Seatbelts are proven safety devices to protect motor vehicle drivers and passengers from serious injuries and death. The Federal government has determined that seatbelts saves almost 15,000 lives each year. Nonetheless, millions of vehicles in use have seatbelts that are defective. In many instances, manufacturers put profits over safety and fail to protect their customers. When a seatbelt is defective due to poor design or manufacturing defects, it will not properly restrain occupants in a vehicle. Some of the problems with seatbelts include:

Unlatching Due to Inertia

Where the force of the accident is extreme a seatbelt buckle comes unlatched. When this occurs, the occupant is left unrestrained and is at risk of injury and ejection from the vehicle. While unlatching due to force can happen in any type of accident, it most frequently occurs in vehicle rollovers.

Missing Shoulder Belts

Vehicles should be equipped with lap and shoulder belts in all seats. Where a rear or middle seat does not have a shoulder belt, there is a greater potential for serious and even fatal, injuries.

Defective Belt Retractors

Retractors for lap or shoulder belts must function properly so there is not too much slack in the lap or shoulder belt. Where there is even a few inches of slack, that can make the difference between walking away from an accident unharmed and sustaining serious injury or death.

Webbing that is Torn or Ripped

Another cause of serious injury is a defect in the seatbelt webbing. The webbing can tear due to a manufacturing defect or by contacting a sharp object during an accident.

Where a seatbelt is defective it may involve strict liability laws. In those cases, the injured person may not need to prove that the manufacturer was negligent. Instead, to receive compensation the victim must show the defective seatbelt caused harm and was “unreasonably dangerous.”

Legal Help for Victims of Defective Seatbelts in New York City

If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in an accident that involved a defective seatbelt, Finz & Finz, P.C., can determine if you have a legal case against those responsible. Contact Finz & Finz, P.C., now toll free at (855) TOP FIRM to speak with an experienced defective seatbelt accident lawyer or fill out the Free Defective Seat Belt Injury Case Evaluation form.