First and foremost, seat belts are designed to keep you safe and secure during a motor vehicle accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belts saved approximately 15,000 lives in 2017 across the US. While seat belts keep you and your family safe, not wearing them can put you in harm’s way and potentially impact the resolution of your case.
How Seat Belts Impact Your Case’s Outcome
After an accident, insurance companies will seek out ways to reduce payment to those that have been injured. One way that payment can be limited is when the insurance adjuster looks to see if you were wearing a seat belt during the accident.
If you get into a wreck and you were not wearing a seat belt, you can still file a claim, but you could face a significant reduction in payment. Although you may not be at fault for the accident, the insurance adjuster can still argue that the extent of your injuries could be lower or nonexistent had you worn a seat belt.
Protect Yourself – Buckle Up
Buckling up is the most effective action you can take to protect yourself from negligent drivers and from sustaining serious injuries or even death from accidents. Seat belts are made to save lives and the NHTSA estimates that seat belt use by front seat passengers reduces the chance of fatality by 45%.
While wearing a seat belt can not only save your life, but you can face a penalty if you get pulled over. Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia require all drivers and passengers to wear a seat belt when inside of a motor vehicle. Just wear your seat belt. Doing so will prevent you from obtaining a reduced settlement and more importantly, it can prevent you from sustaining serious injury or even death.
We Are Here for You
If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident, our tri-state attorneys are committed to fighting for you every step of the way to bring you the justice you deserve. At Burnside Brankamp Law, we fight like the Underdog to win like the favorite.