Seatbelt Failure in Tampa Bay Auto Accidents: Call a Tampa Auto Accident Attorney for Assistance

Seatbelt failure is not a common occurrence in Tampa Bay area auto accidents. It does happen, however, and numerous people who have been victims of failed seatbelts are not even aware of it. A seatbelt may fail for many reasons, and though car manufacturers will often deny the possibility of seatbelt malfunction, common logic tells us that nothing is infallible, including seatbelts. According to edumunds.com, there have been more than 180 safety recalls on improperly designed or faulty seatbelts in both commercial and passenger vehicles between 2000 and 2006. A recent $24 million judgment shed light on this issue as well; it was awarded to a family whose 18-year-old daughter died during a crash when her seatbelt became unlatched. That verdict and others set precedence for, at the very least, further examination of seatbelt use in auto accidents–particularly when injuries should have been prevented by the seatbelt.

Tampa auto accident attorney Dale Appell, P.A. believes seatbelt manufacturers should be held responsible if their products are faulty and dangerous. If you have been involved in an auto accident with injuries and you were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, consider the following signs of faulty seatbelt design:

• Belted occupant makes contact with the windshield during an accident
• Serious injuries to the vehicle occupant when there is only limited damage to the vehicle itself
• The seatbelt is torn or loose from its anchors
• One belted occupant retains fewer injuries than a fellow belted occupant
• The seatbelt is loose fitting following the collision
• A victim is found unbelted following the collision and either he or she is adamant that they were belted, or another passenger is able to verify that the victim was wearing his or her seatbelt prior to the collision

It is an unfortunate fact that, while we place out trust in automobile manufacturers to put safety first, sometimes they do not. It is also an unfortunate fact that most automobile manufacturers will deny any possible fault in the case of a seatbelt failure, and, instead, they will attempt to place blame on you, the victim. The only way to prevent these accidents from continuing to occur is by holding auto manufacturers responsible when their poor design leads to injury, or even death.

If you feel you may be the victim of a seatbelt failure in Tampa Bay, FL area, you may want to contact a Tampa auto accident attorney about your case. Please contact attorney Dale Appell, P.A. today to explain why you feel you may be the victim of a seatbelt failure and receive a free evaluation of your case. We are conveniently located at Rocky Point in Tampa, and we have clients throughout the Tampa Bay area and Florida including Lutz, Brandon, Ybor City, Sarasota, Bradenton, Clearwater, Oldsmar, Pinellas Park, Largo, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, and St Petersburg.