Reclined Seats Present Major Safety and Injury Risks

Imagine riding in a friend or family member's car. You start to feel tired or just want to relax and decide to recline your seat. You still have your seat belt on and believe you're safe. Unfortunately, a reclined car seat is extremely dangerous, even with your seat belt on.

If you get into a car accident, depending on the direction of impact in the crash, you may be ejected through the back windshield or crushed into the floorboard. This isn't simply conjecture. A study showed that partially reclined passengers involved in a car wreck increased their risk of death by 15 percent. Fully reclined passengers increased their risk by 70 percent, according to King5 News.

A common misconception is that the seat belt will restrain you and keep you safe in a crash - not so. You may actually slide under the seat belt and suffer a serious injury.

Most people remain unaware of this potential danger because car manufacturers failed to warn consumers and have neglected this safety risk. To eliminate or lessen this danger, car manufacturers could do any number of things including prevent the ability of the seat to recline while the car is in motion or install a warning light or bell if the seat is reclined while the car is in motion.

The solutions to this recliner problem are not expensive. In fact, they would cost approximately $1 per vehicle. Unfortunately, rather than implement these simple safety solutions, car manufacturers continue to promote this recliner hazard by depicting passengers riding blissfully in fully reclined seats on their commercials, websites and brochures. They have even gone so far as to call the defect a "sleeping function."

If you were hurt or a loved one was wrongfully killed in an accident while they were in a reclined seat, contact an injury lawyer right away. We can discuss what legal options are available to you and whether or not a claim focused on the crashworthiness of the vehicle is appropriate.

    

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia (VA) injury law firm whose attorneys focus exclusively on personal injury and accident law. We have a proven track record in the court room, and you can review our case results to see for yourself. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in VA if you've been seriously hurt by the carelessness of another person or company.

Virginia injury lawyers Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Shapiro and Lewis have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. Rick, Jim and Randy have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law (Jim since '06, Rick since '10, and Randy since '12). This is a prestigious recognition that only 5 percent of lawyers receive.

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