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Safety Glass Failure

There are typically two types of glass utilized in vehicles: tempered glass and laminated glass. One is much safer than the other.

Aop vehicle defects

If you or a loved one has been harmed in an accident involving safety glass failure, then please feel free to contact our offices for a free consultation.

Laminated glass

Laminated glass is the safer of the two kinds of vehicle glass. Two pieces of tempered glass are bonded together with a plastic layer sandwiched between them. The plastic layer, made of laminate, holds the glass in place so it will not shatter in a crash. It is used in windshields. Here, the laminated glass helps to hold victims inside the vehicle during impact, so they are not ejected from the vehicle to sustain catastrophic injury.

Tempered glass

Tempered glass does not have a plastic sandwich filling. It is made to shatter upon impact, but it is designed for safety as it will shatter into tiny pieces and not jagged shards of glass when broken.

However, during a severe crash, these tempered side windows, door windows, and rear windows (as well as sun roofs and moon roofs) shatter and may allow an occupant to be ejected and seriously injured or killed. The risk is particularly high in a rollover accident.

    Safety Glass Defect

    If laminated glass is not used in a vehicle’s windshield then it is a design defect. If tempered glass breaks and allows an occupant to be ejected this may be a design defect.

    The purpose of all safety glass in a motor vehicle is to protect the occupants from harm. Injuries attributed to the failure of safety glass can be the basis of an injury claim.

    Exploding Sunroofs in 2018

    More and more, sunroofs (including panoramic sunroofs) are being installed in motor vehicles as a popular luxury addition to many sedans, SUVs, and minivans. The number of complaints for exploding sunroofs while the vehicle is being driven is a growing danger. As reported by Consumer Reports, more and more sunroof explosions are being reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

    So far, the sunroof glass itself has only caused minor injuries, according to filed complaints. However, as Consumer Reports points out, there is a distinct issue involving the potential for the explosion to startle and distract the driver, causing a serious or fatal injury. Here, the defective glass would legally be a cause of the crash and the basis of a defective glass failure claim against the car manufacturer.

    Experienced Safety Glass Failure Attorneys

    Today, in some luxury vehicles, laminated glass is offered in side windows and other parts of the vehicle besides the windshield. Otherwise, motor vehicles operating and sold in the United States today feature mainly tempered glass, despite known dangers and risks of its use during a serious accident.

    Wigington Rumley Dunn & Blair LLP has extensive experience fighting for justice after victims have suffered serious injuries due to defective safety glass in a vehicle.

    For more information regarding Safety Glass Failure, please review our settlement history and read summaries of some of our past cases.