In many Niles cases, insurers focus on the collision and move quickly to close the file. But when a restraint system malfunctions, the question shifts from “who caused the crash” to whether the restraint was unreasonably dangerous or failed to perform as intended.
Seatbelt-related injuries can involve scenarios like:
- the belt didn’t restrain you as expected during impact
- the mechanism locked late or locked in an unusual way
- the belt provided excessive slack
- the retractor or latch system jammed or malfunctioned
Michigan law allows injury victims to pursue claims under product liability and negligence theories when a defect is tied to the injury. The key is that your case must connect three dots: the alleged defect, the event, and the medical harm.


