The lawsuit that makes you pay for car theft
Imagine that an automaker makes a car that meets every applicable federal safety standard, is sold to millions of willing customers, and operates exactly as intended. But that particular car became a target for thieves, allegedly because it did not contain an engine immobilizer, which wasn’t required.
TL;DR
- Automakers are being sued for crimes like car theft, even when their vehicles meet all safety standards and operate as intended.
- Lawsuits are allegedly targeting cars that lack non-required features like engine immobilizers, making them targets for thieves.
- These lawsuits divert resources from innovation, job creation, and actual safety improvements.
- The lawsuits are attributed to a legal theory called 'public nuisance,' which is described as elastic and can be stretched to cover many situations.
- The broad application of public nuisance is causing a legal crisis that impacts various industries, increases prices for consumers, and threatens businesses.