There are likely a number of North Carolina residents that drive a Jeep Liberty SUV, but there is now concern about such models that started coming off of the Chrysler assembly line in 2002 and 2003. There have been 50 injury reports of the airbag being deployed in the Jeep Liberty without the vehicle being involved in the crash. The government is now investigating such deployments, and injuries incurred because of such deployments may lead to product liability litigation concerning defective automobile parts.

Drivers of the jeeps have reported burns, cuts and bruises due to the accidental air bag inflations. Fortunately, no deaths have yet been reported, but such a fatality could easily occur if an individual was to lose control of his jeep after the air bag deployed.

Product defect litigation is always complicated, but there is added complexity when speaking about litigating a matter against a major corporation like Chrysler Motors and concerning a product as intricate as an automobile. It will require expert testimony, an understanding of methods of production, an establishment of causation, and lots of long hours reviewing technically intricate documents such as engineering specification. Such a matter would likely require the assistance of an attorney experienced in the area of product liability litigation who can bring together the required resources to bring such a matter to a successful conclusion.

The probe by the government would entail the investigation of more than 387,000 vehicles. It appears that Chrysler still is unsure why the air bags are deploying. Some of the incidents involved the air bag deploying while the vehicle was started, and others involved deployment while the vehicle was actually in motion. We need to know that the manufacturer knows what it is doing when they place a particular product out on the market.

Source: Pioneer Press, "Government steps up Jeep Liberty air bag probe," Jan. 30, 2012