Automaker Product Liability Lawsuit Over Seat Belts Can Proceed: Court

Published: February 28th, 2011

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that plaintiffs can pursue product liability lawsuits against automakers that used lap-only seatbelts, despite federal regulations designating the design as meeting minimum safety standards.

The decision, handed down on February 23, will allow a wrongful death lawsuit against Mazda Motor Corp. to move forward, and could also open the door for personal injury lawsuits against other car manufacturers.

The ruling may also impact other cases where manufacturers claim that they should be immune from liability because the design of their products met minimum federal safety standards in place at the time.

via Automaker Product Liability Lawsuit Over Seat Belts Can Proceed: Court – AboutLawsuits.com.