More Than 136 Years of Combined Experience

Seat Belts Can Cause Injuries in Some Car Crashes

On Behalf of | Nov 7, 2019 | Car Accidents

Most people know that wearing a seat belt is the law, but what they might not realize is that there is a chance that this life-saving feature could cause injuries. The seat belt stops your body from flying around the vehicle, and possibly out of it, if there is a crash.

Occupants of vehicles have to realize that the benefits of wearing a seat belt far outweigh the hazards of not wearing one. The risk of having it on comes from the impact of your body pushing against it when the vehicle comes to an abrupt stop.

Some of the more common injuries that can come from a seat belt include things like whiplash, bruising, chest injuries, abdominal injuries and internal bleeding. The higher impact the crash, the more likely the occupants are going to suffer injuries related to the seat belt.

One factor that can also impact the severity of the injury is how the seat belt is worn. If it isn’t put in the correct position, internal injuries might occur. For example, pregnant women should wear the lap belt over the hips. If she is in an accident and it is over the abdomen, the force can lead to a placental abruption, which is life-threatening to her and the baby.

If you are injured in an accident, you might choose to seek compensation. If the injury is from a seat belt, determining what happened is a priority. You can seek compensation from the party who struck you, but you might also be able to launch a product liability claim if the seat belt was defective.

Archives