Seat Belts

Seat Belt Latch Releases During Accident

There is an alleged flaw in the design of several seat belt and shoulder harness latches. This flaw makes the latches subject to a phenomonon called "inertia unlatching" in which the latch spontaneously releases when subjected to sudden acceleration such as during a rollover or other accident. There is also a design feature of some shoulder harness retractors that allegedly allows excessive slack to develop in the shoulder harness which can result in serious injury or even death.

The violent forces exerted on the contents of a car during an accident can cause objects and people to flail about quite violently. Some automotive seat belt latches have one or more alleged design flaws which can cause the latch to release during a particularly violent accident. When this happens, the occupant is no longer held snuggly in his seat, but allowed to fly around inside the passenger compartment possibly causing injury to himself and other occupants. He may even be ejected from the car altogether.

At least one major auto manufacturer has issued a massive recall campaign to replace defective or poorly designed belts, and others are being pressured to do the same.

Possible Seat Belt Lawsuit

If you or a member of your family has been injured in a motor vehicle accident in which the seat belt or shoulder harness latch opened, you may be entitled to compensation. If you feel that you might qualify for damages or remedies that might be awarded in a possible seat belt lawsuit, please click the link below to submit your complaint.