Seat belts are the single most effective way to prevent fatalities in car accidents. It’s estimated that from 1975 to 2017, seatbelts prevented 374,276 fatalities [1]. Unfortunately, though, when a seat belt fails, it can seriously injure a driver or passenger.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a seat belt defect or failure, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is here to help. Our experienced seat belt injury attorneys understand the complexities of product liability cases and are committed to holding manufacturers accountable for defective or faulty seat belts.
Types of Seat Belt Defect Injuries
Seatbelt-related injuries are often associated with the sudden and forceful compression of the body during car accidents. This locking mechanism is meant to restrain occupants, but should the seatbelt you’re wearing be defective, it can cause serious injuries.
Common injuries include the following:
- Head injuries
- Internal injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Bruises and contusions
- Liver damage
- Paralysis
- Broken bones
- Aneurysm
- Ruptured spleen
- Death
Causes of Seat Belt Injuries
Seatbelt injuries are typically the result of the immense force of a car crash. During a car accident, the seat belt transfers these forces from the restraint to the driver or passenger, which can result in severe injuries during a high-speed crash.
Causes include the following:
- Defective Design – Quality seat belts have both a lap belt and shoulder belt in a three-point restraint system. This distributes the pressure evenly and reduces the risk of harm. However, some vehicles have belts attached to the door of the car, which does not allow adequate restraint. These may be too loose or too tight for some individuals, resulting in severe injuries during car accidents. If the manufacturer installed only a shoulder belt or lap belt, this can lead to seat belt failures that result in death.
- Retractor Failure – The retractor spools up the seat belt when you unlatch it. This piece tightens when you pull the seat belt out and then unwinds when you replace the belt. During auto accidents, the retractor uses a locking mechanism to hold the passenger in place. When the retractor fails, the user may be thrown into the windshield or steering wheel, resulting in potentially fatal injuries.
- Pretensioner Failure – Similar to a retractor, the pretensioner tightens the seat belt slack during an accident to hold the passenger. When the pretensioner fails, this results in a loose-fitting seat belt that cannot protect the user, leading to severe injury.
- Faulty Anchors – Anchors hold car seats in place. Lower anchors are hidden in the seat cushion, and tether anchors are on top of the seat. Defective seat belts may have improperly installed anchors that come loose during a crash, resulting in serious injury to a child in a car seat.
- Buckle Failure – In some instances, seat belts fail during an accident because they come unlatched, a process called inertial latching. They may also falsely latch, giving the user a false sense of security.
- Defective Webbing – Seat belts are made from a special type of webbing that is sturdier than other materials. Defective seatbelts with inadequate webbing can snap or fray during a vehicle accident, causing the occupant to be severely injured.
- Improper Seat Belt Usage – Passenger safety is an active process: vehicle occupants must ensure they have properly latched the seatbelt and are wearing it properly. This includes ensuring the lap belt is snug against their waist, and the shoulder belt goes diagonally across their chest.
Why You Need a Seat Belt Injury Attorney
Seat belt failure attorneys from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers will guide you through every aspect of seeking compensation, exploring all options for financial recovery, and protecting your legal rights. This includes the following.
- Investigation – We will explore every nuance of your seat belt injuries to understand how the seat belt failure occurred and who may be responsible.
- Injury Evaluation – Only a qualified attorney can assess how much your injuries may be worth. Our car accident attorneys will identify how much you may be eligible for and fight for the most compensation possible.
- Gathering Evidence – Your lawyer from our team will find all available evidence related to your seatbelt injuries, including police reports, medical records, vehicle repair logs, surveillance footage, and accident scene evidence.
- Expert Consultation – Our extensive network of fellow professionals will provide expert testimony confirming you suffered injuries as a result of a seat belt defect.
- Negotiation – Your seat belt defect lawyer from our team will use their negotiation experience to push for the best possible settlement from the liable party, whether that is a vehicle manufacturer, driver, or other party.
- Trial Representation – If negotiations fail, we will provide you with legal representation in a court of law, presenting our evidence to the court showing you are eligible for compensation.
Liability for Injuries Caused by Seat Belts
A defective seat belt injury may be caused by the negligence of one or more parties, including the following.
Product Manufacturers
Seat belt failure statistics demonstrate that defective seat belts are a far more common problem than the average consumer realizes. In March 2023, more than 21,000 Nissan vehicles were recalled due to seat belt defects [2].
Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring these critical safety measures function properly before selling any vehicle to the public.
When seatbelts fail and manufacturers don’t respond, we will hold them accountable.
Employers
Employers must ensure the safety of any vehicle their employees use, including rectifying any issues with seat belts. If they don’t check for defective seatbelts, they put their employees at risk and can be held responsible.
Depending on the specific circumstances, those who suffer seatbelt injuries in a corporate vehicle can pursue either workers’ compensation or a lawsuit. Our firm will help guide you through this decision.
Rideshare Drivers
Rideshare drivers are liable for their passengers, which includes preventing harm through seat belt defects. When a defective seat belt harms a rideshare user, such as if the latch is broken and the driver has not rectified this, we can make a claim against them.
Drivers of Other Vehicles
If you suffered injuries during a collision due to the force of the crash, you may be eligible for a settlement from the other driver. These severe injuries should also be accounted for in a car accident claim.
Auto product liability lawsuit settlement involving a seat belt failure. Our lawyers demonstrated that the manufacturer was negligent in the design of the seat belt mechanism that failed to hold during a rear-end collision.
How a Defective Seat Belt Attorney Proves Your Claim
Negligence is the basis for a seat belt defect lawsuit, and this includes four elements. These are:
- Duty of Care – The liable party has a responsibility to prevent harm to other people. This can include a manufacturer reducing the risk of seat belt accidents by performing quality testing or another motorist preventing car accidents that could lead to seat belt injuries.
- Breach of Duty – The responsible party failed to uphold their duty to you, whether by causing accidents or not checking safety gear before starting a rideshare drive.
- Causation – This breach of duty was the primary or sole cause of your injuries from defective seat belts.
- Damages – You suffered losses because of your seatbelt-related injuries, like time off work.
Damages Awarded in Cases Involving Seat Belt Defects
There are two main types of damages you can receive for seat belt defects: economic and non-economic. Punitive damages are a rarer type of damage awarded by a court, and they may not always apply.
Economic
Economic damages compensate you for direct financial losses as a result of seatbelt injuries, such as:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning potential
- Out-of-pocket medical expenses like physical therapy
- Property damage
- Funeral expenses for wrongful death
Non-Economic
Non-economic damages reflect the non-financial impacts of the accident on your lifestyle and overall well-being, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
- Grief
The Cost of Hiring a Seat Belt Failure Attorney
Our law firm represents seatbelt injury victims on a contingency fee basis, meaning we deduct our legal fees from your settlement. We don’t get paid unless we win your case, and you will not have to pay any upfront costs. This ensures everyone can access high-quality legal advice and recover in comfort.
You Have a Limited Time to File a Seat Belt Injury Claim
The statute of limitations for seatbelt lawsuits varies by jurisdiction, as well as what type of claim you are pursuing. In some places, personal injury and product liability have the same statute of limitations, while in others, the product liability statute may be different.
In general, the statute of limitations for these types of claims is between 1 and 5 years; most places have a statute of 2 to 3 years. We will advise you on how long you have to file a claim based on your jurisdiction and the type of case you are pursuing.
Because the statutes vary and the negotiation process may take months, it’s always best to contact our firm for a free case evaluation as soon as possible after an accident.
Contact Our Seat Belt Injury Lawyers Today!
If you’ve suffered injuries due to a defective or malfunctioning seat belt, don’t wait to seek legal help. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are ready to fight for your rights and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. We understand the challenges of product liability cases and are dedicated to holding negligent manufacturers accountable.
Call our law firm at (888) 424-5757 or fill out our online form.
Resources: [1] National Safety Council, [2] Quartz