Seatbelt Injuries In a Car Accident
About 91% of drivers routinely wear seatbelts, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Seatbelts saved nearly 15,000 lives in a single recent year. As critical as seatbelts are for saving lives by preventing ejection from a vehicle during a crash, seatbelts also cause specific injuries to accident victims. Some doctors describe these injuries as “Seatbelt Syndrome.”
Often, car accident victims feel as though they have no legal recourse for recovering compensation for seatbelt injuries because the seatbelt saved their lives. However, seatbelt injuries are real. They are painful, have lasting impacts, and sometimes cause permanent or catastrophic consequences. A car accident victim in Georgia does not have to absorb the financial consequences of seatbelt injuries. Instead, working with a top-rated Atlanta car accident attorney, injury victims can recover fair compensation for their injury-related damages.
How Do Seatbelts Cause Injuries In Car Accidents?
The crash force of a collision is more powerful than many people realize. According to crash force calculations, a 140-pound person becomes a 6,300-pound force in an accident at only 45 miles per hour. A motorist’s body continues moving forward at the speed the car was traveling, before the seatbelt snaps them back against the seat during the collision. This places tremendous strain on the body’s structural system of muscles, bones, and ligaments. It also causes an inner collision of organs. Although seatbelts prevent death, they also cause various bone fracture injuries an others such as:
- Shoulder injuries
- Clavicle fractures
- Rib fractures
- Fractured sternum
- Thoracic injuries
- Contusions
- Internal organ injuries to the intestines, liver, and spleen
- Spinal cord injuries
- Abrasions
- Hip fractures
Seatbelt injuries can occur even when a seatbelt functions properly, but an accident victim may suffer more serious or catastrophic injuries if a seatbelt malfunctions due to a defect or improper installation.
Who Is Liable for Seatbelt Injuries?
Most states, like Georgia and South Carolina, have fault-based car accident laws requiring an accident victim to seek compensation against the party at fault for the accident and injuries. When a seatbelt causes injuries, an accident victim could seek compensation from the following:
- The driver who caused the accident
- A car manufacturer or seatbelt manufacturer after a defective seatbelt caused or worsened car accident injuries
- A negligent seatbelt installer
In some cases, other entities cause or contribute to car accident injuries, such as a negligent road construction agency or road work contractor, or a road planning agency that designed a confusing intersection.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Car Accident With Seatbelt Injuries?
When a seatbelt causes or contributes to car accident injuries, a successful claim against a liable party could recover damages such as the following:
- Past and future medical expenses related to the injuries
- Past and future income loss
- Reduced earning ability due to disability
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for any catastrophic injury damages, such as the loss of an organ, scarring, or paralysis from spinal cord injuries
A car accident attorney carefully calculates an injury victim’s damages and pursues compensation from all available avenues to maximize their client’s recovery.
How Can a Georgia Car Accident Attorney Help Me?
Seatbelt injuries can be painful and debilitating, with temporary or permanent impacts. Fortunately, you have a legal right to seek compensation through a claim against a liable driver, the manufacturer of a defective seatbelt, or other at-fault entities. Contact a top-rated Atlanta injury lawyer at Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC for experienced legal representation.