Baltimore Car Accident Lawyers: Maryland Passes Landmark Safety Law

With the recent approval of Maryland’s car safety disclosure laws, car manufacturers will no longer be permitted to punish dealers for sharing information about any safety or defect information with potential buyers. While some states allow car dealers to provide information about safety issues if customers request it, Maryland takes this one step further by allowing dealers to disclose this information to anyone who buys a car from the dealership.

In the past, car manufacturers would provide information to the dealers about specific safety issues or other problems with the vehicle. However, they would impose franchise rules that would prohibit dealers from sharing that information with potential buyers unless the buyer inquired about a specific issue. As a result, buyers would not have had all the information about any defects that the car may have until it warranted a recall.

When Amber Marie Rose was killed in 2005 as a result of an ignition switch failure in her Chevy Cobalt, General Motors was aware that this was an issue with this car model, but it did not disclose the information to customers or safety regulators. In an effort to honor her daughter, Amber’s mother, Laura Christian, worked tirelessly to get the legislation passed. She believes that by sharing this important information with the public, lives will be saved.

Consumer Auto Executive Director Franz Schneiderman said that support from Attorney General Brian Frosh, as well as other consumer advocates and key legislators, was instrumental in getting the law passed. It will have a significant impact on the safety of all Maryland drivers.

Baltimore Car Accident Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Represent Victims Injured in Cars with Known Safety Issues

You have a right to know if the car you are purchasing has any safety defects. If this information has been withheld, and you are injured in a car accident as a result, you may be eligible for financial compensation. For a thorough case review by our dedicated, experienced team of Baltimore car accident lawyers, call LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.

Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent car accident victims and their families throughout Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Parkville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.