When you purchase a used car, you may be surprised to discover that some of the parts found in your vehicle come from a foreign supplier. Then, when you crash your car, you might find out that one of the contributing factors to your crash was a defect in a foreign part in your car. While you may be able to hold some foreign companies responsible, you'll need help from an auto accident lawyer because you may find it difficult to track these individuals down. 

Types of Defects

There are several types of defects you may find associated with a particular foreign car part. If the car part has a design defect, this means that there was always an inherent flaw in the design. For example, the part might not be designed to be strong enough to resist breaking when being placed under certain stresses.

With a manufacturing defect, the problem lies instead in how the product was made. It might have a sound design, but the manufacturer might have made a mistake or cut a corner at some point in the manufacturing process. 

Parties to the Lawsuit

You will need help from a skilled auto accident lawyer who will be able to help you track down each party who might be responsible for the defective car part. In addition to the manufacturer, several other parties might be liable, including the:

• Importer
• Distributor
• Retailer

Your lawyer will contact any foreign parties involved in the creation of the defective part so that the company can be held responsible under the US state and federal consumer protection laws, which a company must follow to be licensed to sell car parts in the United States.

Liability

Identifying the parties who could be liable is only one of the steps you must follow. You must also keep the defective part so it can be examined by experts who your auto accident attorney will work closely with since you must also prove that the foreign party was negligent.

Damages

You must also suffer damages and calculate these damages. If you were injured, you must receive medical treatment so your auto accident attorney and your doctor can help you calculate what the damages should be to account for your suffering and for how much your future medical expenses may be. Your injuries will also help determine how much you have suffered, and this can be used to calculate pain and suffering as well as other damages.

To learn more, contact an auto accident attorney.