Austin Seatbelt Injury Lawyer

Seatbelts save thousands of lives every year, but they can also cause injuries — and when a seatbelt system is defective, the consequences can be catastrophic. From seatbelt-induced injuries during a crash to defective buckles, retractors, and pretensioners that fail when needed most, seatbelt-related injury claims require specialized legal knowledge. At McFarlane Law, we represent Austin car accident victims who have suffered injuries both from seatbelt use during a crash and from defective seatbelt systems that failed to provide adequate protection.

If you were injured in an Austin car accident and believe your seatbelt contributed to or worsened your injuries, call (512) 222-4900 for a free case evaluation.

How Seatbelts Can Cause Injuries in a Crash

During a collision, a seatbelt restrains the occupant against the extreme forces of deceleration. While this restraint prevents ejection and reduces the severity of many injuries, the seatbelt itself applies significant force to the body — concentrated along the shoulder, chest, and pelvis where the belt crosses the body. In high-energy crashes, this loading can cause substantial injuries.

Chest and rib injuries are common seatbelt-related injuries. The diagonal shoulder belt crosses the sternum and ribs, and in a high-speed crash, the compressive forces can fracture ribs, cause sternal fractures, or produce pulmonary contusions (bruised lungs). Elderly occupants with more brittle bones are particularly susceptible to rib fractures from seatbelt loading. Clavicle (collarbone) fractures occur where the shoulder belt crosses the clavicle, especially in side-impact crashes or when the occupant is thrown sideways against the belt.

Abdominal injuries from the lap belt can be severe, particularly when the belt rides up over the soft abdomen rather than sitting properly across the pelvis. This “submarining” effect can cause intestinal tears, mesenteric injuries, lumbar spine fractures (known as Chance fractures), and damage to abdominal organs including the spleen, liver, and kidneys. Children and smaller occupants are especially vulnerable to lap belt abdominal injuries because the belt may not fit their body proportions correctly. Cervical spine injuries can occur when the shoulder belt restrains the torso while the head and neck continue forward, creating extreme flexion forces on the cervical spine.

Defective Seatbelt Systems

When a seatbelt system is defective, the occupant may be left with significantly less protection than expected — or none at all. Common seatbelt defects include false latching, where the buckle appears to be engaged but releases under crash forces, allowing the occupant to be thrown from the seat, inertial unlatching, where the force of the crash itself causes the buckle to release, retractor failure, where the seatbelt fails to lock during a crash and allows excessive webbing to spool out, pretensioner failure, where the explosive tightening mechanism that removes slack from the belt at the moment of impact does not fire, and webbing defects, where the seatbelt fabric tears or fails under crash loading due to manufacturing defects, UV degradation, or chemical exposure.

Each of these defects can dramatically increase the severity of injuries. An occupant whose seatbelt releases during a crash essentially becomes an unrestrained occupant — subject to ejection, contact with the vehicle interior, and impact with other occupants. Our attorneys investigate the specific seatbelt components to identify exactly how and why the system failed.

Proving a Seatbelt Defect

Seatbelt defect cases are highly technical and require expert analysis of the physical components. At McFarlane Law, we work with mechanical engineers, biomechanical experts, and seatbelt system specialists who examine the buckle mechanism under magnification, test the retractor and pretensioner function, analyze the webbing for manufacturing defects or degradation, review the vehicle’s event data recorder for seatbelt status data, and compare the system’s performance against federal motor vehicle safety standards. Preserving the seatbelt system is critical — we send immediate preservation letters to ensure the vehicle and its restraint components are not destroyed, repaired, or altered before our experts can inspect them.

Liability in Seatbelt Injury Cases

Texas product liability law allows claims against the vehicle manufacturer, seatbelt system manufacturer, and any other party in the chain of distribution for a defective restraint system. In cases where the seatbelt was functioning correctly but contributed to injuries during a legitimately severe crash, the at-fault driver (or their insurance company) is liable for all injuries, including those caused by seatbelt loading. Our personal injury attorneys identify every liable party and every applicable insurance policy to maximize recovery.

The Seatbelt Defense in Texas

Texas is one of the states that allows the “seatbelt defense” — meaning a defendant can argue that the plaintiff’s failure to wear a seatbelt contributed to their injuries. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 545.413, evidence of seatbelt non-use is admissible to reduce damages by up to 5% in a comparative fault analysis. This makes it important to document seatbelt use at the time of the crash. However, even if you were not wearing a seatbelt, you can still recover the vast majority of your damages from the at-fault party. Our attorneys handle seatbelt defense arguments effectively to minimize their impact on your recovery.

Injuries We Handle in Seatbelt Cases

Our firm has represented Austin car accident victims with seatbelt-related injuries including fractured ribs and sternum, clavicle fractures, abdominal organ damage from lap belt loading, Chance fractures of the lumbar spine, cervical spine injuries, traumatic brain injuries from seatbelt failure, ejection injuries when buckles released, and wrongful death from complete restraint system failure. Whether your injuries resulted from a properly functioning seatbelt during a severe crash or from a defective seatbelt that failed to protect you, McFarlane Law can help.

Contact McFarlane Law About Your Seatbelt Injury Case

Seatbelt injury and defect cases require prompt action to preserve critical physical evidence. If you suspect your seatbelt failed during a crash, do not allow the vehicle to be repaired or destroyed before the seatbelt components can be inspected. Call McFarlane Law at (512) 222-4900 or fill out the form on this page for a free, no-obligation consultation. We will arrange for expert inspection and fight for the compensation you deserve.