There’s a good reason why you can’t easily remove an automobile’s keys from the lock cylinder while the vehicle is moving. If you manage to do so, the engine will stall, and you could get into an accident for the reckless stunt.
While it’s nearly impossible to remove the keys of an automobile to purposefully cause an engine stall, a new issue plaguing tens of thousands of vehicles could suddenly induce engine stalls, putting their drivers at high collision risk.
Automakers Jeep and Ram have recently issued a recall for more than 80,000 diesel-powered vehicles. The recalls affect Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs from the 2014 to 2020 model years and Ram 1500 pickup trucks from the 2014 to 2019 model years. According to the companies, the recalled vehicles potentially have a faulty tone wheel, which helps synchronize an engine’s parts. If the part fails, it could cause an engine to stall even when the vehicle is still moving, raising the risk of an accident.
The risks of a stalled engine
Many things can go wrong when an engine stalls while driving. The vehicle’s brakes will become harder to push down, resulting in a longer stopping distance. A suddenly dead engine also shuts off the vehicle’s power steering feature, making it tougher to turn the steering wheel. Combined, these two can significantly raise the risk of a crash.
Auto safety experts have also warned that depending on what causes the engine to stall, your vehicle’s airbags might fail to work when a collision occurs.
If your automobile’s engine stalls in the middle of high-speed traffic, you also expose yourself to the risk of a rear-end collision. These crashes can lead to bodily damages like whiplash and traumatic brain injury, which can cost tens of dollars to treat.
Filing a lawsuit for injuries
If your car’s engine stalls and causes an accident where you get severely injured, whom can you sue for compensation? You could file a personal injury lawsuit if another driver hit you while your engine gave out, but you could also sue the auto manufacturer of your car. You can make a strict liability claim for a defect that existed either during the design or manufacturing of the vehicle for as long as you used the vehicle as intended by the manufacturer.
Defective motor vehicle lawsuits can be incredibly difficult to win. Because automakers risk losing millions of dollars through such lawsuits, they could employ a legal team to challenge your accusations in court. You should consider fighting fire with fire by hiring an attorney in such cases. An attorney will aggressively fight for your right to compensation in court and can help negotiate a settlement that adequately covers your damages.
