LOW COST CAR.ORG

If you are hurt in a car accident, you might just want to blame the other driver. But what if your injuries could have been avoided had you been in a different vehicle? Many of the most popular cars are built with defective designs. Seatbelt failure, rollovers, and roof crushing are all common defects that lead to worse injuries than properly designed cars.

Recently, though, the renowned magazine Consumer Reports issued a list of the safest cars in production. Who wins and who loses?

For large sedans and luxury cars, the Audi A4, Lexis ES300, and the BMW 330i are reported as some of the safest. Unfortunately for American manufacturers, the Buick LeSabre Limited and Chrysler 300M were last. The V6 VW Passat and V6 Toyota Camry XLE ranked at the top in the Consumer Reports safety assessment. The VW Golf TDI and VW Jetta GLS TDI also ranked first for small cars along with the Honda Civic EX.

The Toyota Tundra SR5 4.7, Dodge Ram SLT 4.7, and Ford F150 XLT 5.4 were given the highest marks for pickup safety. In the small SUV/Minivan category, the V6 Saturn VUE, Hyundai Santa Fe GLS, and Honda CR-V EX were the safest. The mid-sized SUVs with the best protection were the Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander, and Lexis RX300. The safest minivans were the Honda Odyssey EX, the Mazda MPV LX, and the Toyota Sienna LE.

The most poorly designed vehicle was suspected to be a minivan—the Pontiac Montana—which is still being sold.

Whenever possible, you should get the most secure car you can. Unfortunately even the safest vehicles aren't going to be able to protect you from every injury that can happen in an accident. Even though you can't anticipate a car accident, your car should--it should be designed to protect you if something happens. In the highest ranked vehicles, you will probably have a lower chance of becoming injured in a seatbelt failure, roof crush, or seatback failure.

Another thing you need to know: it can make handling an injury claim that much more complicated. A defective vehicle design may contribute to your injuries in a car accident. If a product defect is the case, then the company who made your car might be partially or wholly responsible for your injuries. A qualified and experienced car accident attorney will understand your complicated situation and may be able to get you help to pay your medical bills. You probably need someone who is qualified and experienced after the fact to determine if the vehicle you were traveling in had any major defects that contributed to your injuries.

Don't know if your situation merits an attorney? Do your homework and find as much free information you can. There is a wealth of resources on the internet to aid you in resolving your injury claim—but make sure it is from a reliable source.

James Brown is a personal injury attorney out of St. Louis Missouri. Of the many publications he has written, his free Missouri and Illinois accident guide, "I Survived! The Crash Victim's Guide to Dealing with the Aftermath" has been of particular help to accident victims. You can request a free copy from his website http://www.CastleLaw.net and click on "Contact Us."

Article Source: Consumer Reports Rates Vehicle Safety