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Seat Belt Injuries in Car Accidents

Seat belts save thousands of lives every year in the U.S. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that wearing a seatbelt can reduce your risk of suffering a fatal injury by 45%. However, these safety restraints can also cause injuries in car accidents. Here’s what you should know about seat belt injuries:

How Do Seat Belt Injuries Occur?

Seat belts hold your body in place to prevent you from flying forward in an accident. These safety belts are designed to absorb and disperse your momentum into the strongest parts of your body, which are the chest, shoulders, and pelvis. If you aren’t wearing the seat belt correctly, the restraints may disperse your momentum to more vulnerable body parts such as the stomach or neck. This is how many seat belt injuries occur.

Injuries can also occur in severe accidents even when the seat belts are worn properly. In high-speed accidents, seat belts must apply more pressure in order to keep your body in place. This pressure can lead to a number of injuries, including bruising, internal bleeding, and internal organ damage.

How to Prevent Seat Belt Injuries

Don’t travel in a car without wearing a seat belt simply so you can avoid seat belt injuries. The injuries that seat belts prevent are far more serious than the injuries they occasionally cause, so it’s best to buckle up at all times. Instead, focus on placing your seat belts in the proper position in order to reduce your risk of injury.

The shoulder belt should cross over the center of your chest. This belt won’t be effective in a crash if it’s positioned behind your back, under your arm, or near your neck. Make sure the lap belt is positioned across your hips rather than over your stomach. Your hips are strong enough to absorb pressure applied by a seat belt in an accident, but your stomach is not.

Both the shoulder and lap belts should not be too tight or too loose. Before starting the car, adjust both belts so they fit snugly across your hips and chest. Following these tips can drastically reduce your risk of seat belt injuries in the event you are involved in a crash.

If you have been injured by a negligent driver, seek legal representation from attorney Martin Gasparian at once. Mr. Gasparian will ensure you are fully compensated for your accident-related medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Schedule a free consultation regarding your case by calling 559-203-3333 or submitting your information at MaisonLaw.com.

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