Riverside Car Accident Attorneys Talk About Defective Seat Belts

One of the most complex and difficult cases that Riverside car accident attorneys have to deal with is in the case of a defective seat belt. When we step inside our cars and buckle up we expect the seatbelt to give us full protection in the event of an impact or collision, but the bottom line is that a defective seat belt can in some ways be more dangerous than not wearing a seat belt at all!

The reason for this is that when someone is not wearing a seat belt, then rightly or wrongly that's their choice. However, when a person knowingly puts on a seat belt they feel safe in the knowledge that it is going to afford at least some degree of protection. It is this hidden danger that makes it particularly hazardous.

In many cases when accidents occur with defective seat belts, the wearer is thrown through the windscreen. When the police arrive on the scene it may well look to all intent and purpose that the victim wasn't wearing their seatbelt, and as a result the victim themselves or the victim's family will end up receiving a fraction of the potential payout which will be settled by the insurance company. Whereas if skilled Riverside car accident attorneys were to pick up the case and file a compensation claim against the seat belt manufacturer, then a successful claim could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions, depending upon the severity of the accident.

It may be possible, but not always, to test to see if your seat belt is faulty. One of the ways of doing this is to do a pressure test. Try pulling on the clip of your seat belt when it is locked into the buckle. If it comes apart with around 5lbs of pressure, then it is most certainly defective. The other way is to closely examine the webbing of your seat belt. Often seatbelts become defective because of a design flaw in the material. Keep your eyes peeled for slight wears and tears on the webbing itself.

If you believe that you have a defective seatbelt then what should you do?

The first thing that you should do is to call an attorney. Here in Riverside County we have experienced Riverside car accident attorneys who can help. After speaking with you through a free consultation, the lawyer's first port of call would be to send an expert over who can examine the seat belt and run a series of tests to see if they agree with your findings. If they do then your attorney can start to build a case. It may well be that the blame lies with the seatbelt manufacturer, or alternatively it may lie squarely with the car manufacturer. It is down to your lawyer to seek the defendant to file a claim against.

More often than not the lawyer will be dealing with large multinational companies who will have their own attorneys on the payroll. It is therefore necessary for your Riverside car accident attorneys to have the financial backing behind them to fight your corner. Large corporations simply do not settle out of court and lesser law firms who don't have that financial backing will not be able to fund a lengthy court battle. This means that chances are you will end up with nothing.

Defective seat belts are a problem and just recently Chevrolet and Toyota have had high profile cases cited against them for supplying defective seat belts. It seems like this issue isn't going to go away.

Clearly the simple fact of being involved in an accident itself is a traumatic enough experience, but the thought of not being able to rely on your seat belt to protect you is even worse. If you or a family member have been involved in an accident where you believe that your seatbelt was indeed defective, then by calling experienced Riverside car accident attorneys who are well versed in dealing with such issues, it can really make a difference. They will fight your corner every step of the way and will do everything within their power to deliver you the full and fair compensation that you truly deserve.