Defective Seat Belts

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Shoulder Belts

While seat belts that extend diagonally across the body from the shoulder to the waist are much safer than lap-only belts, they can still be subject to a variety of design or manufacturing defects that will render them dangerous or even deadly. 

One seemingly obvious design defect would be a shoulder-only restraint system, i.e. where there is no lap belt component.  Two point, shoulder-only seat belts were included in many vehicles from the mid-1970’s through the 1990’s.  This arrangement involved an automatic belt that would slide along a track in the door after the occupant entered the vehicle, stopping above the outside shoulder and restraining the person across the chest.  In the United States, this design coincided with the emergence of other passive restraint systems, such as the airbag, which were spurred on by new regulations.   The main problem with the design is that it lacks a lap restraint. 

Without a lap restraint, the body is allowed to slide down seat in a collision and the belt becomes loaded around the neck.  This “submarine” effect can cause serious or fatal neck injuries and spinal cord injuries.  It can also lead to serious traumatic brain injuries when the belt crushes or obstructs the airway denying oxygen to the brain.  This condition, known as “anoxia,” can cause permanent brain damage or death.  

Subsequent variations of the design added a manual, lap-only component that the occupant would need to fasten themselves.  However, many drivers and passengers were still injured because they either did not know the lap belt was there or failed to use it.  

Another problem with the shoulder only design is that it was anchored to the door itself rather than the seat.  This changes the angle of the restraint reducing its effectiveness and sometimes causing additional injury to the occupant’s neck during a collision.  The door mount also lead to increased ejections during many vehicle accidents because when the door inadvertently opened the occupant was left unrestrained.  

Some of the same design issues that rendered the shoulder-only configuration dangerously defective have also been seen in the shoulder sash portion of three point shoulder / lap restraints.  For example, incorrect positioning of the outside shoulder anchor.  If a shoulder belt is placed too high or too far forward in relation to the occupant’s chest, it can fail to protect the occupant or even directly cause neck and spinal cord injuries.  A variation of this anchor positioning defect is often noted with regard to the safety of children who are restrained in adult safety belts, a topic addressed in more detail below.

SAN FRANCISCO PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY ABOUT PRACTICE AREAS VERDICTS TESTIMONIALS REFERRALSCONTACT US

OAKLAND PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY | SACRAMENTO PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY DEPUY ASR HIP REPLACEMENT RECALL

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