News sources report that Assembly Bill 743 will be heard in Santa Cruz today. If adopted, the bill would be included in California’s vehicle code, rather than the state’s civil code, and make violation of the code an infraction.
Assembly Bill 743, introduced by Assemblyman Bill Monning, is designed to seal off a loophole that lets rental car companies rent vehicles that have been recalled. New car dealers are not allowed to sell vehicles that have been recalled for safety reasons until they are fixed. The bill was initiated in the wake of a car accident that took the lives of two women after the PT Cruiser they rented from Enterprise crashed and burst into flames because of an unrepaired safety defect.
Rosemary Shahan, of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, said, “We’ve done a lot to address the rental company concerns.”
The rental car industry has made headway in improving the processes for inspecting and repairing recalled vehicles due to the sheer number of safety recalls over the past few years. The Industry initially lobbied for recalled cars to be rented provided they complete an interim safety exam, but Shahan says that’s “a huge loophole.”
As a car accident lawyer in Ventura, I’m glad to hear that lawmakers are seeking resolution on this issue. If you’ve been injured as a result of a defective or recalled product, call a personal injury lawyer in your town today to learn more about your rights and discuss your case.
