NHTSA Complaint #10512282 — 2004 JEEP LIBERTY

HIT FROM BEHIND. THE DRIVERS SEAT HELD UP WELL, BUT THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT FORCED MY LEGS BACKWARD OFF OF THE FIREWALL CONTROLS AND MY LEGS WERE UP AGAINST THE SEAT WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. MY LOWER LEGS AT THE CALVES WERE CRUSHED AND THIS LED TO SEVERE BLEEDING CONTAINED IN THE LEGS (COMPARTMENT SYNDROME). NO FRACTURES BUT EMERGENCY SURGERY WAS NEEDED. AFTER REVIEWING PHOTOS OF THE VEHICLE INTERIOR TODAY, IT IS APPARENT THAT MY CALVES HIT THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT BAR THAT STICKS OUT UNDER AND FORWARD OF THE PADDED PORTION OF THE SEAT. I FIND THIS A COMMON PLACEMENT OF THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT BAR IN MANY VEHICLES. IF NOT FOR THIS BAR I WOULD BE BACK TO WORK THIS WEEK AND NO SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL BILLS. OVERALL THE SEAT CONFORMED WELL TO ME AND DID NOT CAUSE ME TO FRACTURE MY NECK (SEVERE OSTEOPOROSIS AND PRIOR NECK FUSION). UPDATED 06/10/13 *BF UPDATED 6/13/13 *CN..*TR UPDATED 06/13/2013 *JS UPDATED 06/17/2013 *JS UPDATED 7/31/13*CN..UPDATED 10/30/13 *BF UPDATED 10/31/2013 *JS