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NHTSA Launches Recall Database

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in
The recalls just keep coming and many car owners and families are buried under a deluge of recall notices and safety alerts. Now there is an easy and accurate way to identify recalled vehicles. On August 19, 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a program aimed at helping car owners and buyers identify which vehicles have been subject to a recall but have not yet been fixed. The data in the recall search tool, will help owners, dealers and buyers identify recalled vehicles and their history. Auto manufacturers will have to provide the federal agency with the recall data for all of their vehicles over the past fifteen years. This program is especially timely because millions upon millions of cars have been recalled by the major auto companies. The number of vehicles impacted in the United States alone tops 45 million cars. This is roughly 20% of the vehicles in the United States. This has been a record breaking year. The last time that so many cars were recalled was 2004 where 30.8 million cars were found to have safety defects and recalled. Not all recalled vehicles are fixed, and this tool will ensure that older cars can be easily investigated by second or third owners who may be driving unsafe and defectively dangerous vehicles.

How To Check Your Vehicle Has Been Subject To A Recall

  1. Identify your VIN
    1. Your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique code that allows manufacturers to detail the history of a specific vehicle.
    2. You can find you VIN number usually at the base of the windshield, on the side of the driver door or in some cases, in the lining of the trunk door. All insurance and registration documents will also have the VIN.
  2. Go to the NHTSA recall website
    1. Used car owners can use the NHTSA’s recall website to determine whether their cars are safe.
    2. Enter the VIN number into the search box and follow up with a Captcha entry before hitting the Submit button.
  3. Ensure that the vehicle has been repaired regarding all recalls to which it was subject.
  4. If the vehicle has not been repaired, consult with an authorized dealer about the vehicle and the recall process.
The tool will help ensure that car owners can evaluate their vehicles and then stop paying attention to the litany of recall notices released week in and week out over the last 8 months. This initiative led by the NHTSA requires that all car companies provide a VIN search tool on their own website.

The experienced Sacramento auto accident lawyers at Arnold Law Firm are available to help victims of accidents involving recalled vehicles. To discuss you case call, (916) 777-7777.

Settlement - $3,767,000

Truck Accident

A 20-year-old man who had been married for just 12 days left home on his way to work. He was driving on Pleasant Grove Road in Sutter County in the early morning when he came upon a slow-moving truck. As he pulled out to pass the truck, the truck driver turned left in front of him. The young man attempted to steer back into his lane but his vehicle struck an un-flagged piece of metal extending from the back of the truck. He died in the resulting crash.

Expert witnesses brought in by the Arnold Law Firm proved that the truck, owned and operated by a hauling firm, should never have been on the highway that morning. Specifically, the rear and side turn signals did not work and the rear-view mirror was in a poor state of adjustment at the time of the collision. As a result, the driver, who had failed to properly inspect the vehicle before setting out that morning, couldn’t see the young man’s vehicle as it attempted to pass.

The poor condition of the truck, its lack of maintenance and the manner in which it was operated were found to be substantial factors in causing the collision that killed the young man. The testimony also established that the man had been making a lawful pass at the lawful speed limit and acted reasonably when he attempted to avoid the collision.

The man’s 20-year-old widow was awarded $3,767,000.77, his parents were awarded $185,131 and the family was reimbursed $11,899 in funeral expenses. Though money is a poor substitute for a young man’s life, this verdict demonstrates that drivers who endanger the lives of others will be held accountable for their actions.