Vehicle emission standards save lives. But when manufacturers violate those standards, safety is compromised.
Needless to say, your compensation rights could be impacted when manufacturers violate environmental laws.
Between vehicle defects caused by shoddy emission systems to cheated emissions tests, environmental law plays a massive role in accident victim compensation rights.
Here’s what you need to know.
What you’re going to learn:
- How Emission Standards Protect Drivers
- When Manufacturers Cheat On Emissions Tests
- Accident Victim Compensation Rights For Defective Vehicles
- Protecting Yourself As A Consumer
Do Emission Standards Keep Drivers Safe?
You may not realize this but emission standards play a vital role in keeping drivers safe.
Emission standards are regulated by the EPA under the Clean Air Act. The EPA enforces strict guidelines surrounding the pollutants emitted from a vehicle’s tailpipe.
Manufacturers must build engines and emission control systems that adhere to those safety standards. Failure to do so can result in hefty fines.
Faulty emission systems can cause your vehicle to malfunction in many ways.
Did you know that your vehicle’s brakes can be impacted by emission system defects?
A vehicle emitting excess pollutants signifies one thing… faulty engine operation.
And when manufacturers try to cut corners with emissions control technology… accidents happen. Anyone suffering an auto accident injury caused by a manufacturing defect can pursue compensation from the responsible party.
Recall!
How manufacturers are held accountable relates directly to your accident victim compensation rights.
How Do Manufacturers Cheat Emission Standards?
Volkswagen was fined an estimated $14.7 billion because they intentionally circumvented EPA emission standards.
They achieved this by installing “defeat devices” into NOx-emitting diesels. The software made it appear as though the vehicles met EPA standards during testing. But during normal driving conditions, those vehicles emitted up to 40x more pollutants than allowed by law.
Volkswagen ended up paying some of those fines. But car owners also recovered between $12,500 and $44,500 per vehicle through EPA programs.
As you can imagine, drivers should feel lied to and let down by Volkswagen. But what can you do when ANY manufacturer cheats?
When manufacturers cheat emission standards, they do it to make a profit.
Period.
And the more cars they sell, the more consumers are at risk for injury.
Here’s What You Probably Don’t Know…
The so-called “Dieselgate scandal” isn’t unique to Volkswagen. Hundreds of millions of diesel vehicles around the world were affected by emission-defeat software. The scandal impacted roughly 11 million vehicles worldwide.
That’s right. Millions of drivers could be behind the wheel of a defective vehicle right now.
In fact, vehicles with defeat devices are still being sold today.
That’s scary for a number of reasons.
Emission defects can increase your risk of getting into an accident.
What’s worse…
Data from the EPA shows that certain manufacturers sold defeat devices for diesel trucks resulting in over 570,000 tons of excess nitrogen oxides emitted before 2020.
These toxic pollutants don’t just harm the environment, they put your health at risk.
These gases contribute to asthma, heart disease and countless other health problems associated with driving.
Vehicle Defects You Didn’t Know Exist
You’ve heard of vehicle recalls. But did you know that emission defects and faulty safety components are the leading cause of those recalls?
According to government data, roughly 27.7 million vehicles were recalled in 2024 alone.
Drivers are busy. And most people don’t have time to look for recall notices.
But you should.
93.3% of those recalled vehicles posed an immediate crash or injury risk to drivers.
Across the United States, drivers are putting themselves at risk by ignoring vehicle recalls.
With all of the prior-year recalls still unrepaired, that number jumps to 131.7 million vehicles with at least one open recall.
That means 1 in every 4 vehicles on U.S. roads has a known manufacturing defect.
Accidents don’t happen because of recalls.
But car defects due to unrepaired recalls contribute to dangerous driving conditions.
How?
Defective parts like emission control systems can cause your vehicle to break down while you’re driving.
Software issues can cause your vehicle to malfunction on the road.
The list goes on and on.
When manufacturers cut corners… someone else gets hurt.
Accident Victim Compensation Rights For Defective Vehicles
If your vehicle crashes because of a defect, you should be able to recover compensation from the responsible party.
Fact:Manufacturers can be held liable for defective vehicles.
That includes:
- Defective emission systems
- Faulty braking systems
- Defective airbags
- Software defects
When defects cause a car accident, victims should be able to recover compensation for their injuries.
Consider a scenario where serious injuries occur after an airbag fails to deploy.
The victim should be able to recover funds from the responsible party for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering… you get the idea.
Every injury victim has rights when it comes to compensation.
The tricky part is knowing your rights in time to file a claim.
How Environmental Laws Impact Your Rights As An Accident Victim
Environmental laws matter because they can impact consumer safety.
Car manufacturers violate EPA emissions standards more often than you’d think.
When the EPA cracks down on greedy corporations, tons of information is uncovered.
Recalls are issued. Internal documents are revealed. Fines are doled out.
But that information can be used to your advantage as an injury victim.
If a vehicle manufacturer has already been caught lying about emissions… it’ll be much harder for them to deny accountability if their vehicles cause serious injuries.
Manufacturers that violate environmental laws give lawyers and injury victims tons of evidence to use during a case.
Accident Victims: Here’s How You Can Protect Yourself
There’s a lot that drivers can do to protect themselves from car defects.
While you can’t always prevent being in a vehicle accident, you can take precautions to ensure your vehicle is safe to drive.
Remember…
Manufacturers can be held liable for vehicle defects.
Start by checking your vehicle for open recalls.
You can do that by visiting the NHTSA website and keying in your VIN number.
Drivers should also monitor vehicles for recall notices, especially when buying and selling cars.
Knowledge is power when it comes to defective vehicles.
The more you know, the easier it is to avoid getting hurt.
Wrapping Things Up
Vehicle emission standards save lives, but negligent manufacturers can still put your life at risk.
If your vehicle is equipped with a defective emission system, your risk of getting into an accident increases.
And if you get into an accident because of a defect, your compensation rights come into play.
Knowing your rights as an accident victim can help you recover the compensation you deserve if a defective vehicle causes you harm.