Madison Car Accident Lawyer

Seatbelt Problems

Seatbelts are one of the most important safety features of a car. When they work correctly, which most of the time they do, they can lessen the severity of injuries or even prevent them from occurring. When a seatbelt doesn’t function as it should, or there is a design flaw that makes it more likely to release, there is the potential for serious problems and injuries to the occupants of a car in the event of a crash.

Inertial unlatching is a situation that occurs when the seatbelt becomes unlatched during a collision which then allows the individuals that were properly belted down to move through the car and become injured. Recent testing has demonstrated how accident-level forces can cause the button to depress and to release the latch plate.

This defect is common in cars that have a seatbelt release on the front of the buckle. In frontal collisions, rollovers, and side impact collisions, the seatbelt can be dislodged when it hits part of the seat structure or the human body. Manufacturers are reluctant to admit that this situation can occur; however, in Malone v General Motors, crash test videos, which were conducted by the manufacturer, were introduced as evidence. These videos showed that the problem of inertial unlatching existed.

Another problem which happens to be exclusive to Daimler-Chrysler involves the Generation 3 Seatbelt Buckle Defect. Gen3 Seatbelts are found in roughly 14 million Chrysler vehicles with model years of 1993 to 2002. In these seatbelts, the release button is raised above the seatbelt cover. This makes it prone to accidental release during crashes.

The seatbelt can inadvertently release in a crash due to contact from an elbow, object, car seat, child carrier, or anything else that is likely to be moving around in a car during a crash. This increases the chances of an injury accident. Most seatbelts have a release that is flush with the outside cover. When the seatbelt release is level with the cover, it is protected from accidental release or inadvertent depression during a collision.

If you have been injured in a car accident due to a faulty seatbelt, contact the Madison defective seatbelt lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier, S.C. at 1-800-822-1690 to discuss your case and to schedule an initial consultation.