Seatbelt Injury Accidents In Syracuse, New York

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Super Lawyer, is Committed to Protecting the Rights of Defective Seatbelt Injury Victims In and Around Onondaga County. Since Our Founding in 2005, Jed Dietrich, Esq., Has Helped Our Clients Secure More Than $175 Million in Damages. We Could Help You, too. Our Experienced Team of Seatbelt Defect Attorneys Could Help File a Product Liability Lawsuit and Make a Compelling Claim for Recovery.

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In 1984, New York became the first state in the nation to enact a mandatory seatbelt law. At the time, legislators were still concerned that calls for safety restraints could discourage carmakers from manufacturing more cost-effective airbags.

It took years for debate over seatbelts to settle, but New York’s groundbreaking measure eventually proved prophetic. By the early 1990s, almost every other state had followed Albany’s lead, requiring motorists to buckle up or risk heavy fines. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this push has more than paid off: since their inception, seatbelts are now believed to have saved an estimated 329,715 lives nationwide.

However, simple as seatbelts may seem, their design is almost always underlain by uncertain science. Even today, engineers still struggle to create seatbelts that can safely accommodate every body shape and size. Any defect, no matter how minor or rare, can potentially negate the clear-cut advantages of seatbelt systems, exposing motorists and passengers to immense risk.

The costs of a seatbelt failure can be catastrophic. Accident victims, deprived of proper restraints, find themselves either catapulted from their seats or locked into place. Injuries can be severe and, in many cases, life-altering.

You should never have to second-guess the safety of your seatbelt. If a defective or improperly designed seatbelt has injured you or a loved one, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you begin building a compelling, evidence-based claim for recovery. A recognized Super Lawyer, Jed Dietrich knows what it takes to overcome even the most vigorous defense—and we have the results to prove it. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

The Importance Of Seatbelt Mechanics And Mechanisms

Seatbelts are lifesaving devices. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seatbelt use is associated with the following outcomes:

1. In ordinary passenger vehicles, seatbelts reduce the risk of accident-related death by up to 50%;
2. Seatbelt use can reduce the risk of moderate to critical injuries by between 45% and 50%; and
3. Light truck passengers who use seatbelts are 65% less likely to be seriously injured in a collision.

Seatbelt systems can seem deceptively simple for devices that have such a profound impact on passenger safety. They are, for instance, comprised of several key components. These components include incredibly resilient and crash-resistant webbing—the seatbelt itself, which wraps around a sprocket. A lock bar holds the sprocket in place, which moves only when a passenger presses a special release button.

Notably, the locking mechanism can be activated by a sudden outward force. This keeps the seatbelt locked in place during unexpected deceleration events.

Seatbelt defects usually affect key components—the webbing, the sprocket, or the lock bar. Assemblies may also ship from the factory with damage, or wear out faster than what would be expected through regular use. In some cases, seatbelt release buttons can malfunction, releasing webbing without significant force application.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. is committed to providing unparalleled personal injury service. If you have been injured in a car crash and believe that a seatbelt defect caused or contributed to your injuries, our experienced team of attorneys could help you file a compelling claim for recovery. Please call us today at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Seatbelts, Safety, And The Risks Of A Defective Device

Irrespective of their cause, seatbelt defects almost always have the potential to compromise the integrity of the motorists’ first line of defense. Common seatbelt defects include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Damaged Seatbelt Webbing: Seatbelt webbing is manufactured to withstand massive force. In most consumer cars, webbing has a tensile strength of between 4,000 and 6,000 pounds. However, webbing can weaken and fray over time and with repeated use. Lower-quality materials may be more likely to degrade and pose significant safety issues if left unaddressed.
2. Lock Bar Defects: The locking mechanism in most seatbelts is controlled by a large red button. When pushed downward, this button depresses a pendulum that releases the lock bar, sprocket, and webbing. Although this mechanism comprises a minimal number of moving parts, it is among the most mechanically complex parts of a seatbelt system. Not adequately designed buttons can stick or release prematurely, sometimes without passengers noticing.
3. Sprocket Problems: Seatbelt sprockets have directional teeth. In conjunction with the lock bar and other components, these teeth keep the seatbelt snug and prevent it from loosening. However, mechanical defects and snagged webbing can trap sprockets and otherwise interfere with retraction features, leaving the webbing considerably more slack than could be considered safe.

Establishing Liability After A Seatbelt Defect Injury

New York state law allows accident victims to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person or party who caused their accident. However, litigating a seatbelt defect claim is rarely easy. Under most circumstances, survivors must be prepared to establish the following elements of every product liability claim:

1. Existence of a Defect: The first step in a product liability claim is proving the existence of a defect. New York recognizes three different types of defects. These include design defects, manufacturing defects, and failure to warn defects. More often than not, proving a defect is an intensive process that necessitates a thorough investigation and the testimony of expert witnesses.
2. Causation: You are only entitled to file a claim against a product-maker or seatbelt manufacturer if you have been injured and the defective product caused the injury.
3. Damages: You can only receive compensation for a seatbelt defect accident if the accident resulted in cognizable damages. In New York, there are three types of damages: special, general, and punitive. These damages are rarely capped but must be calculated following legal precedent and theory.

Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has helped our clients in Syracuse and across the region obtain more than $250 million in damages—money that they have used to eradicate their medical debt, secure higher-quality care, and begin the difficult task of rebuilding their lives after a tragic seatbelt defect accident. We could help you, too, but you must act fast: if you wait too long to call Jed Dietrich, Esq., the statute of limitations could lapse, putting your recovery at risk.

Do not lose your chance to secure justice: please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a seatbelt injury accident near Syracuse and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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