Well-known Korean automakers – Hyundai and Kia – issued a recall for more than 591,000 vehicles in the U.S due to a brake fluid leak that could lead to engine fires. Without a doubt, this is worrisome for all U.S. consumers who drive the affected vehicles.
The recall affects more than 440,000 Kia Optima vehicles (which are midsize sedans); this strictly includes the 2013 through 2015 models. In addition, the Kia Sorento SUVs (models 2014 and 2015) are also included in the recall.
The recall also affects approximately 151,000 Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs (specifically, the 2013 to 2015 models).
According to the automakers, brake fluid can lead inside a hydraulic control unit (for the anti-lock brakes); this can potentially cause an electrical short which can lead to fires.
The recalls are scheduled to begin in October – Kia’s recall will start on the 15th of the month while Hyundai’s recall will start on the 23rd. When affected consumers take their vehicles in, dealers will inspect the control units for any leaks and replace them if found necessary. The repair will be available at no cost to consumers.
This is just another vehicle recall that can lead to significant incidents and potentially harm to unsuspecting consumers. Although automakers owe their consumers a duty of care, they constantly fail to ensure that their vehicles are safe before making them available to the public.
The defect present in the Kia and Hyundai vehicles can potentially result in fires, which means that consumers are at risk of suffering harm. Have you been affected by the recall? Have you and your family been affected by the defective product? Although most consumers might simply be inconvenienced by the recall, the defect might have not caused an issue. What if the defect did lead to an incident? If your vehicle caught fire and you or a member of your family suffered harm, you might have grounds to sue.
If you are interested in exploring your legal options and learning more about your right to sue Kia or Hyundai for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered due to a defective vehicle, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with an expert immediately.
Are you interested in speaking with a lawyer? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible. The lawyers at Normandie Law Firm have many years of experience handling all sorts of claims, including product liability claims. You can trust that our defective product attorneys are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. If you would like to discuss your claim with the experts at our firm, contact us today.
The Risks Associated with the Defective Vehicles
As explained above, possible brake fluid leaks in the vehicles can lead to engine fires. Anytime that there is a risk of a fire, there is also a risk of significant of harm to consumers. Consumers could suffer burns ranging in severity, including second-degree burns, third-degree burns, etc. These burns can affect the layers of the skin, the nerves, the ligaments, the muscles, and even the bones. Depending on the details surrounding the specific injury, burn injuries could lead to loss of function and loss of feeling, for example. In severe cases, burn injuries can lead to amputations. Additionally, fires could lead to other harm, including smoke inhalation injuries, which is often associated with internal burns of the respiratory system, oxygen deprivation, and lack of consciousness, for example. Burn injuries can be fatal.
If you or a member of your family suffered any type of harm associated with the defective Kia or Hyundai vehicles, you might have grounds to sue – you should explore the legal options available to you.
Your Right to Sue based on Product Liability
Based on the concept of product liability, companies owe their consumers a duty of care. Specifically, companies – such as automakers – have a duty to ensure that their products are completely safe for consumers. Because of this duty of care owed to consumers, companies must thoroughly test and inspect their products to be able to identify and address any potential hazards present on the premises. However, companies can breach their duty of care and negligently make defective products available for purchase. When a defective product directly leads to the harm that a consumer suffered, the company that made the defective product available could be liable.
What does this mean? If you or a member of your family suffered harm associated with a defective automobile, you might have grounds to pursue a product liability claim against the automaker. If you are interested in learning more about your right to file a product liability claim for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Our defective product attorneys are ready to help you sue.
What Should You Do?
If you or a member of your family suffered harm associated with a defective product, there are a number of things that you should do to prepare to pursue a claim. Acting appropriately ensures that you have the tools necessary eventually sue. What should you do? Consider some of the recommendations listed below:
- Seek medical care as soon as possible
- Take photos of all the injuries resulting from the incident
- Take photos of the defective product
- Take photos of all property damage resulting from the incident
- Contact the company to report the incident and harm suffered
- Do not agree to a free repair
- Do not agree to a free replacement
- Do not agree to a refund
- Do not agree to return the defective product
- Speak to any witnesses present at the time of the incident
- Gather any video footage that might have captured the incident
- Gather all medical records
- Gather all records of property damage
- Seek legal assistance immediately
You Could Recover Compensation
Based on the details surrounding your product liability claim against Kia or Hyundai, you might be eligible to recover compensation for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered (if your claim is successful). You could be eligible to recover compensation for some of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial costs
- Property damage
- Punitive damages
If you would learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you could receive if your product liability claim is successful, do not hestiate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm immediately. Our experienced product liability lawyers are ready to help you understand your right to sue and help you recover the compensation that you are owed. Although recovering compensation cannot reverse the harm resulting from the incident, it can help you and your family move forward from such a traumatic experience. For more information about the compensation that you could be eligible to receive, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm today.
The Statute of Limitations
If you are interested in pursuing a product liability claim against Kia, Hyundai, or any other company that negligently made a defective product available for consumers, you must be aware that your claim is time sensitive. All claims are subject to a statute of limitations, which determines the specific length of time that claimants have to sue. If claimants do not file their claims within the appropriate deadline, they could lose their right to sue.
In California, product liability claims are typically subject to two-year statute of limitations. Therefore, claimants only have two years to pursue their claims. As mentioned above, if claimants do not file their claims on time, they will lose their right to sue. However, it is important to know that exceptions could apply – which could toll or pause the statute of limitations that applies.
To ensure that you file your claim on time, contact our firm today for the guidance that you need.
Contact Normandie Law Firm Today
At Normandie Law Firm, our lawyers have many years of experience handling all sorts of claims, including product liability claims. Our product liability lawyers are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. Our firm offers free legal services, which includes free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will be available to answer your questions and address all your concerns – providing you with the guidance that you need to reach a successful claim outcome. If you would like to benefit from our free legal services, contact our firm today.
Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee that ensures that our clients will not be required to pay any upfront costs to speak with our experienced lawyers. In addition, our firm is based on a contingency structure; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you do not win, you will not be required to pay anything.
Would you like to discuss your claim with the knowledgeable product liability lawyers at our firm? If so, contact us today.
