Seat Belt Failures

Seat Belt Injury Claims

When seatbelts and airbags work properly they can be the most important safety features in a vehicle. If seatbelts and airbags are poorly designed or defective, they may fail to protect the wearers and cause serious injury or death. Attorneys at Evans & Kuhlman have successfully handled seat belt injury claims against several motor vehicle manufacturers. If a member of your family has suffered an airbag or seatbelt injury and you would like to discuss an automotive product liability claim with a member of the firm, please contact our Kansas City, Missouri, law offices to make arrangements for a free consultation and case review. We welcome attorney referrals and provide nationwide representation for seat belt injury claims.

Seatbelts and airbags are commonly referred to as the "Restraint System" in a vehicle. Seatbelt systems include two-point (lap belts), three-point (lap/shoulder belts), door mounted, automatic, and seat integrated belts. Airbag systems differ in almost every vehicle. Airbags can be "smart" bags, single or dual threshold, tethered or untethered. There are numerous airbag sensor designs and locations in the market. If an occupant of a motor vehicle is using the available restraint system according to instructions and is still seriously injured in a car accident the seat belt or airbag may be to blame and must be investigated fully.

We have handled cases where:

  • A five-year old child was paralyzed in the lap belt of a Cadillac Seville.
  • A sixteen-year-old passenger was ejected from a Ford Escort in a vehicle rollover.
  • Passengers in a Chrysler and a Ford suffered severe abdominal and spinal injuries from a lap belt where no shoulder straps were provided.
  • The seat belt unlatched and the driver was ejected from a Ford Explorer, resulting in paraplegia.

Automatic belts have failed, buckles have come unlatched, airbags failed to deploy and airbags deployed when they should not. These are difficult cases to handle. Our lawyers have for over ten years focused on motor vehicle equipment defect claims, offer an exceptional level of expertise in the area, and are supported by our firm's network of accident investigation experts. If you would like to discuss a possible restraint system failure claim please contact our Kansas City, Missouri, office and make arrangements for a consultation.

Seat belts and airbags: settlements and verdicts