The Legal Examiner Affiliate Network The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner search instagram avvo phone envelope checkmark mail-reply spinner error close The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner
Skip to main content

A women in Houston this month claimed her vehicle’s sunroof exploded while she was driving, which is a problem that Consumer Reports has said is happening more often. 

The woman told the media it happened to her when she was driving normally on the highway, noting that it was a shotgun-like sound, and she was hit with flying glass. She was not sure why it  happened, but some auto experts say it is common for sunroofs to shatter from road debris.

But Consumer Reports has said that is not always why. The magazine noted in a recent issue that more sunroofs are exploding for no reason. Over the last 24 months, the magazine has received 850 complaints about exploding sunroofs. CR states the issue could be because of bigger sunroofs with a curve, and because of inferior glass being used to save money.

Problems with exploding sunroofs include personal injury liability in some cases. Also, the consumer is often left with the bill for repairing the vehicle.

CR has stated it is important to check that your sunroof has laminated glass which is more shatter resistant.

Our View

An exploding sunroof while you are driving is a serious safety hazard. The explosion often causes glass shards to fall upon passengers, which can include children. The glass can cause serious cuts and even can get into the eyes. Another safety concern is the loud noise can startle the driver and cause an accident.

As Virginia personal injury and product liability lawyers, we would like to stress that people hurt by an exploding sunroof could be entitled to financial compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages and medical expenses. It is important to talk to a licensed attorney in your state if you have suffered injuries from an exploding sunroof or a resulting accident. 

One strategy our legal team used in a Virginia Beach personal injury case was doing a vocational assesment on our seriously injured client in a car accident. This helps to determine how much the person would have made if they had been able to continue working normally for a number of years. In that case, it was estimated their lost wage earning capacity was $612,000. The settlement of the case was for $1 million.

 

Comments for this article are closed.