Defective products can be a very serious issue for manufacturers, and especially those making and selling vehicles in Florida and around the country. Even a seller could have an issue if they sold a vehicle by making claims promoting features that could result in an accident. The best way to get out in front of a potential onslaught of personal injury claims is to respond to the problem quickly. This is exactly what the Tesla Corporation is doing with nearly 500,000 cars since they learned of two serious defects in certain models of their electric vehicles. While one is related to potential accident liability without a malfunction, the other could result in direct causation of an accident.
Trunk latch issue
The first issue that could result in defective product claims is a front trunk latch that is aligned in a manner where it could become disengaged and crash the hood into the windshield. As Tesla vehicles have two trunks, the rear trunk does not present this potential. The latch can be modified free of charge at a certified dealer.
Internal video capability disabling
A prior issue that could result in a vicarious liability case is also being addressed regarding the capability to play video games while the vehicle is in motion. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration persuaded the company to issue a software update for their “Passenger Play” feature that will disable the feature while the vehicle is in motion. This is in response to a potential distracted driving claim from those who suffer accident injuries when the feature is being used while in transit and an accident results.
Anyone in Florida who owns a Tesla Model S sedan or a 3s should contact the nearest certified dealership and have their vehicle repaired. Additionally, the company may investigate any other vehicle issues even further following the interaction with the NHTSA.