The dangers of keyless ignitions in Massachusetts

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Wrongful Death, on Friday, January 8, 2016

When a key is taken out of a car’s ignition, the car stops running. However, this is not always the case for cars with a keyless ignition. This had led to a number of injuries and deaths related to carbon monoxide poisoning. In December 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that keyless ignitions were a safety problem and suggested that alarms could be added to the cars at a minimal cost.The alarms would go off if the driver accidentally leaves the car running after getting out of the vehicle. The agency has decided to wait until Feb. 2016 to issue a final ruling, but the new rule would most likely only effect newly manufactured vehicles. Therefore, there could still be millions of vehicles that could pose a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. In the meantime, lawsuits are being filed against automakers claiming that they knew or should have known about the dangers of not having an automatic shut-off. The suits also claim that it would have been a simple software fix to add such a feature. The attorney who is handling the claims says that all cars should be fixed and not just those that are manufactured in the future. Those who follow the issue believe that these and other lawsuits may have to fill in the gaps created by regulators.If an individual is killed after using dangerous products, the family of the victim may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit. Such a lawsuit may help them win compensation for the victim’s final expenses as well as lost future wages that the individual may have earned. An attorney may be able to review the case to determine who may have standing to file a case and when it must be filed.