Twin Cities Minnesota Seat Back Defect Lawyers

Strong seatbacks prevent front seat occupants from striking structures or other occupants in the rear seat. In rear-end crashes the vehicle is shoved forward. The occupant, following Newton's laws, wants to remain where she is. The end result is that the occupant is forced rearward relative to the vehicle and into her seatback. In these situations, the seatback should stay up to keep the occupant upright and in the occupant area.

When seat backs collapse rearward, the occupants "ramp up" the seatback and into unfriendly surfaces behind them, often resulting in catastrophic head and neck injuries. Or, in situations with particularly tragic consequences, the front seat occupant ramps up a collapsed seat back and into a child seated in the rear seat.

Far too many people are hurt and killed each year because of weak and collapsing seatbacks. Unfortunately, NHTSA has not provided much help. FMVSS 207 deals with seating systems and the strength of seatbacks in rear end collisions. The standard is generally regarded - even by some manufacturers - as inadequate. In fact, lawn chairs and cardboard seats have been tested and meet federal standards.

If the front seat occupant sustained serious head or neck injuries in a rear-end accident, or if someone in the rear seat was hurt by the front seat occupant shooting into the rear seat, look for a collapsed front seat back. If the seatback collapsed, there may be a viable product liability claim against the automobile manufacturer.

Contact the seatback attorneys at Champion law for a free case review!

*Nate Bjerke is the Chair of the Minnesota Association for Justice Product Liability Committee

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