Every time you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you know on some level that you’re taking a risk. Auto accidents are an unfortunate reality of life. The most careful and vigilant drivers must share the road with drivers who are either downright reckless or who compromise the safety of their fellow drivers by committing acts of negligence while operating their vehicles. Tragically, innocent people are injured every day in auto accidents that are not their faults.
What you probably don’t expect, and shouldn’t have to expect, when you get behind the wheel of a vehicle is that the safety features that are supposed to protect you in the event of a crash might not work properly when called upon to do so – or, even worse, might actively harm you. When you strap on your seatbelt, you do so with the expectation that it will perform as expected if you are involved in a collision of some sort. After all, an automotive manufacturer wouldn’t possibly allow their vehicles to be purchased by the public with defective seatbelts – would they?
Sadly, they would.
Over the past decade, Chevrolet, Nissan, Mercedes, and Jeep are just a few of the major auto manufacturers that have issued recalls due to defective seatbelts. In many cases, these recalls occurred only after accident victims learned of the seatbelt defects in the hardest way possible.
When it comes to handling claims involving auto accidents and defective seatbelts, Daytona Beach, FL personal injury attorney Joe Horrox has the resources, skills, and knowledge to present the strongest cases possible on behalf of his clients. If you or a member of your family was injured in an auto accident due to a defective seatbelt, or if you lost a family member in such an accident, Joe Horrox can help you obtain the full measure of compensation to which you are entitled.
What Are the Most Common Seatbelt Defects
The most common seatbelt defects include:
- Faulty locking mechanism: Seatbelts are designed to lock after drivers experience the initial impact of a collision. This helps to protect drivers from a secondary impact with the internal structures of the car, such as the windshield, the steering wheel, or the dashboard. If there are signs that a driver was injured by a secondary impact, and the seatbelt is discovered clipped, but loose or undamaged in any way, it is likely that it failed to lock as expected.
- Faulty clipping mechanism: During the investigation of an accident, it can usually be determined when a driver was wearing a seatbelt that came unclipped at the moment of collision, thereby failing to provide any protection whatsoever.
- Weak fabric: The fabric of a seatbelt is supposed to be strong enough to withstand the force of an adult body being flung against it at a high rate of velocity. If it becomes torn at the point of a collision, the seatbelt provides no protection.
Learn More about Auto Accidents and Defective Seatbelts
To arrange for an evaluation of your auto accident case involving defective seatbelts, please contact Joe Horrox Law today.