Imagine you are driving home from work one evening. You are making good time in light traffic when suddenly, your steering wheel detaches from the steering column and you lose control of your vehicle. In the blink of an eye, you go from heading home to heading to the emergency room with serious injuries.
Unfortunately, this is frighteningly possible scenario due to a recently announced defect in as many as 1.4 million Ford vehicles.
The problem: loosening bolts
The defect evidently affects certain 2014-2018 models of Ford Fusions and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. According to a recall issued by Ford, the steering wheels in these vehicles are held in place with bolts that loosen over time. When the bolts become too loose, the steering wheel can completely detach and drivers can lose control of their vehicle.
The fix: replacing the bolts
Ford says that they have issued a recall of more than 1.3 million vehicles here in the U.S. Owners of the affected cars can bring their car into a dealership to have new, longer bolts installed, as well as a nylon patch to stop those bolts from coming loose.
The solution for victims injured by this or other defective products: legal action
Auto defects are just one type of dangerous product that can lead to serious injuries. People can also be injured when appliances or tools contain defects. When these types of products malfunction or fail to work as designed, the consequences can be devastating. Defective products can cause injuries ranging from painful burns to irreversible brain damage.
While filing a lawsuit may not undo the harm that has already been done by a defective product, it can hold the appropriate party liable for damages and hopefully protect others from suffering the same upsetting injuries.
