Princeton Defective Seat Belt Lawyers
Defective Seat Belt Injury
Seat belts first became widely available in the 1960s, and soon after, states started requiring seat belt use for all drivers and riders. Currently, New Jersey requires all car occupants to wear a seat belt, regardless of age. Seat belt laws are designed to save lives, and the evidence shows that seat belts work.
As a driver or passenger on New Jersey's roads, you do everything in your power to keep yourself safe. This includes obeying speed limits and traffic signals as well as buckling your seat belt every time you get in the car. You trust that safety systems in your car, such as the air bags and seat belts, will stand up to the challenge in the case of a Princeton head on auto accident. The result can be catastrophic when seat belts fail at a critical moment.
You do your part to keep safe, but car manufacturers do not always uphold their obligation to consumers. Car and auto parts manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products meet the highest quality standards and to recall any product that does not function properly. A seat belt that was improperly manufactured or installed puts drivers and passengers unnecessarily at risk if it does not work during a NJ car crash.
Seat belts can malfunction in a number of ways. When the seatbelt does not buckle correctly though it appears to be secure, it is called a false latch. It can pop open when enough pressure is applied during a car accident in New Jersey. Even a seat belt that does latch properly may come apart from the sheer force of the collision. A well-designed seat belt latch should not be prone to this type of malfunction. A faulty reel or pretensioner, the part that rolls in the slack webbing, can leave too much belt out, which is then ineffective when restraining the passenger.
At Lependorf & Silverstein, our Princeton auto product liability attorneys have the resources to stand up to the corporate giants responsible for your defective seat belt injury case. You should not have to face their legal team or insurance company alone. We are committed to standing up for the rights of New Jersey injury victims. Call us now for a free and confidential case assessment.