Hack Attacks Prompt Vehicle Malfunction

It sounds like science fiction, but it’s just another symptom of the design problems that cause all too many accidents. Andy Greenberg was piloting his SUV down the freeway when suddenly the car began to slow. There were a number of potential explanations, but most people never would have guessed the actual reason. His SUV had been hacked, and the hackers had brought it to the stop in the middle of the busy street.

The hackers had used the car’s connection to satellite radio and OnStar as their way in, a problem that could have been avoided if the car designers had just kept all the necessary mechanical systems firewalled from the radio. It might have cost a few extra dollars, but it would have made the vehicle much safer. But the designers hadn’t, just like designers:

• Place airbags behind plastic or other materials that could cause them to deploy incorrectly
• Put important electrical systems in circuit with other, less necessary functions, so a minor electrical failure can cause major problems
• Fail to properly reinforce areas of the car that could explode in case of crash

Recalls have become sadly commonplace for car companies, but nothing is done until after enough accidents have occurred. Only when enough people have been injured or killed do the companies finally admit their design errors. Right now, hackers have the ability to turn a variety of vehicles into weapons due to these design flaws, and nothing is being done to address the issue.

If you or someone you love has suffered due to a design or production flaw, it is important you contact an attorney as quickly as you can. Until enough people push the issue, nothing will be done, and the quickest way to find other people who have suffered is to let an experienced lawyer do the searching.