Child Car Seat and Occupant Restraint (Seatbelt) Failures
Occupant Restraint Devices - more commonly called child car seats and seat belts - were designed to save lives, and they do. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71% for infants, and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 to 4 years (2006). The NHTSA also reports that lap/shoulder safety belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.
Unfortunately, these life-saving devices sometimes fail, causing severe injury to babies, children and adults. In some tragic instances, a life may be taken.
Child Safety Seat Defects and Failures
Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. (CDC Department of Health and Human Services 2006).
Fortunately, placing children in age- and size-appropriate restraint systems can reduce serious and fatal injuries by more than half (NHTSA 2006d).
But what happens when these restraint systems fail?
Children are often seriously injured or killed in auto accidents because of defective child safety seats. Most vehicles are not properly equipped for child safety seats, and combined with defective manufacturing and designs, many consumers are unknowingly putting their children at risk for deadly injuries every day.
- Read Article "Are Infants Safe in Their Car Seats? Consumer Reports controversy stirs crash test debate"
Visit the NHTSA (Office of Defects) Child Safety Seat Recall Campaign for a comprehensive list of recalls for child and booster seats (from manufacturers) as well as recalls of motor vehicles with integral child safety seats.
Adults - Seat Belt Injuries
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 2.9 million people suffered seat belt injuries in 2002, and 43,000 people died as a result of their seat belt-related injuries.
Injuries sustained from a faulty seat belt during a collision can range from contusions and soft-tissue damage, to severe spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury and paraplegia.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured due to an auto-product failure, please contact our office immediately for a free consultation.
