Seat belts are the first line of defense should you be involved in an accident. They help you stay in place, preventing ejection from your car as well as your body moving around the car in these dangerous scenarios. It thus follows that manufacturers should do their best when it comes to making them, keeping in mind safety standards laid out by NHTSA. Should a seat belt fail, you may be able to file a lawsuit to recover money damages to pay for things like your medical bill, future surgeries, mental anguish and lost wages.
Here are some of the common seat belt defects we encounter as a law firm with our clients:
- Inertial unlatching – Due to the strong forces experienced in an accident, a poorly-designed or defective latch can cause the release button to come open, exposing car occupants to grave danger and serious injuries.
- Weakened webbing – The material that a seatbelt is made of should be able to withstand twisting and stretching during an accident. If it is poorly made, it will snap, leading to out-of-the-car ejections.
- False latching – A seat belt may give you the impression that it’s properly fastened but soon comes open due to a defect during an accident
- Retractor failure – The retractor is supposed to keep the seatbelt from fully unraveling in the event of an accident. Should it malfunction due to poor design, your seatbelt can get so much slack that you’ll be at risk of hitting the headboard or the steering wheel with your face and upper body.
- Improper geometric alignment – The seat belt is supposed to hit your body at a certain angle in order to offer maximum protection. Should it not do so, you are almost always going to sustain serious injuries in an accident.
Seat belt failure can result in the following types of injuries:
- Decapitation
- Whiplash
- Spinal cord injuries
- Concussions
- Lacerations
- Bone fractures
- Deep tissue injuries.
Liability for these kinds of accidents can be apportioned to a number of potential defendants. For example, you can sue the car manufacturer, the company that sold the car, the designers and other parties that failed to put out timely safety notices or issue recalls resulting in multiple seat belt failure incidents.
Get Legal Help Today!
If you’ve been injured in a seat belt failure car accident, you may be entitled to money damages. Please call The Law Office of Michael McCready today at 877-561-3004 so we can take a look at your case as soon as possible. The sooner you act, the faster you’ll be able to receive your compensation. Thanks for choosing us, and we look forward to hearing from you.