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What Happens to Seat Belts After a Crash?
Lawyers for Seatbelt Injuries Auto Accident Claims: Chicago, Illinois
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC frequently assists people with seatbelt injuries in Chicago auto accidents in obtaining the compensation they are entitled to receive. In addition, our Illinois auto accident lawyers can help you assert your legal rights if you have received a seat belt injury.
Our personal injury attorneys are ready to guide you through the legal process and take the time to meet with you to discuss your legal options. Please feel free to fill out our online form or call us for more information to receive a free case review.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) discovered that over fifty-one percent of car crash victims avoided death because they were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.
While seat belts might prevent deaths, the severe injuries resulting from a seat belt restraint have only recently been studied. Illinois law affords any individual injured by a seatbelt to recover compensation for their injuries from the party who caused the collision.
A Victim's Legal Rights
Individuals injured by seat belts have legal rights. However, just because a seat belt might have saved an individual's life does not mean that person was not injured from that seat belt during the crash.
The seatbelt and the victim's car might have a manufacturing or design defect. As a result, all companies involved in the manufacturing and distribution chain of seat belts might be liable for the damages suffered by drivers and passengers due to seat belt defects.
Basic Illinois Seat Belt Laws
All drivers and front-seat passengers must wear a seat belt properly while a motor vehicle is in motion in Illinois. Also, passenger children under nineteen must wear a safety belt if a driver is under eighteen years old.
All children under eight years of age, regardless of their location in a vehicle, must be secured in an approved child safety system to minimize the severity of harm if they are injured in an accident. In addition, a family with a child should ensure it has a child-friendly protection seat to ensure safety while in the vehicle.
Seat Belt Injury Facts and Statistics
In serious vehicle accidents, seat belts might restrain individuals if they reach speeds over 100 m.p.h. The results of a crash at excessive speed could leave individuals with whiplash, severed limbs, and other serious injuries.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a report finding that thousands of individuals suffered from lap and shoulder harm when they used their seatbelts.
The NHTSA released the following seat belt related injury statistics in a study titled, "Seatbelt Injuries in Medical and Statistical Perspectives:"
- Over 4600 individuals suffered from lap harm after using lap belts. That accounts for an injury rate of 24.2 percent
- More than 81,000 individuals suffered from lap/shoulder injuries after using a seat belt. That accounts for an injury rate of 25.2 percent
- Approximately 129,000 individuals suffered harm because of not using a seat belt, at an injury rate of 54.6 percent
Research Studies on Internal Organ Damage Resulting From Seat Belt Use
Numerous other published research studies have tracked individuals' injuries from auto accidents after using their seat belts. For example, a study published in the Southern Medical Journal by Dr. Greingor and Dr. Lazarus discovered that seat belt injuries patients frequently suffered from sternal fractures.
The study is entitled "Chest and Abdominal Harm Caused by Seat Belt Wearing" revealed findings of passengers involved in auto accidents who:
- Suffered from an increase in abdominal tenderness and muscle fiber damage
- Suffered from bowel injuries
- Suffered from an increase in higher mortality and morbidity rates involving a delayed diagnosis of bowel harm
Types of Seat Belt Injuries
A motor vehicle's sudden stop could cause significant pain if a shoulder strap presses the upper torso. Many accident victims require physical therapy and chiropractic care after seat belt harm.
The common injuries that victims could suffer from the use of seat belt restraining devices are:
- Broken bones
- Head injuries
- Whiplash
- Fractured sternum
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding and trauma
- Abdominal pain injuries
- Bowel injuries
- Skin abrasions
- Lumbar spine
- Fractured ribs
- Shoulder injuries
- Chest complications
Sample Settlements & Verdicts Related to Seatbelt Injuries Related to Illinois Auto Accidents
$212,000 Settlement; Rockford, Illinois; 2016
A mother and her daughter were driving in downtown Rockford when a large truck turned left and crashed into their passenger car. The mother broke some bones and needed a hip replaced, generating almost $90,000 in medical expenses.
The daughter suffered neck, chest, and back harm because of the safety belt she was wearing. Later, these injuries caused facial drooping and paralysis.
The daughter spent more than $30,000 in medical bills fixing these problems. Finally, they both sued the truck driver.
Despite the truck driver's protestations that the patients' problems predate the car accident, he finally did cooperate, and the parties settled. As a result, the mother received $150,000 of financial compensation, and the daughter received $62,500 for her damages.
$1,300,000 Settlement; Chicago, Illinois; 2015
This personal injury lawsuit started as a trip to Chicago for work. A woman in her early sixties was traveling to Illinois to attend a conference. Unfortunately, the van she traveled in did not correctly install the safety belt.
Therefore, when the van stopped abruptly, she was sent flying to the floor, hurting her knee. To make matters worse, upon exiting the vehicle, she tumbled down and broke her femur. As a result, she sued the truck driver and large truck company for damages.
She claimed they were both negligent and responsible for her injuries, costs (including almost $300,000 in medical expenses), and pain and disability from her subsequent knee replacement surgery following the events. However, the company denied they were at fault.
The company claimed the woman was exaggerating her injuries. Yet, the company also agreed to settle. At the end of the process, the woman received a $1.3 million settlement package.
$690,000 Settlement; Lake County, Illinois; 2012
This controversy occurred in Gurnee, Illinois. A forty-year-old woman was waiting for a red light to change to green when she was rear-ended by the defendant's motor vehicle. The car was traveling at nearly fifty miles per hour when he slammed into her passenger car.
The car flipped over and left her hanging in her seat. As she hung upside down in midair, the safety belt cut into her organs and broke a few of her bones. The trips to the hospital, doctors, and rehab cost her almost $200,000.
She also had to miss work for three months due to seat belt harm, costing approximately $8,000. She presented this evidence when bringing a claim against the driver in an Illinois court and the resulting loss and damage. The two sides settled before it could reach a jury. The man's insurance company gave her $690,000.
$2,500,000 Settlement; Cook County, Illinois; 2007
A young family was riding in their motor vehicle in Schaumburg when another vehicle chased through a yellow light and turned left into them. The crash was catastrophic. The family's little six-year-old girl was killed when the safety belt crushed her spine.
Not long after the tragic events, the family brought a suit against the driver. The case was for personal injury and wrongful death. Fortunately for the plaintiffs, the defendants chose to settle the claim out of court instead of presenting evidence at trial. Because of that, the defendant's insurance company gave the family $2.5 million.
Vehicle Accident Seatbelt Injury FAQs
Our personal attorneys understand that many families have unanswered questions about dealing with insurance companies after an auto crash leading to severe and fatal injuries. Our legal team has answered some of those questions below.
Call our law office today for additional information. All sensitive or confidential information you share with our law firm remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Hiring a Vehicle Accident Seatbelt Injury Attorney Can Help
Did you receive a safety belt injury during a car accident requiring medical care, or did you lose a loved one in an automobile accident due to a defective seat belt? If so, please speak with one of our attorneys for help today.
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, our auto accident attorneys are legal advocates for injured victims harmed through the negligence of others. Call our law office today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) to use the contact form to schedule a free consultation.
Our law firm accepts all personal injury cases and wrongful death lawsuits through contingency fee agreements. This promise ensures you pay nothing until your legal matter is successfully resolved through a jury trial verdict or negotiated settlement.
All family members who lost a loved one in a car accident have a legal right to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking financial compensation. Typically, the monetary recovery covers hospitalization costs, medical bills, lost wages, future lost earnings, familial support, loss of consortium/companionship, pain, suffering, and funeral & burial expenses.
We understand how overwhelming it can be to consider filing a lawsuit for a seat belt injury.