Mercedes Soft-Close Doors Can Cause Traumatic Amputations

Each year, car manufacturers are trying to innovate more and more with new technology. Mercedes-Benz is no different, especially with their soft-closing doors. However, these self-closing doors have turned out to be dangerous. As it turns out, the soft-close feature also causes harm to those who are trying to close the door. In October of 2021, Richard J. Kastigar, Jr. had his thumb severed when the door to his Mercedes crushed it.

His thumb was still in the door but his back was turned when he felt his thumb being crushed. He was unable to do anything but watch his thumb separate. Unfortunately, his injury was so severe that surgeons were unable to reconstruct the thumb. The victim is unable to work and is filing a lawsuit for over half a million dollars in lost wages.

This lawsuit also demands Mercedes-Benz employ sensors in their vehicles so that this does not happen in the future. Protective sensors can make the difference between losing and keeping your fingers. It is important to note that this is not the only manufacturer with this feature in their vehicles. Another interesting fact is that this is not the first lawsuit filed for the same issues.

A similar lawsuit was filed against BMW in 2017 but was dismissed. It will take some time to see if this lawsuit will have a different outcome. If you are injured from a feature in your car, consider contacting a Maryland personal injury attorney.

What is product liability?

When you purchase a product, you do so with the belief that it will work as designed. This is even more true when it comes to your vehicle. When you purchase a vehicle, the safety features are often a contributing factor in your decision. You drive confidently knowing that if a hazard were to appear, your safety features would kick in and help you avoid a catastrophic car accident. When this does not occur, however, the consequences can be deadly.

Under Maryland product liability, a product can be defective in three ways:

• Design defect: If the design of the safety feature was what caused the product to injure you or others.
• Manufacturing defect: When an issue happened at the factory where the piece or vehicle was made, causing a defect in one batch or all products.
• Marketing defect: If a product was marketed as performing one way and instead performed in entirely differently, or did not perform as advertised, it may be a marketing defect.

Your attorney can help determine the type of product defect and who may hold liability for your injuries.

When defective parts cause car accidents

Some product defects are so serious they can cause a car accident. There are many ways that an accident can occur, whether it be in a parking lot or on a road trip. It is important to seek medical attention immediately after an accident as some injuries can take time to show symptoms. The sooner you get medical care, the sooner you can begin treatment. A car accident can be caused by a number of defective auto parts, including faulty:

• Airbags
• Ignition switches
• Tires
• Steering
• Brakes
• Seatbelts

No matter what the cause of the accident is, you will need the help of a Maryland personal injury attorney. Insurance companies will often try to deny your claim or give you a lowball offer. They do so in order to avoid paying what you deserve while still raising insurance rates down the line. An experienced attorney can help recover the compensation to which you are entitled.

Securing compensation after an injury in Maryland

Obtaining compensation for your injuries can be challenging, depending on the circumstances surrounding your case. There are both economic and non-economic damages to which you may be entitled. Economic damages refer to tangible expenses, such as medical bills and lost paychecks; while non-economic damages refer to pain and suffering and loss of companionship. If a loved one passes away from their injuries, the surviving family may also be entitled to bring a wrongful death action with the help of one of our experienced attorneys.

If you have been injured in a car accident or by a defective product, contact Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. today at 410-730-7737 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation at one of our various Maryland office locations.