Seat Belt Accident Injury

Occasionally, when one is involved in an automobile accident, one may sustain an injury due to the seat belt.  This injury could be due to a defective seat belt or seat belt whiplash.  In either instance, the personal injury sustained could be compensable as part of a personal injury case.

Defective Seat Belts and Liability

Pursuant to federal law, car manufacturers must provide seat belts in all passenger vehicles.  These seat belts must function properly and failure to do so may result in liability if one is injured.  There are several ways a seatbelt may be defective and cause seat belt accidents.  Initially, a seatbelt may have a design defect. A design defect means that the overall design of the seatbelt does not effectively operate to keep the passenger safe when in an accident.  Next, a seatbelt may be made of inferior materials which fail to work when the seatbelt is involved in an accident.  For example, the seatbelt may rip, tear or break.  In addition, a seatbelt may have a spooling defect which causes the belt to fail to lock in during an accident.  All of these seat belt defects can form the basis of a lawsuit in the event that an individual incurs a personal injury as a result.

Seat Belt Whiplash

A seat belt injury may also be due to seat belt whiplash.  Seat belt whiplash occurs where the seat belt causes trauma to the body when it locks in during impact of a car accident.  This type of whiplash can cause muscle damage, organ injury, internal bleeding and other medical problems.  Symptoms include pain, tenderness, swelling, nausea, and a full range of others, depending upon the severity of the seat belt injuries.  When the injury is severe, seat belt whiplash can result in seat belt deaths.

Attorney Help for Injuries

If one has sustained a seat belt injury during an automobile accident, one should consider retaining the services of an experienced personal injury attorney.  An experienced attorney can evaluate one’s case and determine whether one has any legal options.  If so, the attorney can assist in selecting the most appropriate course of action in the matter.  In addition, the attorney can help in navigating one through the legal process and resolve any issues one may have.