Seatbelt Injuries

A seat belt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a harness designed to secure the occupant of a car or other vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop. As part of an overall occupant restraint system, seat belts are intended to reduce injuries by stopping the wearer from hitting hard interior elements of the vehicle or other passengers and by preventing the wearer from being thrown from the vehicle.

Our firm has been extensively involved in representing clients who sustained injuries as a result of a defective seat belt or a defective restraining system. Our attorneys have reached a confidential award against General Motors Corporation for its negligence in placing a defective restraint system in a 1993 Saturn Coupe. The plaintiff, a 14-year old passenger, was injured when the 2 door sedan collided with a Chevy van. She suffered dramatic and irreversible neurological trauma which has rendered her mute, unable to swallow food so that she is fed via a PEG tube, extraordinary cognitive loss, loss of peripheral vision, photosensitivity, loss of fine motor control, isolation and loss of all expectation of a normal life and future.

In a more recent case, our attorneys secured a $825,000 settlement against Chrysler when two Navy sailors were injured by the rear seat lap belts in a navy van. The lawsuit against the auto manufacturer was based on the defendant's failure to have shoulder restraints available which would have prevented the injury. For a complete list of the firm's representative results, go to our Verdicts and Settlements section.