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Riverside Seat-Back Failure Lawyer

Riverside Seatback Failure Lawyers

Riverside Seat Back Failure Lawyers are here to help victims who have experienced injuries, traumatic experiences, or have lost loved ones as the result of a car accident resulting in a seatback failure.

When automakers intentionally put out defective cars on the road for the sake of profit, the consumer bears the cost of safety. Not only is this unfair, but this is also unjust and automakers must compensate individuals who have been hurt by their defective automobiles.

Get the help you need right away. Contact the experienced Riverside personal injury attorneys at Bisnar Chase for a Free Case Consultation.

We have obtained successful verdicts and settlements in Riverside seat-back failure cases on behalf of injured victims and their families. We know what it takes to fight against large automakers whose negligence causes these types of catastrophic product failures.

Call us at 951-530-3711 for a Free Consultation.

Tragic Injuries and Fatalities

According to the Center for Auto Safety, 64 adults and 50 children die each year as a result of collapsing seatbacks.

One of Bisnar Chase’s clients, Jaklin Romine, was paralyzed in a 2006 Pasadena crash in which her seat collapsed. Romine is a powerful voice now for victims and consumers calling for change.

We secured a $24.7 million verdict for Romine, which stood on appeal by the defendant, Johnson Controls, manufacturer of the seat. Romine’s seatback collapsed during a rear-end collision at a street intersection.

She suffered catastrophic head and spinal cord injuries in spite of wearing a seatbelt because her seat broke on impact, and collapsed backward causing her body to submarine rearward under the seatbelt and shoulder restraint

 . Her head hit the back of the rear passenger seat causing her to suffer severe injuries that left her a permanent quadriplegic.

Seeking Legal Support

Victims of seatback failures have the right to pursue financial compensation for their losses. Depending on the cause of the crash, they may be able to file a personal injury claim against the driver responsible for the collision and a product liability claim against the auto manufacturer.

When an individual is killed in a seatback failure accident, their family can pursue compensation for their loss by filing a wrongful death claim against the automaker.

A successful claim should include financial compensation for all the losses suffered in the accident, including medical bills, pain, and suffering, lost wages, loss of earning potential, the cost of rehabilitation services, and other related damages.

Many preventable injuries occur each year due to weak and defectively designed seats and their components. Poorly designed and manufactured seatbacks, recliner mechanisms, and seat tracks put drivers and passengers at risk of devastating injuries.

Seat backs play a significant role in the seat restraint system of the vehicle, and when they fail to work correctly, occupants can suffer life-changing neck, head, and spinal cord injuries.

What is Seatback Failure?

Seatbacks are an integral part of a vehicle’s restraint system. They work with seat belts and airbags to keep occupants in place in a crash.

When a collision occurs, a seatbelt will secure an occupant against the seat, an airbag will cushion the driver’s head from the steering wheel, and a seat-back will keep the occupant upright.

If a seat fails to stay upright in the event of an accident, the effectiveness of the seat belt and airbag is virtually eliminated.

Why Seat Back Failures Are Dangerous

An object in motion stays in motion. When a car comes to a sudden halt, the contents of the vehicle will continue to move unless they are restrained by a seatbelt. If a seat fails during a rear-end collision, the driver or front-seat passenger could slip right out from under the seatbelt.

This means that the front seat occupant in the defective seat may fly backward into the rear seat, the rear seat passenger, or even through the rear windshield.

Injuries Suffered in Riverside Seatback Failure Accidents

Front-seat occupants can suffer life-threatening injuries in a seatback failure accident. If the back of the victim’s head strikes the rear seat, him or her can suffer a traumatic brain injury and neck trauma.

In severe cases, victims suffer spinal cord trauma that leads to paralysis.

Those who survive with only serious but not catastrophic injuries may suffer bone fractures, whiplash, sprains, strains, and lacerations.

In cases where the front seat collapses and strikes a rear seat passenger, the injuries can prove fatal and result in wrongful death. Seat-back collapses commonly occur even in slow-speed, rear-end car collisions.

Government Oversight

One of the reasons why there are so many seatback failure incidents is because the current seat strength standard was adopted in 1968. Many believe the standard needs to be updated because it only requires seats to withstand an impact of 270-foot pounds.

In comparison, auto manufacturers must install seat belts that can withstand 6,000 pounds of force without failing.

Furthermore, the current testing requirement does not involve real-world crashes. Manufacturers must only measure how much force the seat withstands before failing.

This lack of oversight allows auto manufacturers to cut corners by installing inadequate seats and seat parts that can fail in even low-speed collisions.

Government Oversite on Seatback Failure

Seatback Recalls

When a significant number of people file similar complaints about a specific auto part, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) may conduct an investigation. Depending on the results of their findings, the auto manufacturer may be required to issue a recall.

There have been a number of recalls in recent years involving defective seatbacks. For example:

  • Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups from the model year 2014 were recalled for issues with the seat-backs and headrests. This recall involved 18,972 pickups that had seats that moved in the event of a rear-end collision.
  • Tesla Model S cars from the model year 2013 were recalled for a weakened connection between the left seat-back striker and the bracket connected to the vehicle’s frame.
  • 2012 Nissan Jukes were recalled because they have an incomplete weld that allows the rear seatback striker to become separated in a crash.
  • Ford Explorer from the model year 2011 was recalled for possible moving center seatbacks.

Contact our Riverside Seatback Failure Lawyers

In any case, dealing with a seat back accident can be a trying experience. If you or a loved one has been involved in a seatback failure accident in Riverside, contact an injury attorney at Bisnar Chase right away at 951-530-3711.

Riverside Seat-back Failure Attorneys

Contact our seat-back failure lawyers in Riverside if you’ve been injured.

6809 Indiana Ave #148
Riverside, CA 92506
951-530-3711

Case Results

  • 1

    $117,500,000

    Consumer Class Action

  • 2

    $38,650,000

    Motor Vehicle Accident

  • 3

    $32,698,073

    Auto Defect – Seat Manufacturers, Johnson Controls

  • 4

    $30,000,000

    Motorcycle Accident

  • 5

    $24,744,764

    Defective Seatback

  • 6

    $16,444,904

    Bicycle Accident

Client Reviews

Bisnar Chase Google Review - Lena

I wasn’t sure if I needed a personal injury attorney because I’d never been in a car accident before. I assumed I’d just go straight through the other driver’s insurance but that quickly became a nightmare. I spent months fighting over the simplest of issues about my case, which was 100% the other driver’s fault. I hired Bisnar Chase to see if they could just take it over for me. I was really impressed with how much they communicated everything to me! I suddenly started getting calls from the insurance company, imagine that. My final settlement was 6 times what I asked for to begin with. Everyone I dealt with was really involved in what was best for me, not the insurance.

Lena Murillo
Bisnar Chase Google Review

It was a pleasure working with such an amazing team. You will definitely feel welcomed and kept in the loop throughout the entire process. They do a great job making you feel like you are a part of their team which is how one should feel. The superb customer experience from finish to end. You can trust they will do all possible to promptly and efficiently handle your case.
Yes! I recommend this team…

Queen V
Bisnar Chase Reviews

Bisnar Chase has been amazing with me through my lawsuit. I felt real compassion for my case and I was given their very best to make sure I was well taken care of. In addition to the great service given during my case, Bisnar Chase helped me get my son to his invited USA Football Team camp in Texas. They immediately offered to help fund the trip and are so supportive of his journey. I felt Kristi is just as excited for him as I am with this opportunity. Kristi has been an absolute delight to talk with. Bisnar Chase is more than I ever expected I could get in an attorney. I would recommend them to anyone!

Christina Del Real
Bisnar Chase Google Review

Bisnar Chase is a model #veteranowned business that is purpose-driven — showing the power of patriotism in action! Because of Bisnar Chase, low-income veterans will be able to forge new futures at home through pro bono legal care. Team Veterans Legal Institute is grateful to have Bisnar Chase as a sponsor for Lawyers for Warriors — supporting the promise to be there for our veterans when they need it most.

KellyAnn Romanych

Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP

6809 Indiana Ave #148 Riverside, CA 92506

951-530-3711

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