Defective Seatbelts

McAllen Vehicle Defect Lawsuits

For years, there has been a public relations campaign in the McAllen of McAllen and across the state of Texas advocating the wearing of seatbelts in motor vehicles. You may not realize until it is too late that seatbelts may not actually keep you safe in motor vehicle accident. If you or a loved one has been injured in an McAllen accident do to seatbelt failure, you may be entitled to compensation from the seatbelt manufacturer or the automaker that installed the seatbelt (and sometimes both). Seat belts are often manufactured inexpensively or installed incorrectly and have the risk of unlatching in an accident. The unnecessary injuries caused by seatbelt failure can be severe and even fatal.

Even though major automakers and seatbelt manufactures have known of the risks of seatbelt failure due to flawed design or faulty installation, they often continue to produce an inadequate seatbelt. The only way to hold them accountable is to file a vehicle defect lawsuit against them when one of their faulty seatbelts causes an injury or death.

For example, between 2002 and 2004, seatbelt manufacturer a prominent seat belt manufacturer produced and sold defective seatbelt buckles for use in school buses and heavy trucks. These H2 buckles internally malfunctioned with a failure to latch. The individuals wearing the seatbelt are unaware that the buckle is not latched and are susceptible to ejection.

The manufacturer addressed the malfunction and redesigned the H2 buckles. Unfortunately, there was never a recall of the prior defective seatbelt buckles. Consequently, thousands of heavy truck drivers are in danger of death or severe injury if their older H2 buckle fails in an accident. If the driver is likely ejected, an investigating officer will assume that the driver was not wearing their seatbelt.

This scenario has also played out in passenger cars, SUV’s, and vans. In such accidents, the police report may contain faulty information assuming the victim of the accident did not have their seat belt fastened. It takes an experienced lawyer to investigate and uncover the facts.