Automatic Seat Belt Injuries and Deaths - Door Mounted Seat Belt Lawsuit Talk to a Lawyer

In the 1950’s the auto industry tested airbags and found them superior to automatic belts of that period as a result of their inferior performance; automatic belts were not seriously pursued until the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) took steps in 1969 to require airbags to all motor vehicles. The industry immediately switched gears and argued against airbags. This switch contradicted market studies by the manufacturers that showed consumers preferred airbags to automatic belts. Automatic belts were a cheaper form of passive restraints rather than an airbag.

The first to sell automatic seat belts was Volkswagen, with the 1975 VW Rabbit, which had a door-mounted automatic shoulder belt (BUT NO LAP BELT). Immediately the injuries began. Upon front impact, the occupant’s torso slipped under belt, but the head and necks catches on the shoulder belt, essentially “clothesline” the occupant, causing broken necks, spinal cord injuries and death. Unfortunately, some automakers, including Hyundai, continued to equip vehicles with shoulder only belts up through 1989 with the Hyundai Excel. Later many automakers included a manual lap belt with the automatic shoulder belt. The problem with this “improvement” was most consumers forgot to wear the manual lap belt and while some didn’t even know there vehicles had them. The injuries to the occupants continued, as more and more of the automatic shoulder belts with no lap belts, began to appear in many of the late 1970’s and into the 1990’s. As the DOT pushed forward with the passive restraint rules, the automakers concentrated on developing automatic belts that were easier to use but were less protective and less expensive than air bags.

As automatic belts came into use, their defects and failures became apparent. Automatic shoulder belts with separate manual lap belts had very low lap belt use rates because the automatic feature of the shoulder belt engaging lulled occupants into forgetting to buckle their lap belts. The more cumbersome door-mounted belts were often detached by the users rendering them ineffective. The shoulder-strap-only belts often caused serious neck injuries and even decapitated occupants; and door mounted belts completely failed to protect when doors opened in crashes, as they do 10% of the time. The failures of automatic belts are showing up in a growing number of personal injury lawsuits that will soon grow into a flood. Congress finally killed automatic belts. In an amendment to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. Congress required all new cars to have full-front seat airbags by September 1, 1997, with light trucks and vans having them by September 1, 1998.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or a loved one killed as a result of a automatic shoulder belt or a door mounted belt with or without a manual lap belt, or if you have been injured as a result of an ejection when the door opened during the collision, then you may have a right to file a products liability case against the manufacturers of these dangerous seatbelts and automobiles. The Willis Law Firm is very familiar with this problem and has previously battled with many of the auto and seat belt manufacturers concerning these defective seat belts and other design issues. Talk to a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Call Toll Free 1-800-883-9858 or fill out this Free Seat Belt Lawsuit Evaluation Form

PLEASE NOTE: The statements and information provided on this web site are for the informational purposes only. This law firm is not affiliated in any way with any trademark owner. The use of any trademarks on this site is for product identification and information purposes only. This webpage is provided to you to assist in information about seat belt injuries, seatbelt deaths, seat belt defects, rear seat or center seat lap only belt injury, lawsuits, seat belt buckle failure, buckle opening, NHTSA recall, torn webbing, seat belt recalls, seatbelt retractors, plastic buckle housing defects, problems with the tall end release buttons on the Generation 3 or Gen 3 seat belt buckle button on some Chrysler vehicles, lap belt injury, excessive slack in belt webbing, automatic belt injuries,and other seat belt defects and failures.This site is not intended to provide legal advice to the reader and NO attorney-client relationship shall be deemed to arise from the receipt this page and/or its associated pages or any oral or e-mail communication to or from with the Willis Law Firm. There will be NO lawsuits filed, claims made, letters or phone calls made for a prospective client, until that person is represented by the firm. An attorney client relationship only arises after the attorney and client have signed a written attorney client contract.

Mr. Willis is licensed attorney in New York and Texas. He is a Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Lawyer, certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Read more about Board Certification, Click Here. Principle office is Houston, Texas.

Mr. Willis has represented clients in personal injury, auto accident, seat belt defects, suv rollover, van & truck rollovers and other product liability and negligence cases from across the United States, including clients from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin & West Virginia.

Further, any statement or reference to past personal injury, products liability or other lawsuits, settlements or verdicts should NOT be relied upon in one's own case or in your decision on which law firm to hire. All client's cases, facts, injuries, damages, venues and lawsuits are different and there is NO way to predict the outcome of a particular case, verdict of a jury or judge or the strength of a case before a judge, jury or the appellate court system. The client is responsible for all of their own medical expenses. All cases are handled on a contingent fee basis. NO attorneys fees or case costs charged to client, unless a recovery is made for the client. Often in very serious and catastrophic injury and death cases Mr. Willis may associate with another products liability attorney as co-counsel and in other matters, the case may be referred. In cases where a legal matter is referred, Mr. Willis will continue to maintain joint responsibility with the handling attorney or lead counsel and actively monitor the progress and development of the case. Due to his 22+ years of experience in personal injury and products liability cases, Mr. Willis will often continue to assist in working with the hired experts and engineers and in research of the defective product or other related legal matters in the case.