Lap Only Belt Injuries and Deaths in Rear Seat Lap Belt, Center Seat Lap Only Belt and Outboard Seat . Talk to a Lawyer

Lap only belts injuries and deaths started to appear as early as the 1950’s. Medical studies began to recognize an increase in abdominal injuries, head and spinal cord injuries for occupants wearing only lap belt restraints. These injuries included fractured spines, perforation to the intestines, quadriplegia, paraplegia, facial fractures, serious closed head injuries and even death. Automotive engineers soon realized that in such frontal impacts, lap belt-wearing occupants' heads and upper torsos accelerated during impact (jack-knifing) and could exceed the actual impact velocity of the vehicle in which they were occupants.

In 1967, a Ford engineer wrote in a confidential memo that...." a 3-point, diagonal shoulder belt system has been demonstrated to offer much greater protection to the vehicle occupant than does a single lap belt alone, since it prevents injuries from jackknifing...Injuries...involving 3-point systems would all have probably been much worse had the individuals been wearing ...a lap belt only...Our conclusion...is that a properly worn, 3-point system clearly protects the occupant better than a lap belt only system." With this knowledge one could only believe that automakers would quickly remedy this deadly situation, but instead they fought being required to include shoulder belts as standard equipment. In fact, even after shoulder belts were required for front seated outboard occupants, the manufacturers continued their fight against shoulder belts for the rear occupants through the 1987 model year.

According to government studies, the failure to have shoulder belts in rear seats may have caused as many as 6,000 deaths and serious injuries per year. In the early 1970s, NHSTA proposed shoulder belts in all out board seating positions, but Lee Iacocca, as president of Ford, and other industry executives successfully lobbied for President Richard Nixon to block the implementation of such regulations. During these debates, Iacocca stated that the shoulder belts and headrests were “a complete waste of money” even though he said, “no doubt that it saves lives.” Years later, Lee Iacocca in his autobiography stated “the plain truth is that if you are wearing a combined shoulder and lap belt system, it's almost impossible to be killed in an impact under 30 mph.”

Cars sold in Europe by U.S. and foreign manufacturers were equipped with rear seat lap and shoulder belts long before they were used in cars sold in the United States. As a result of the stringent lobbying, there was no shoulder belt requirement, but in 1972 auto manufacturers were required to put anchorage points (or brackets) for rear shoulder harnesses. All that was missing was the belt assembly itself, estimated to cost about $12-14 per car. However, instead of installing this inexpensive safety item, many manufacturers began to sell retrofit kits. These kits cost many times more what it would have cost a manufacturer to install a three-point belt at a factory. Unfortunately, surveys have shown that auto dealers typically do not stock these retrofit shoulder belts and some do not even know they exist for sale.

Researchers clearly understood the contradictions and the hypocrisy of not providing a three-point belt system (lap and shoulder belts) to every occupant regardless of their seating position. Often times in frontal impacts, the front seated occupants walk away from the collision, (due to the 3 point belts), but the rear occupants are seriously injured or killed when their heads and upper torso are violently accelerated into the back of the front seat or door/roof pillars. If only the automobile manufacturers had not resisted the implementation of such a simple and proven safety system, thousands of people would have been spared the horrors of closed head injuries and paralysis. Manufacturers were forced by NHTSA to install shoulder harnesses in the rear seats and the numbers of these types of injuries almost disappeared overnight in the newer model vehicles. While all new vehicles manufacturers and sold in the United State are now equipped with lap shoulder belts, still the center seating position is without such protection and unfortunately, hundreds if not thousands will also be injured before the laws are changed again.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in any vehicle manufactured that only had lap belts without a shoulder belt in any seating position and you believe that a shoulder belt may have prevented or lessened your injury, then you may have a right to file a legal action to recover for your injuries or losses. 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.