An orthopedic surgeon in Minnesota recently commended Tesla, the manufacturer of his Model X car after he, his family members and their dog survived a violent crash. According to an article on Electek.co, the incident occurred when a large GMC truck that was traveling at over 45 mph hit the doctor’s Tesla Model X. The truck had run a red light before striking the electric SUV, which was making a turn on a green light. The surgeon is crediting the automaker for protecting him and his family from serious injury or death by designing a safe, crash-worthy vehicle. The vehicle’s airbag covered the entire passenger compartment including the full panoramic windshield.
A Safer Car Can Make a Big Difference
In addition to the airbags, there are two other features that make the Tesla Model X a safer car, according to the article. First, the vehicle has a large crumple zone due to the lack of the engine in the front, which is able to take the bulk of the impact in a collision. Secondly, the Tesla Model X also has a lower propensity to roll over even when there is a powerful impact because of its low center of gravity thanks to a large battery pack.
When you are involved in a serious collision, the kind of car you are traveling in can make a huge difference – sometimes, the difference between life and death. A poorly designed car or one with a manufacturing or design defect is likely to result in catastrophic if not fatal injuries in the event of a crash. The quality of components that go into a vehicle and the design of the vehicle itself could become significant in such situations.
While this news article was good for Tesla’s public relations efforts, the automaker is still under investigation by federal safety regulators for potential failure of its Autopilot feature, which was an issue in a fatal Florida crash back in May and several other injury crashes since then.
Protecting Your Rights
If you have been injured in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence or wrongdoing, it is important to understand that you have legal rights. In such cases, the at-fault party can be held liable for injuries, damages and losses caused. In addition to driver negligence, in some cases, the automaker may be held accountable if poor vehicle design or an auto defect causes or contributes to the victims’ injuries.
In any car accident case, it is important to preserve the vehicle, which should be thoroughly examined for defects, malfunctions, design flaws and other evidence that could shed more light on the causes of the crash. Injured car accident victims can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, rehabilitative treatment, pain and suffering and emotional distress. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, please call the Sacramento personal injury lawyers at the Demas Law Group, P.C., at (916) 444-0100 for a free, comprehensive and confidential.
