There is an auto accident on United States roadways every ten seconds. In 2001 alone, almost two million people suffered an injury related to a vehicle crash. Negligent drivers can cause accidents, but they may also result from some design, manufacturing, or installation defect of a vehicle component. Defective tires, seatbelts, roof structure, brakes, and most parts of a vehicle can cause or contribute to an auto accident if these components are defective in any way.  The term "automobile crashworthiness" relates to claims stemming from defective automobiles leading to car accidents.

Common Causes of Motor Vehicle Injury and Death

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research shows that the major causes of injury inside a vehicle during a collision are, in descending order:

• steering wheel
• instrument panel
• doors
• windshield
• front roof pillar
• glove box area
• roof edges
• the roof itself.

It is not surprising, then, that front-seat passengers are more likely to be injured in an auto accident than rear-seat passengers who are protected by the padding of the front seat backs.

NHTSA data also shows that 51 percent of motor vehicle deaths occur in head-on impacts, 27 percent in side impacts, and only 4 percent in rear impacts. Rollovers, however, are particularly lethal because they are more likely to eject unrestrained passengers from the vehicle than other types of collisions. Fatality rates are 25 times higher for ejected passengers than for those who remain in the vehicle.

When an Accident Occurs

When an auto accident injury occurs, it is important to take certain precautions and steps immediately following the accident. The first step is to evaluate the health and safety of the individuals involved in the accident, especially those who might have suffered an auto accident injury. It is important to call the police in order to have an auto accident injury report completed. This provides an official account of the auto accident and all pertinent details.

After an auto accident injury, it is important to gather information from those parties involved and speak with any witnesses to the accident. If one party was responsible for the accident that caused an auto accident injury, it is vital to collect information regarding that party's vehicle, license plate and vehicle identification number (VIN), insurance information, and any other important details. Taking pictures at the scene of an auto accident can also help determine the cause of an auto accident injury.

The exact cause of an auto accident injury may not always be apparent immediately following an accident. For this reason, it is vital to collect as much information as you can about the auto accident and the conditions surrounding the event. It is a good idea to contact your insurance company as soon as you can in order to inform them of your auto accident injury. Following an auto accident injury, receiving rightful compensation for your injuries can be a complicated and long process. Securing the help of a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney who specializes in auto accident injury can greatly strengthen your case. An experienced lawyer knows how to investigate your auto accident injury in order to build a strong case that will enable you to receive compensation for your injuries.

In order to prove that a defectively designed automobile caused an injury, lawyers must consult with top engineering experts to show how the injuries could have been prevented by proper design. To prove these cases, testing and reconstruction of accident situations can include state-of-the-art computer modeling and animation techniques, as well as real-life experiments. Automobile manufacturers defend crashworthiness claims vigorously, sparing no expense to attack the plaintiffs’ evidence and trying to blame drivers, weather, road conditions or any factor other than the car’s design problems for auto accident injuries.

If you believe you have an automobile crashworthiness law suit, contact an experienced unsafe products attorney today. Your crashworthiness lawyer will help you evaluate your claim and get the compensation you deserve.