Child car seats are a critical safety feature, but they must be properly installed to be effective and protect small ones in the event of a car accident.
Recently, a recall was announced for more than 21,000 vehicles in the BMW family due to a problem with child car seat installation. They include cars such as the Toyota Supra, which is based on a BMW design. According to a Consumer Reports article, vehicles in the recall include:
- BMW 2 Series coupe and convertible
- BMW 3 Series and M3 sedan
- BMW 4 Series and M4 coupe
- BMW 5 Series sedan
- BMW X1 SUV
- BMW X2 SUV
- BMW Z4 convertible
- Mini Hardtop and Convertible
- Mini Clubman
- Mini Countryman
- Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV
- Rolls-Royce Ghost
- Rolls-Royce Phantom
- Toyota GR Supra coupe
Faulty seat belt retractor may pose injury risk
All vehicles are models from 2021. Some of the recalled vehicles listed above may have a faulty automatic locking retractor (ALR), which is part of the seat belt mechanism. You may not be able to properly install a child car seat because the ALR may fail to engage properly.
A child could get seriously injured or killed in a car accident if using a car seat that is not properly installed. When companies manufacture or sell products with defects that lead to injury or death, victims and family members may have grounds to file a product liability lawsuit.
Under the recall, owners can bring their cars into a dealership, which will fix the problem free of charge. Anyone with a vehicle affected by the recall can use a modern safety system called LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) to secure child car seats.
How a lawyer can help you
Car accidents in Massachusetts can happen for any number of reasons and result in a wide variety of serious injuries. If you or your child were injured in a crash, you may face large expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, car repair costs, and other damages.
At the same time, the insurance company may give you trouble over your claim. It's worth remembering that insurance companies have a vested interest in paying you as little money as possible. Since they care more about protecting their bottom line, an insurance adjuster may deny coverage or offer a lowball settlement that doesn’t begin to cover your damages from the crash.
Don’t let them control what happens next. Contact an experienced Massachusetts attorney at the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone right now to learn your legal rights and options.
We understand how the legal system works, and we put our experience and resources to work for accident victims to help them maximize their compensation.
Talk to us today by scheduling a free and confidential consultation. We offer legal representation on a contingency fee basis, which means you don't need any upfront money to retain our services and you pay no legal fees unless we secure financial compensation on your behalf. Tell them you mean business!