We are required by law to wear our seat belts, but defective seat belts can cause severe injuries. A malfunctioning seat belt can even cause fatal injuries in an accident where the victim could have walked away. When a seat belt fails it can give investigators the impression that the accident victim was not wearing a seat belt at all. If you have been injured by a defective seat belt, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
Seat Belt Slack
Just a little bit of slack in your seat belt can have worse consequences than wearing no seat belt at all. When you are only held loosely in place, your body gains momentum before the seat belt takes effect, and when it does it snaps you back. This can cause:
- Brian injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
Seat belts have a retractor inside which is supposed to take up the slack automatically and keep the seat belt snug. Retractor failure is a common seat belt malfunction.
Unintentional Unlatching
Some seat belt models can come unlatched seemingly all on their own. This is usually due to a design defect. Some seat belt latches with protruding buttons unlatched with just the slightest bump to the button. Others with the latch on the front of the buckle can release if there is an impact to the buckle itself.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident and you believe that a defective seat belt was involved, please call our Los Angeles, California accident injury attorneys or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation with our personal injury lawyers is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, in most cases we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.