Los Angeles Seatbelt Injury Attorney

Seatbelt Malfunction

When it works properly, a seatbelt may safe a person's life in the event of a car accident. Unfortunately, seatbelts do not always work as they should. If you or someone you know was injured by a defective seatbelt in a Los Angeles car accident, contact a car accident lawyer at Pacific Attorney Group for a free consultation regarding your case. You may have grounds for a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the seatbelt, or another party who is responsible for your injuries.

Types of Seatbelt Malfunctions

A seatbelt may malfunction in different ways. Depending on the particular accident and how the seatbelt responds, a driver or passenger may suffer serious injury even when wearing a seatbelt as required by law. Following are examples of how a seatbelt may malfunction:

Release - if a seatbelt becomes unfastened or breaks in a collision, it will not serve its purpose. In a high-speed accident or vehicle rollover, a seatbelt that releases when it should hold may cause a driver to be ejected from the vehicle, resulting in extremely serious injuries.

Failure to release - at times, a seatbelt will not unclasp. This is particularly dangerous if a vehicle becomes immersed in water or in the case of a fire or explosion after a collision, as the occupant will not be able to exit the vehicle.

Design defects - a design defect may mean that a seatbelt lies in the improper place on a passenger's body, and this may cause serious injury to internal organs.

Manufacturing defects - a seatbelt with a manufacturing defect may malfunction in an accident, either by releasing or failing to release, or breaking.

For a free case evaluation, contact a Los Angeles seatbelt injury attorney at our offices today.