Defective Seat Belts in a Car Accident

If your seat belt failed to properly restrain you or a loved one in a Dallas-area car accident, our attorneys may be able to help.

We depend on our cars to work as they should at all times. Automobile manufacturers owe us a certain standard of care by making sure that the vehicles they manufacture have properly-functioning safety features in order to help protect passengers and drivers alike.

A seatbelt defect can compound the serious effects of a car accident, leading to catastrophic injuries and even wrongful death. If your injuries were made worse by a faulty seat belt, you likely have a product liability claim in addition to your claim against the at-fault driver.

Have you been injured in a car accident due to a malfunctioning seat belt? Call us today at (214) 651-6100 and let us explain your legal options moving forward, at NO cost to you.

Seat belt injury statistics.

It’s estimated that more than 40,000 individuals die every year when their seat belts don’t work as they should in an accident scenario. On top of that, 3 million people suffer injuries due to seatbelt malfunctions. These numbers are startling to say the least.

There are two collisions to every car accident. The first involves the collision with the other vehicle which causes massive damage to both cars. The second involves passengers in each car being violently jolted or hitting their bodies against the sides and interior of the car, causing bodily injuries.

Seat belts work to minimize the harm to the occupant. When they don’t work as intended, they can actually worsen the injuries a driver or passenger sustains.

Should your seat belt unlatch or fail, you may be ejected out of your seat and car or suffer contact trauma on different parts of your body as the car rolls over itself, especially prevalent in cases where vehicles are travelling at a fast speed.

Here are some of the most common types of seatbelt defects:

1. Material defects in the seat belt, causing tears and weak points.
2. Seat belts that only go over one’s lap and not torso and shoulder.
3. False latching; these seat belts may give one the impression of being safely latched in when in fact they spring open when tugged, pulled on, or shaken.
4. Inertial unlatching which involves a seat belt unlatching at the moment of impact in an accident or emergency braking scenario.

In accidents caused by defective seatbelts, you may have two claims should you decide to seek out legal help. The first one will involve filing a lawsuit against the other driver should it be determined that their actions or negligence caused the accident, and the second one will involve seeking compensation from the seatbelt or car manufacturer for creating a defective automobile.

While both types of claims are very different (and quite complex), our Dallas accident lawyers have decades of experience successfully resolving both types of claims for countless victims in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Explore your legal options.

If you were further injured due to a defective or malfunctioning seatbelt, we can help you recover money damages to go into repairing or replacing your car as well as paying for your medical bills, lost wages, and compensating you for pain and suffering.