Hurt by a bad airbag or seat belt in Dallas? Find a car defect lawyer, and keep the car
Do not let a tow yard or a body shop clear your car. In Dallas, a wrecked car may end up at the Dallas Auto Pound, which stores accident vehicles. Its data recorder can show belt use, speed and braking. A claim over a defective car has the general 2-year Texas deadline to sue.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (35)
What should I do with my car after an airbag or seat belt failure in Dallas?
- Take photos of the airbag cover, the belt and the seat before anyone moves the car.
- Ask where the car was towed. A car moved after a Dallas crash may be at the Dallas Auto Pound, 1955 Vilbig Road, 214-670-5116.
- To pick it up, bring your original license or ID. A copy will not work. You also need a paper copy of current insurance. The lot lets you retrieve vehicles from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
- Do not sell, scrap or repair it. The Texas duty to keep evidence begins once a claim is substantially likely.
Your car holds proof that no police report can. The event data recorder needs special equipment and access to the car to be read. The window it saves is short, typically 30 seconds or less. It can also show speed and pedal use. Whoever owns or leases the car owns that data.
How do I check for a recall on my car in Dallas?
Put the VIN into the federal recall search. It shows whether that exact car still needs a recall repair. A recall that a dealer already fixed will not appear in the results. The federal Vehicle Safety Hotline, 888-327-4236, can answer questions about a recall.
Some airbag problems are well known. Recalled Takata inflators may explode. Poor replacement inflators have also caused deaths. Ask any shop that fixed your airbag where the part came from.
A recall is not a settlement. Recall remedies do not replace your other legal remedies.
Who can I sue after a defective airbag crash in Dallas?
| Who | What Texas law says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Car or airbag maker | You must prove a safer alternative design | Needs an expert, not just a bad result |
| Maker that met federal standards | A presumption can apply when mandatory federal standards were met | Makers raise it first |
| Dealer or seller that did not build the car | Usually not liable | Unless it knew of the defect |
| Driver who caused the crash | More than 50 percent at fault bars recovery | Fault can be split between a driver and a part |
A defect case and a crash case often run side by side. The other driver's policy must carry at least $30,000 per person. If that driver had no insurance, your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply, and Texas requires you to reject it in writing.
Will the Dallas crash report show a defect?
Not on its own. Dallas Police investigated 16,257 crashes in 2025, and the report records drivers, roads and officer notes, not why an airbag failed. A copy costs $6, and is usually ready 5 to 7 working days after the crash. If a state trooper or the sheriff came instead, a TxDOT copy of the CR-3 report is $6 online.
Dallas Police call vehicle accident claims civil matters. So the part that failed is a question for you, an inspector and, if you hire one, a car defect lawyer in Dallas.
How long do I have to sue for a car defect in Dallas?
Texas gives you 2 years from the injury. Separately, a product claim ends 15 years after the sale of the product, even if you were hurt later. If a Dallas city vehicle was involved, written notice to the city is due within six months.
Keep the repair bills, the recall letters and any texts with the dealer. They show what the maker knew and when.
Questions
Can I still sue if my car was recalled?
Yes. A recall fix does not take away your other legal remedies.
Who owns the data in my car?
The owner or lessee does, and others generally need consent or court authority to read it.
Do I have to prove a better design existed?
Yes, for a Texas design defect claim you must prove a safer alternative design.
What if I was not wearing my seat belt?
Texas courts let a jury hear belt evidence when it splits blame. You are barred only if you are more than 50 percent at fault.
Airbag, seat belt or car defect in Dallas? See if you are owed money.
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See if I’m owed moneySources (35)
- Dallas Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “no financial responsibility (insurance), result of an accident”
- 49 CFR 563.11, checked 2026-11-09. “Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Driver Privacy Act of 2015, checked 2026-11-09. “may not be accessed by a person other than an owner or a lessee”
- NHTSA, Motor Vehicle Safety Defects and Recalls, checked 2026-11-09. “the recall remedies are in addition to other available legal remedies”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.012, checked 2026-11-09. “a claimant must commence a products liability action against a manufacturer or seller of a product before the end of 15 years after the date of the sale of the product by the defendant”
- Dallas Police, Claiming a Vehicle, checked 2026-11-08. “Auto Pound Unit 1955 Vilbig Road Dallas, TX 75208 Tel 214-670-5116”
- Dallas Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “the original driver license or identification card must be present”
- Dallas Police Department, Public Information, checked 2026-11-08. “If the vehicle is being driven out: Valid driver's license & a paper copy of current insurance.”
- Dallas Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “A vehicle can be retrieved between 9 am - 5 pm, daily.”
- Brookshire Bros. v. Aldridge (Tex. 2014), checked 2026-11-09. “a party knows or reasonably should know that there is a substantial chance that a claim will be filed”
- 49 CFR 563.11, checked 2026-11-09. “special equipment is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed”
- 49 CFR 563.11, checked 2026-11-09. “typically 30 seconds or less”
- 49 CFR 563.11, checked 2026-11-09. “How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal”
- Driver Privacy Act of 2015, checked 2026-11-09. “is the property of the owner, or, in the case of a leased vehicle, the lessee”
- NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “you'll learn if a specific vehicle needs to be repaired as part of a recall”
- NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “A safety recall that has already been repaired.”
- NHTSA, Motor Vehicle Safety Defects and Recalls, checked 2026-11-09. “Call 888-327-4236”
- NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “subject to recall due to a safety defect that may cause them to explode and result in serious injury or death”
- NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “Substandard, dangerous air bag inflators manufactured in China have caused deaths and injuries in the United States.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.005, checked 2026-11-09. “there was a safer alternative design”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.008, checked 2026-11-09. “complied with mandatory safety standards or regulations adopted and promulgated by the federal government”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.003, checked 2026-11-09. “A seller that did not manufacture a product is not liable for harm caused to the claimant by that product unless the claimant proves”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 82.003, checked 2026-11-09. “the seller actually knew of a defect to the product at the time the seller supplied the product”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-09. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
- Texas Transportation Code 601.072, checked 2026-11-09. “$30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision”
- Texas Department of Insurance, checked 2026-11-09. “If you don't want it, you have to turn it down in writing.”
- TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries by Investigating Agency, checked 2026-11-08. “DALLAS PD 115 122 700 843 2,999 4,174 2,926 5,264 8,577 28,004 940 3,768 16,257”
- Dallas Police, Types of Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “There is a $6.00 fee for the accident report if requested through the mail or if picked up in person.”
- Dallas Police, Types of Reports, checked 2026-11-08. “Reports are usually available 5 to 7 working days after the accident.”
- TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “$6 for a regular copy.”
- Dallas Police Department, Public Information, checked 2026-11-08. “Claims arising from vehicle accidents are civil matters.”
- Dallas City Charter, Chapter XXIII, Section 1, checked 2026-11-08. “within six months after the injury was received”
- Nabors Well Servs., Ltd. v. Romero, No. 13-0136 (Tex. Feb. 13, 2015), checked 2026-11-08. “Today we overrule it and hold that relevant evidence of use or nonuse of seat belts is admissible for the purpose of apportioning responsibility in civil lawsuits. [...] The defendant can establish the relevance of seat-belt nonuse only with evidence that nonuse caused or contributed to cause the plaintiff’s injuries.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.”