Defective Recline Mechanisms In Philadelphia

Cars are complex machines that play a crucial role in our lives. By getting us from point A to point B whenever we need them to, cars allow us to run errands, enjoy life, and work in places that are far from home. Unfortunately, because cars transport us at such high speeds, they also pose a significant danger. This danger grows considerably whenever one of the car parts that we are counting on is poorly or defectively made.

Even car parts that we do not typically consider to be crucial can pose an injury risk if they break or are defective. Your seat reclining mechanism is an excellent example. Even though the seat reclining mechanism in your car’s driver’s seat might not seem like an important part of your vehicle, if it breaks at the wrong time, you can cause an accident seriously hurts you and others on the road. When this happens, having a Philadelphia attorney from the law office of Gilman & Bedigian can be crucial to protecting your interests.

Seat Recline Mechanisms

You probably only use the seat recline mechanism in your car a couple of times every year. You use it to adjust your seat to your preferred settings when you first start driving your car, and only have to worry about it again if someone else, like a valet or a family member, uses your car. Chances are you have adjusted the seat recline in rental cars more often than you have adjusted it in your own.

Seat recline mechanisms, however, can be defectively made or can use materials that break with repeated wear and tear. If either of these is the case, your seat mechanism can fail without warning, falling back into the rear seating area of your car. If this happens when you are not in the car or when the car is not moving, it would not be a problem. However, because it is far more likely to happen when you are leaning against the seat back, most seat recline malfunctions happen when the car is moving. When this happens, it can be difficult to keep control of your car. This can result in a car accident and in significant injuries.

Injuries from Seat Recline Malfunctions

When you are driving and your seat recline mechanism malfunctions, you could suddenly find yourself flat on your back, looking at the ceiling of your car. The sudden loss of back support can make you lose your grip on the steering wheel and can move your feet against the pedals, as well. Any of these on their own can cause an accident. When they all happen together, though, it can be difficult to avoid one.

However, a seat recline malfunction does not only make it more likely for you to get in a car accident. It also makes any injuries that you suffer much more severe. This is because, without the back of your seat, your seatbelt cannot restrain you properly. As a result, getting into a car accident after your seat recline mechanism malfunctions can be like getting into an accident without buckling up. The collision will rattle you around in the interior of your car more, which can result in bumps, bruises, fractures, and broken bones. Additionally, it can increase the odds that you get ejected from your car in the wreck, which can lead to more injuries.

Further, your airbags are designed to protect you but depend on the back of your seat keeping you upright. After your seat recline mechanism fails, however, this is less likely, all but eliminating the protections that your airbags provide.

Recalls for Defective Recline Mechanisms

Recalls dealing with the seat recline mechanisms show that defects in these parts are not unheard of. Ford recalled over 30,000 vehicles back in 2010 to fix a defect in their seat recline device that let the seat fall backward in a collision. More recently, Ford recalled more than 5,000 trucks and SUVs for substantially the same problem.

Defective Recline Mechanism Attorneys in Philadelphia

If you get involved in a car accident and suffer injuries because your seat recline broke, you need the personal injury attorneys at the Philadelphia law office of Gilman & Bedigian to help. We fight for your interests both in and out of court to ensure you get the compensation that you deserve to recover from the injuries you have suffered. Contact our law office online or at (800) 529-6162.