Personal Injury Law

General Motors SUVs Recalled for Defective Seat Belts

General Motors has recalled about 16,000 of its 2009 models of its Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook because of a problem with the rear seat belt buckle assembly. According to this report, the sport utility vehicles may have been built with a safety buckle in the second or third row that is missing a rivet. So, during an auto accident, the defective seat belt buckle could separate from the mounting strap leaving the passenger completely unprotected.

If you own one of these vehicles, please take them right away to your Buick, Chevrolet, GMC or Saturn dealer. They will inspect the buckles or replace them if necessary. For more information, vehicle owners may visit www.gmownercenter.com or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?s Web site at www.safercar.gov.

Seat belt defects are unfortunately very common. This is worrisome because seat belts perform a key role in protecting the occupants of a vehicle. A properly designed and manufactured seat belt should restrain the occupant by preventing them from getting ejected and preventing violent movement within the vehicle during a crash. Statistics have shown over the years that auto accident fatalities have actually gone down in the United States because of increased seat belt use. But a number of people also die each year because of defective seat belts that do not protect occupants as they should during an auto accident.

If you or a loved has been seriously injured because of a seat belt defect or any other auto product defect, please contact the Law Office of Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP. for a free consultation. We will fight for your rights and make sure that you are fairly compensated for your injuries and loss.

Full post as published by New York Injury Talk Blog on January 14, 2009 (boomark / email).