Seat belts became mandatory equipment on automobiles in the late 1970s. Since then they have gone through many changes. Research into accidents and the forces applied to the passengers has prompted changes in the design of the systems. Throughout the years, the latching system for the seat belts has also seen many changes. The initial systems were prone to “false latching”. This happens when the user believes that the belt is fully latched, when in actuality, the latch is not fully engaged. This can result in a seat belt failure during an accident. This was a known problem with the RCF - 65 and RCF- 67 latching systems.
As seat belt failures became more prevalent, manufacturers began designing new latching systems that would push the tongue of the seat belt buckle out of the latch if it was not fully engaged. This made it obvious to the operator that the belt was not fully latched.
Despite changes to the latching systems, seat belts can still fail as a result of manufacturing defects. A seat belt failure lawyer may be able to determine if a seat belt had failed during an accident resulting in more serious injuries. One notable seat belt failure lawsuit resulted in a $6.5 million judgment against Ford Motor Co. when a seat belt in a Ford Ranger pickup allegedly failed during an accident causing permanent brain damage to the driver. The seat belt failure attorney that tried the case claimed that Ford had built an “unreasonably dangerous vehicle” and that had the seat belt not failed, the injuries to the driver would have been less severe.
©2008 Newsome Law Firm