On May 14, 2020, Garia issued a recall for their Golf & Courtesy battery-powered electric vehicles. According to the recall, number 20-122, a fuse can overheat and melt during charging of the vehicle; this results in a fire risk. The recall has affected approximately 1,000 units.
The recall specifically involves the 2010-2019 Garia golf and courtesy battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV’s). The models of the BEV’s included in the recall consist of the following: Golf, Golf 2+2, Courtesy 4, and Courtesy 4+2. The BEV’s VINs are printed/etched on the chassis under the front seat cushions. The 10th digit of the VIN corresponds with the model year (each year is assigned A-K in order). The affected VINs include UJGDHSX1XAVXXXXXX – UJGDHSX1XKVXXXXXX.
The defective electric vehicles were sold at Garia dealers nationwide for prices ranging from $15,000 to $75,000. The vehicles were available from January 2010 through September 2019.
According to the company, there have been at least five reports of the vehicles overheating; these reports included fire damage to the vehicles. According to the recall, no injuries or incidents been reported. The company is urging all consumers affected by the recall to stop charging the vehicles and contact the company to schedule a free repair. All known consumers are being contacted directly via mail and e-mail.
Should you contact Garia to schedule a free repair for your recalled BEV? A free repair, without a doubt, is convenient. However, the offer of a free repair is only convenient to those who have only been inconvenienced by the recall. What if you or a member of your family suffered harm associated with the defective product? If the defective product caused harm, you should consider the legal options available to you.
Depending on the details surrounding the incident, you might have grounds to file a claim against the company that negligently contributed to the harm that you or a member of your family suffered due to the defective product. Specifically, you might have grounds to file a product liability claim. Would you like to learn more about your right to file a product liability claim? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm as soon as possible.
Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm that has dedicated many years to representing the interests of injured individuals and their families. Our lawyers have successfully handled all sorts of claims, including product liability claims. Our product liability lawyers are not afraid to hold negligent companies accountable for the harm resulting from their defective products. If you would like to learn more about your right to sue after suffering harm due to a defective product, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm immediately.
The Danger of the Defective Product
As explained above, a fuse in the defective product can overheat and melt, resulting in a fire hazard. This can occur when the product is charging. If there is a fire, consumers could be affected in different ways. For example, the fire could lead to property damage. Without a doubt the vehicle is likely to sustain fire damage; however, if the fire spreads, additional property damage (even structural damage) is possible. It is also possible for consumers to suffer burn injuries. Possible burn injuries can result in extensive skin damage, ligament damage, nerve damage, and even bone damage in some cases. Depending on the details surrounding the incident, smoke inhalation injuries are also likely (smoke inhalation could result in oxygen deprivation, loss of consciousness, permanent brain damage, and death). Besides physical injuries, mental and emotional harm is also a possibility. Regardless of the harm caused by the defective product, affected parties must remember that the harm could have been prevented.
The Concept of Product Liability – You Might Have Grounds to Sue
Do you have the right to sue? Could you sue for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered due to the defective electric golf and courtesy vehicles recalled by Garia? Based on the details surrounding your incident, you might have grounds to sue. Specifically, if the harm that you suffered was caused by a defective product, you might have grounds to sue based on the concept of product liability.
Based on product liability, all companies owe their consumers a duty of care – a duty to ensure that their products are completely safe for consumers to use. These companies must test and inspect their products thoroughly to ensure that they can quickly identify and address the any hazards present in the products. When companies fail to identify and address the hazards present in their products, they are breaching their duty of care; by breaching their duty of care towards consumers, these companies are negligently putting them at risk of suffering harm. Whenever a breached duty of care (i.e. a defective product) contributes the harm that a consumer suffered, the company that failed to exercise the duty of care could be liable.
What does this mean? If a company negligently contributes to the harm that you or a member of your family suffered, you might have grounds to sue. Specifically, you might have grounds to pursue a product liability claim for all the harm suffered. Would you like to learn more about product liability and your right to sue? If so, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.
Recovering Compensation for the Harm Suffered
If you file a product liability claim, you might be eligible to recover monetary compensation for the harm suffered. Your right to recover compensation will always be based on the details surrounding the incident. How much could you be eligible to recover? What type of compensation could you receive? The type and amount of compensation available for recovery will always depend on the details surrounding your claim. It could include some of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
As mentioned above, the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive will always be based on the details surrounding the claim, such as the harm suffered, the permanency of the harm suffered, for example. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the possible value of your claim, you must speak to an experienced product liability lawyer immediately. At our firm, our product liability lawyers know that recovering compensation will not alleviate the situation; it will not reverse the harm suffered. However, recovering monetary compensation can help you and your family move forward after such a traumatic experience.
If you would like to learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible. At Normandie Law Firm, our lawyers have many years of experience representing the rights of injured consumers. You can trust that our product liability lawyers will fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim.
What Should You Do?
If you or a member of your family suffered harm associated to the defective product recalled by Garia or any other negligent company, there are a number of things that you should do to ensure that you can hold the company accountable for all the harm suffered. What should you do to preserve your right to file a defective product claim? Affected consumers should consider following the recommendations listed below:
- Take photos of all injuries suffered
- Take photos of any property damage caused by the defective product
- Take photos of the defective product
- Seek medical attention for all injuries suffered
- Contact the company to report the defect, the incident, and the harm suffered
- Do not agree to a free repair or a free replacement
- Do not agree to a refund
- Do not agree to return the defective product
- Speak to witnesses present at the time of the incident
- Gather all medical records
- Gather all records of property damage
- Gather all records of the purchase of the defective product
- Seek legal assistance immediately with an experienced defective product attorney
For more information about the steps that consumers should follow after being harmed by a defective product, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm today.
Filing Your Claim on Time
Although you might have grounds to sue based on the concept of product liability, you could lose your right to sue under some circumstances. Specifically, you might lose your right to sue if you fail to file your claim within the appropriate length of time. This is because all claims (including product liability claims) are subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the specific length of time that claimants have to pursue their claims; if claimants do not file their claims, they will lose their right to sue. How long do you have to pursue your product liability claim against Garia or any other negligent company that contributed to the harm suffered? In the state of California, product liability claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that claimants must file within a two-year period. However, certain exceptions could apply (exceptions could result in paused or tolled deadlines). To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the total length of time that you have to pursue your defective product claim against Garia, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our law firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers will help you file your claim against Garia within the appropriate timeframe.
Contact Normandie Law Firm Today
Were you or a member of your family harmed due to a defective product? If so, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience. Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims, including product liability claims. Our product liability lawyers are knowledgeable on product liability law and are ready to help you fight for your rights as a consumer – our lawyers will help you hold the negligent company accountable for the harm suffered. If you would like to discuss your claim with the experts at our law firm, do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience.
At Normandie Law Firm, our personal injury lawyers are committed to providing all affected parties with the representation that they need to hold negligent companies accountable for the harm resulting from defective products. To remain accessible to injured parties, including injured consumers, our firm offers free legal services. Our free legal services include free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our product liability lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns – our product liability lawyers will provide you with all the information necessary to pursue your claim. If you would like to speak to our lawyers and benefit from our free legal services, do not hesitate to contact our lawyers immediately.
We offer a Zero-Fee guarantee that ensures that our clients will never have to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our firm is also strictly based on contingency; therefore, our clients will never be required to pay any legal fees until after reaching a positive claim outcome – if you do not win, you will not have to pay anything.
If you are ready to discuss your claim with the product liability lawyers at our firm, do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience.
