Seat Belt Malfunction Injuries

cartwrightlaw - March 7, 2022 -

Injuries Due to Seat Belt Malfunctions

Seat belts are meant to keep us safe, but they can be defective, malfunction, and result in additional injuries. If you suffered injuries from a seat belt malfunction, speak with a personal injury law firm as soon as possible.

Report on Seat Belt Defects

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently reported seat belts tearing apart during two frontal crash tests of a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. Further, Mercedes-Benz recalled 29,679 vehicles of their 2018-2019 models because of an error with the seatbelts when latched.

One of the largest recalls in history (over 8 million vehicles—12 different makes) was when it was discovered that seatbelts made by a company called Takata were faulty. The Takata seat belts failed to latch, would latch and release without warning, and would come unlatched during collisions. At the time, almost all Japanese-manufactured cars had Takata seat belts in them.

Defects on Seat Belts

Some ways that seat belts might be defective include:

They stay connected even though they aren’t fully clicked in
They don’t have a shoulder strap (lap only)
They are mounted to the door
Their retractors malfunction
They come unclicked for no reason
The seat design and belt design are not harmonious
The belt material frays easily or is ripped

Statistics on Seat Belt Malfunction

The (NHTSA) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that roughly three million passengers are injured annually because of seatbelt malfunctions. While wearing seat belts is much safer than not, 40,000 passengers die every year because of seat belt failures. Researchers confirm that seat belts malfunctioning in rollover accidents is a top cause of injury.

Injuries from Seat Belt Failure

If your seat belt does fail, these are some of the common injuries you might sustain:

Internal injuries (intestines, abdominal wall)
Head bruising from impacting the dash or steering wheel
Whiplash (intense, ongoing neck pain and headaches)
Soft tissue damage to the stomach
Broken ribs (bruised as well)
Chest and sternum bruising and lacerations
Damaged shoulder tendons and muscles

Seat Belt Syndrome

Seat Belt Syndrome is a term used by the medical community to describe a common group of injuries associated with seat belt impact during a car accident. While Seat Belt Syndrome can certainly include having 2 or 3 of the injuries listed above at the same time, it can also manifest as delayed on-set peritonitis.

The crash survivor, even after a CT scan, observation, and no physical complaints of pain, can develop peritonitis one to three days after the accident because of seat belt impact.

Peritonitis is a serious, even deadly, condition in which the stomach tissue becomes inflamed. Symptoms include:

Vomiting; nausea
Fever
Difficulty breathing
Shock
Thirst; cottonmouth
Low blood pressure
Intense tummy pain that worsens with movement or activity
Fluid build-up in the stomach
Urinating in smaller quantities than usual
Unable to defecate or flatulate
Swollen, puffy stomach (can be tender to the touch)

Call a San Francisco Seat Belt Malfunction Attorney

If you’ve been in an accident in which your seatbelt did not perform as it should, please don’t hesitate to contact the Cartwright Law Firm today. Set up a free consultation so we can evaluate your case and advise you of your legal rights and options. Call: (415) 851-6486