Motorcycle recalls: What you need to know to avoid a motorcycle accident

Motorcycle recalls can put you at risk for a motorcycle accident. Read about the latest Harley-Davidson recall and learn how to protect yourself from a motorcycle injury.

One of the most serious safety issues facing consumers is product recalls of motor vehicles, including motorcycles. When it comes to motorcycle safety, any product defect has the potential to cause serious injuries to riders. That’s why the motorcycle crash lawyers at MotorEagles® want to help you stay up-to-date the latest recalls so you can decrease your risk for a motorcycle accident.

Even the the largest and most-trusted motorcycle manufacturers have been known to issue recalls of faulty motorcycles and defective motorcycle parts that could put consumers at risk for motorcycle accident injuries. In fact, Harley-Davidson just announced they are recalling 308,000 motorcycles for a switch problem that can cause failure of the brake lights. The problem affects Touring, CVO Touring and Trike vehicles, 2009-2012 models.

Harley-Davidson said in government documents that brake light switches can be exposed to too much heat from the exhaust system. This is a critical issue for Harley riders, the MotorEagles® motorcycle injury attorneys said, because the brake lights can fail, and the problem can cause fluid leaks and the loss of rear brakes.

Motorcycle defects like this put riders at risk for serious or even fatal crashes, the motorcycle crash lawyers at MotorEagles® said. According to the Associated Press, this recall is estimated to affect more than 251,000 motorcycles in the U.S. alone, and one crash has already been reported from the problem. It’s unclear whether the motorcycle rider suffered any injuries.

If you’re affected by a motorcycle recall, it’s extremely important that you stop riding and get your bike repaired immediately. Under federal law, safety problems must be fixed at no cost to the consumers, according to the motorcycle injury attorneys at MotorEagles®.  If your motorcycle is part of this recall, Harley dealers will install a rear light brake switch kit free of charge.

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act gives the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to issue vehicle safety standards and requires manufacturers to recall vehicles that do not meet Federal safety standards. Since it was enacted in 1966, more than 390 million cars, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds have been recalled.

Safety recalls are usually initiated by either the NHTSA or the motorcycle manufacturer. The manufacturer has a duty to notify consumers who may be affected and file a public report describing the recall.

However, if you suspect that your motorcycle or any related equipment has a safety-related defect, you should report it to the NHTSA who will investigate the issue. You can also get up-to-date information on motorcycle safety recalls by calling the NHTSA’s toll-free Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, or by visiting http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

If a manufacturer failed to provide adequate safety warnings or if a manufacturer’s defect caused you serious injuries, you may be entitled to compensation. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident that you believe was caused by a defective part, contact an experienced motorcycle crash lawyer at MotorEagles®.

Tags: brake failure, brake lights, Harley Davidson, motorcycle accident, motorcycle crash lawyer, motorcycle injury attorneys, motorcycle safety, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, recall, Touring, Trike

This entry was posted on Monday, October 24th, 2011 at 12:07 pm and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.