Is Nissan Trying to Hide Potentially Defective Brakes?
What is the one part of your car that you want to work every time you use it? Though seatbelts or airbags are obviously near the top of that list, there is one car part that may be more important. Few people think about how important a car’s brakes are, but a new product liability trial is making Nissan notice.
Were Potentially Defective Brakes Hidden by Nissan?
It all started in 2012 when a 74-year-old man driving an Infiniti QX56 crashed into a minivan carrying a mother and two of her daughters. The woman and children didn’t survive the crash, and the 74-year-old was charged with vehicular manslaughter. He claimed that his SUV’s brakes had suddenly failed, which police disagreed with until the man’s case went to court. People who had also experienced similar brake failures testified, and a class action lawsuit about faulty delta stroke sensors was exposed.
Charges were dropped against the 74-year-old, and the wrongful death lawsuit the victim’s husband had filed against the man was also dropped. Instead, this 74-year-old joined forces with the husband who had lost two daughters and his wife in this crash. Together they filed a product liability and wrongful death claim against Nissan—makers of the Infiniti QX56—and the brake company involved.
The trial in this lawsuit began June 26th, and there are already some very shocking claims. The plaintiffs are claiming that Nissan has been hiding this defect from the public and refused to start a recall. They allege the company has received over 4000 complaints about this defect, which could mean there are more faulty brake victims all over the country.
As this story develops, the product liability attorneys at Riddle & Brantley will continue to monitor the results because safety counts, and you deserve to know if your vehicle is safe.