Do I Have to Replace My Seat Belts After a Car Accident?

When your vehicle is involved in an accident, you need to have it inspected have the damage repaired. In almost every scenario, you’re going to need your seat belt(s) repaired or replaced, too. Your seat belt is what prevented you from getting thrown from the vehicle. The jolting sensation that occurs when one vehicle crashes into another can quickly stretch out a seat belt and cause damage to its internal mechanisms.

The damage is not always noticeable, but it is better to be safe rather than sorry. You need to have functioning seat belts that will protect you if you get into another accident at some point.

When should I get the seat belts replaced or repaired?

If you drive without replacing the seat belts and you get into another accident, your seat belt pretensioner might not work. (That is the part of the system that locks the seat belt into place upon impact.) As a result, you could get ejected from the vehicle and sustain injuries that are much worse. This repair/replacement should be taken care of when you bring the vehicle in for repairs.

Depending on the severity of the damage, you may also need to replace the belt itself. The fabric can be damaged from the impact, or from the panicked tugging on the belt. (That need to “escape” is common for crash victims, who wish to distance themselves from the vehicle if they can.) If you used a seat belt cutter, then obviously you will need to replace the fabric part of the belt as well.

What are other unexpected car parts that may need to be replaced?

After a crash, your seat belts aren’t your only concern. Aside from the doors and bumpers – the body parts that are usually the most obviously affected, you may also need to repair:

• The fenders, which are the frames above your wheels
• The trunk lock, which can break if you get rear-ended hard enough
• The front grill, which allows air to flow into your engine
• The window seals, which can break in a collision and lead to water seepage
• Your warning systems, which can be thrown out-of-whack if there is damage to the frame of your car

A car wreck can lead to more property damage than you might expect. Seat belts often need to be replaced or repaired, and failure to do so could put your life in jeopardy in you get into another accident later on. At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, we have the experience needed to help our clients recover damages after a car accident in Chicago. You can consult with us for free. Simply call us at 312-600-9585. We also have a contact form on our site that you can fill out at your convenience.