Child is Paralyzed by Single-Strap Seatbelt

Case Overview

This case involves serious injury following an automobile accident. A family was driving on a highway, while another vehicle was driving in the opposite direction. The other driver was under the influence of alcohol and crossed over into the oncoming lane, crashing directly into the family’s car. A young child was sitting in the back seat of the family’s car and was wearing a seat belt – however, there was no shoulder harness and the seat belt only covered his lap. Due to injuries he sustained during the accident, the child is now paralyzed from the waist down, and the family has had to pay for long-term neuromuscular and functional electrical stimulation to help their child regain control of her muscles. The plaintiffs argue that seat belts without shoulder harnesses can cause these type of injuries, and that the car’s manufacturer should have made provisions to include the shoulder harness when the vehicle was produced.