Last Christmas Eve, three family members veered off of a main road in Lancaster,S C making it difficult for people to spot them. It took three days for railroad workers who were reporting to work Monday, to find the family.
The accident occurred on U.S. 521 near the intersection of South Carolina 75. Two adults and one minor were killed in this terrible accident. A tow-truck operator, who Lancaster Police called to help clear the car from the embankment, stated that “these people went right through the needle, the thread of the needle, to end up in between both of those bridges.” Where the car was lying made it impossible for people from the road to see the car.
There is no telling what caused this car to veer from the road and kill these people. They may have been driven from the road by another driver; it could be a design or manufacturing defect in the car; or, it could have been from the drivers own negligence.
A design defect is present when a product is designed in such a way that it is unreasonably dangerous; thus, the manufacturer is liable for any harm that the design defect causes, subject to certain defenses. For example, a three-wheeler may be designed in such a way that it rolls over too easily, and a person is injured by the three-wheeler in a rollover.
A manufacturing defect occurs when a reasonably designed product is produced but is defective in the way it was produced, the manufacturer will be liable for any injury that the manufacturing defect causes. For example, a three-wheeler may be designed in a reasonably safe way (if that is even possible), but in manufacture, this particular three-wheeler’s frame welds were too weak. Then, the three-wheeler injures someone when its frame welds break.
It is important to be careful while navigating the roadways over the holiday season. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a design or manufacturing defect in your automobile or any other product, call the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower. We are here to assist you with all of your legal questions. If you are a Lancaster, Chester, Rock Hill, or Fort Mill resident, call our Baxter Village office at 803-548-4444, or toll-free at 877-374-5999.