Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A 7-year-old Georgia boy was killed sitting in the back seat of a Honda Civic only wearing a lap belt. An 8-year-old boy sitting next to him in the back seat of the Honda Civic was not seriously injured at all. He was wearing a lap and shoulder belt. Unfortunately, millions of cars only have a lap belt in the middle of the back seat. Evidence has shown that the lap belt seat belt is not sufficient to fully protect you in a crash.

The Pennsylvania lap belt accident and automotive defect law firm of Reiff & Bily has been investigating lap belt cases for many years and safety experts and automobile manufacturers are well aware of the dangers of the lap belt. A common type of injury from the use of a lap belt only is a fracture of the lower spine which can cause paralysis from the waist down as the person’s upper body is thrown forward. When the lap belt restraint fails, often the victim suffers devastating, permanent, and life-altering injuries including paralysis and other mental and emotional injuries.

As experienced Pennsylvania vehicle defect lawyers, we are well aware that the negligent and defective design of the lap belt restraint system and the negligent failure to warn often results in catastrophic injury and wrongful death to unsuspecting victims. Many doctors and safety experts have warned that children’s lives are unnecessarily put at risk by the use of lap belts in the back seats of cars. In fact, lap belts in the rear seat may actually cause more significant injuries than they prevent according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

If you or a loved one is a victim of catastrophic injuries or wrongful death while using a lap belt, you should contact an experienced lap belt accident lawyer to fully investigate your case and to hold the parties responsible for the damages. The Pennsylvania vehicle defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily offers a free, no obligation consultation. You may contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.