Mitsubishi Seat Backs and Vehicle Safety

Along with providing passengers with back support and comfort, properly functioning car seat backs, in addition to seat belts, ensure that car occupants remain positioned safely upright in their car seat during the impact of a crash.

In side and rear impact collisions at speeds as low as 12 mph, seatback design defects may cause some seat backs to collapse. When car seat backs collapse, occupants can be ejected backwards into objects or people in the rear of the vehicle. The force of the impact can cause severe trauma to the head or neck, or even kill the occupant. Also as a result of the seat back collapse, the drivers or passengers can suffer serious spinal cord injuries from impact with rear seat backs or cargo.

Mitsubishi Seat Back Collapses in Side and Rear Impact Accidents

Lieff Cabraser is currently investigating complaints certain Mitsubishi cars and sedans including the Mitsubishi Lancer, the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Mitsubishi Galant have a faulty seatback design, and have allegedly failed in side and rear impact accidents. Concerns include accidents in which the Mitsubishi manufactured car seats have failed to perform adequately and collapsed.

Seat Back Collapse Lawsuits & Settlements

A significant precedent was set for recovery of damages for injuries caused by seat back collapses when in 2004 a jury entered a $105.5 million verdict against DaimlerChrysler in the suit of Flax v. DaimlerChrysler.

The case involved an alleged faulty minivan seat back, that the jury found caused the death of an infant in 2001. The 8 month-old passenger was killed when his mother was ejected from her seat during a crash due to a seat back collapse, which caused her to fatally strike her child, who was in a car seat behind her.

Since then, there have been multi-million dollar jury awards for the plaintiffs in seatback lawsuits against DaimlerChrysler as well as other manufacturers, including Ford and Mazda.

It is also believed that through confidential settlements, Mitsubishi allegedly concealed many other instances of defective seat backs which collapsed and caused needless occupant injuries and deaths in cars and sedans produced by Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi Seat and Car Accident Attorneys/Lawyers

If you have been injured, or a loved one has been killed, in an accident involving a collapsed seat back or other auto defect in Mitsubishi vehicles and would like to learn more about your legal rights, contact an attorney at Lieff Cabraser. There is no charge or obligation for our review of your case.