Car Accidents and Defective Seat Belts

Seat belt laws have saved a number of lives here in Chicago and across the nation, but with the increased use of seat belts has come a new problem: seat belt defects. These days, seat belt defects can take any number of forms due to the wide variety of latches, mechanisms and materials used in different makes and models of car. Seat belt defects can cause terrible injuries in several kinds of car accidents, for any number of passengers.

Failure To Hold

The most common type of defective seat belt is without question when seat belts unlatch. Any number of design defects can lead to unlatching, but two in particular have been highlighted by analysis and precedent: GEN 3 unlatching and inertial unlatching. GEN 3 unlatching involves any seat belt manufactured under the GEN 3 design, which is characterized by a vertically mounted release button. In an auto accident, this button may be accident depressed by an elbow, arm or debris, especially in rollover cases, opening the belt and leaving the victim unprotected in a crash.

Inertial Unlatching

Inertial unlatching occurs when a front-mounted release button unlatches on its own by colliding with another object. Just as any object in motion will tend to stay in motion until stopped, a seat belt button slammed from behind will naturally "press in" from the front, releasing entirely and leaving a driver or passenger free to fly about the interior of the car. Both seat belt defects can lead to major brain injury, spinal injury, broken bones, paralysis, amputation and death.

Get Help for Defective Seat Belts

Seat belts can fail in any number of additional ways, including failing to lock in an accident and failing to restrain a driver if the belt is door-mounted. If you have suffered an injury due to a defective seat belt and want to recover the damages you deserve for your pain, suffering, injuries and loss of income, we can help. Please don't hesitate to contact the defective seat belt experts of Klest Injury Law Firm anytime through our contact form or by phone during business hours at (847) 380-3309. We don't take a dime unless we win you money.

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