We all know that seat belts are considered a safety feature of a vehicle. And we also know that most states require that a seat belt be worn at all times or you face a stiff fine. But did you know that you may be entitled to compensation due to serious injury or death of a family member due to seat belt failure.

We find that seat belts that were manufactured poorly can cause more injury and damage than if someone was not wearing a seat belt at all. When auto makers use substandard material or when the same auto maker doesn’t install the seat belt correctly or builds a defective product, the seat belt can then malfunction. We trust that the manufacturer is doing all that it can do to ensure our safety while in our vehicle.

There are situations in which the seat belt trapped a person to their seat and we have also seen situations in which the seat belt did not work at all. It is possible to get trapped in your seat belt when the release is not working properly. When a car being submerged in water or when it’s been exposed to flammable liquids, we are already going to be panicked, so we need the release of the seat belt to work properly in order for us to get to safety.

There are other situations in which the seat belt releases too easily which could cause a person to be thrown from a vehicle during an accident. A seat belt may release easily due to inertial latching problems or a defect in the latching called false latching. These latching issues are rarely caused by wear and tear over time, but are most likely due to a defect while the car was being made.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a defective or improperly installed seat belt, please contact a professional personal injury lawyer as soon as possible; there may be a time period limitation that affects whether or not you can claim damages.