products liability laws, which provide protection to consumers who are harmed by consumer products. In addition to providing a potential financial remedy, these laws further provide an incentive for companies to ensure that their products are safe. The general policy behind these types of laws is to make sure that the businesses responsible for putting defective products into the market bear the costs when those defective products later cause injuries or other damage.
If you or a loved one has suffered injury or death as a result of a defective consumer product, you should contact an experienced products liability attorney as soon as you can in order to discuss your claim. You may be able to recover damages for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, etc. The hardworking personal injury attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen have many years of experience in representing the rights of people in the Washington, DC area who have suffered injuries due to defective or dangerous products. Call us today in order to schedule a free and confidential consultation. You can reach us through our website, or by calling (800) 654-1949.
More Blog Posts:
Dialysis Drug Subject of Wrongful Death Suits Countrywide, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, published March 20, 2013
D.C. Considering Requirement for Gun Owners to Purchase Liability Insurance, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, published March 6, 2013