Seatbelts
If designed, installed and used properly, seat belts save lives. The primary reason seat belts save lives has to do with the physics of mechanical forces produced during an automobile accident. However, seat belts, if not designed, installed and used properly, can cause serious injuries in a motor vehicle collision.
Millions of motor vehicles on the road today have defective restraint systems and seat belts. The auto manufacturers have been aware of these defects for decades but have done nothing to warn the public or change the design of their seat belts to make them safer.
Some examples of defective seat belts include:
- Inertial Unlatching & False Latching Seat Belts - Seat belts that unlatch during a collision
- Defective Automatic Shoulder Belts - Causing neck injuries and decapitation
- Malfunctioning Retractor - Seat belts that don't lock during a collision
- Door Mounted Seat Belts – Seat belts mounted to the door instead of the automobile frame
- Lap Belts – Seat Belts with no shoulder harness
Seatbelt laws are in place in most states in hopes of preventing injury if a person is in a car accident. Many times, the failure to wear a seatbelt is seen as the cause or a contributing factor toward injury in a car accident, but this is not always the case. It is important to get expert help to prove that many injuries would have occurred whether a seatbelt was used or not. Insurance companies and defense lawyers will try to convince the court that your injuries were the result of not wearing your seatbelt. In some circumstances, however, the injuries you sustained could have been as bad or even worse if you had been belted.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or death because of a defective seatbelt or other accident-related cause, call VanDerGinst Law at 1-866-843-7367 or click here for a FREE online case evaluation. The initial consultation is free of charge. If we agree to handle your injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you. In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. So please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.
