Seat Belt Defects

The personal injury attorneys at the South Florida law firm of Murray Guari Trial Attorneys have been achieving exceptional results for victims of seat belt defects and malfunctions throughout the United States for more than 20 years. They are well versed at auto accident cases involving seat belt failure / defective safety belts.

There are several different types of seat belts in motor vehicles and they vary in their level of protection. The most common seat belts are lap belts, sash or shoulder belts, automatic seat belts, three-point belts, belt-in-seat (BIS), five-point harnesses, and six-point harnesses.

There is no doubt that seat belts save numerous lives by restraining individuals in their seat upon impact, but seat belt defects can cause serious injury or death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that more than 2.9 million people suffered seat belt injuries and 43,000 people died as a result of seat belt injuries.

The most common types of restraint system defects resulting in injury include:

• Shoulder Only Belts
• Lap Only Seat Belts
• Shoulder Belt Retractors that fail to hold under load
• Shoulder Belts that allow too much slack (the window shade effect)
• Seat Belt Buckles unlatching during rollovers or collisions (inertial unlatching)
• False Latching where user believe seat belt is buckled or latched adequately
• Automatic or Door Mounted Seat Belts

Seat belt failures are also the result of manufacturing and assembly errors and defects, faulty materials, and defective designs, or belts with do not exhibit instruction or warning labels.

A car crash or traffic accident, where a person using a defective seat belt can cause serious injuries, including head and neck injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, chest injuries ,internal organ damage, fractures, bruising and even death.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of a motor vehicle accident that possibly involves seat belt failure or malfunction and would like to learn more about your legal rights, please call our Auto Defects and Seat Belt Failure Lawyers or contact us here.