Faulty Seatbelts in Tennessee
Seatbelts save lives and prevent injuries, and we expect that manufacturers use the utmost care to ensure that they are designed well and free of any defects that could jeopardize our safety. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
It is safe to assume that most believe that there is little variation in seatbelt design and safety. However, studies show that all seatbelts don’t carry the same level of protection. They come in as many variations as there are automobile manufacturers. While each manufacturer of a seatbelt must meet minimum federal requirements, they are sometimes found to contain serious manufacturing and design defects that give rise to products liability in Tennessee.
Did you know that seatbelt buckles can be defectively designed? Almost every year, a seatbelt buckle is shown to unbuckle during a car wreck. Other defective designs involve the seatbelt button being unreasonably exposed allowing the passenger or driver to inadvertently unbuckle himself or herself without knowledge of doing so. Other belts will fool you into believing that a safety belt is latched when in fact it is not.
Other times, a defect will occur in the manufacturing process. When an injury occurs as a result of a manufacturing defect in a safety belt, the manufacturer is likely responsible upon information that the defect was present in the seatbelt at the time that it left the manufacturer’s control.
If you or a loved one has been in a car wreck and sustained an injury or additional injuries as a result of a defective seatbelt, you should consult an experienced Tennessee products liability attorney at Baker Associates to learn more about your rights under the law. Call us today at 866-853-2888.
