Seatbelt Injuries
We all know that seat belts save lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seatbelts save over 13,000 lives on an annual basis. But while a seatbelt can prevent an accident from being fatal, it can also cause serious injury. You should never stop wearing a seatbelt while driving or riding in a car, but wearing one doesn’t mean you’ll walk away from a car accident injury free.
How Seatbelt Injuries Occur
Seatbelts are meant to reduce the impact of collisions by restraining vehicle occupants in their seats. The seatbelt is designed to tighten immediately on impact and results in compressing the individual wearing it. Whether the accident was a rear-end collision, a side-impact collision, a head-on collision, or a vehicle rollover, the seatbelt is designed to hold the occupant in place. The force of this compression can result in injuries to the body.
Common Seatbelt Injuries
When the body is restrained and experiences some type of force or jolt, there is likely going to be some consequence to the body. Depending on the degree of force involved, some injuries can be serious. The impact of a head-on collision or a vehicle rollover results in the most amount of seatbelt pressure being placed on an individual and can result in some of the most serious seatbelt injuries. Some possible seatbelt injuries include:
- Bruising
- Rib or clavicle fractures
- Organ damage
- Whiplash
- Spinal cord injuries
- Intestinal injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Head injuries
Children can experience even more severe injuries depending on whether their seatbelts are properly secured. Pregnant women should also be mindful of how they wear their seatbelts to prevent injury to the baby.
If the impact of a car accident is serious enough to cause seatbelt injuries, then imagine the damage that could have been caused if you had not been wearing your seatbelt. That’s why it’s important to keep in mind that, even though seatbelts can cause injury, it is still essential that you wear one.
Contact a Tampa Car Accident Attorney
If you’ve sustained a seatbelt injury in a car accident, you should have an experienced car accident attorney evaluate your case. The attorneys at Abrahamson & Uiterwyk have over 30 years of experience helping the injured. Contact us online or call us at 800-538-4878 today to set up your free consultation.