Is it surprising to learn that the seatback is less durable than a kitchen chair? That’s right. A traditional wood kitchen chair can take about the same impact as the fancy seat in your vehicle. Way back in 2015, what seems like a lifetime ago, automobile accident attorneys had their hands full with tons of lawsuits. The general public finally became aware of the growing problem with seatback failure.
Seatback failure in the event of a rare end collision causes the connection on the seat to snap. The result is that the front seat passenger or driver wouldn’t crash into the back seat with all the force of the crash. Seatback failure comes with horrific consequences.
Seatback Failure and Child Injuries
During a collision, there’s exceptional stress or strain put on the clips that hold the back of the seat to the seat itself. When a car is hit from behind, the person in the seat lunges forward with the force. Then that force comes back either through the application of brakes or coming into contact with an object. As that force comes back, the strain on the seatback could snap.
If the seatback falls back, it can land on a child or person in the back seat. This type of failure in car accidents has led to numerous injuries for children, and even the death of children and infants.
Car Accidents and Seatback Failure
While it’s called seatback failure, there’s no guarantee on these types of devices. Product manufacturers, specifically big brand vehicle makers such as Ford, and Honda, will fight the “failure” title avidly. The reasoning is that for product failure, it must be proven that the product was defective, didn’t meet safety standards, or was not thoroughly tested for safety.
There are plenty of seatback lawsuits against manufacturers. However, many of them don’t result in very much as they argue that after years of use, any high-quality product is likely to deteriorate.
Instead, the seatback injuries often fall into the car insurance claim for the accident. As the seatback would not have failed without the accident, it’s the go-to solution for those looking for compensation. Car accidents are ultimately the cause of the injuries. However, the product manufacturers certainly should put more thought and effort into design.
Updates in Recent Designs
Volvo, Volkswagen, and other major manufacturers have stated that their priority is on changing seat strength. Ultimately the goal is to reduce child and infant deaths and injuries as that’s the primary problem with seatback failure.
However, experts in the field argue that it’s not necessary to focus on seat strength as the accidents are relatively small. This argument didn’t hold up in a Texas court back in 2016, and there’s no doubt that it wouldn’t hold up now. If the manufacturer was truly negligent, they could find themselves in the same situation as Audi and many other manufacturers.
Recent changes have included reinforcement of the seatback in newer models. However, you should be cautious as not all new models have these seat systems. Not every manufacturer has prioritized this safety feature. Some, instead, have opted to invest in hand-free radio control, better Bluetooth connectivity, and iOS or Android connectivity features.
Should We Expect Safer Vehicles in the Future?
Absolutely we should all expect much safer vehicles in the future. As we’ve seen before in the vehicle manufacturing industry, when the major manufacturers make changes, others follow. After all, we only have the three-point safety restraint because of Volkswagen.
Other safety features such as airbags, seat positioning, and more have all come in waves. Hopefully, as some of the manufacturers are prioritizing improving this safety clip, others will too. Reducing seatback failure starts during manufacturing, but ultimately, the driver is held responsible.
If you’re concerned about your case, then contact a local Atlanta crash attorney. You definitely have a car accident claim to pursue now. However, you may have the option to pursue additional claims later. Those claims rely on proving how responsible the manufacturer is in that specific case. Most of the time, though, it comes down to the crash, that the injuries were a result of the accident, not the defect.
The Weinstein Firm — Atlanta Car Accident Attorneys
In the event of a seatback failure accident, call The Weinstein Firm. The manufacturers’ design in the seat could have less to injuries that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. So the question becomes, who’s responsible? While you may be able to justify a product defect lawsuit, for now, the at-fault driver is responsible.
Reaching out to The Weinstein Firm could be The step you need to take for compensation. Full compensation should include all of the damages that come with the crash. At The Weinstein Firm, we prioritize getting compensation for your injuries and managing your claim. Contact our Georgia auto accident law offices straight away.
