Seat Belt Injuries in Car Accidents
If you get into a car accident, your seat belt is supposed to protect you from injury – not inflict harm. However, many car accident victims suffer injuries from the force of impact with their seat belts. These injuries, as with any others sustained in an automobile accident in Colorado, can be included on a car accident insurance claim in pursuit of financial compensation.
What Are Common Seat Belt Injuries?
While there is no question that seat belts save lives, they can also be the cause of certain injuries in automobile accidents due to the force of the occupant’s body against the straps. “Seat belt syndrome” describes an injury pattern often seen in crash victims who were wearing seat belts at the time of their accidents.
While safety restraint systems can prevent a car accident occupant from suffering catastrophic or fatal car accident injuries, the impact between the victim’s body and the safety harness can be powerful enough to inflict injuries, as well. Common examples include:
- Bruising or broken ribs
- Sternum (chest) fractures
- Neck and shoulder injuries
- Whiplash
- Soft-tissue damage
- Bruising or contusions
- Abrasions or lacerations
- Abdominal or internal injuries
- Organ damage
- Spinal cord fractures and other back injuries
Symptoms to look out for in a potential case of seat belt injuries include pain or tenderness, redness, bruising, stiffness, loss of mobility, trouble breathing, and numbness and tingling. These symptoms may affect the places where the seat belt rested during the car accident or, in the case of a spinal cord injury, impact the rest of the body, as well.
How to Seek Financial Compensation for Seat Belt Injuries After a Car Accident in Colorado
Colorado is an “at-fault” car accident state. When a vehicle collision takes place, those injured in the crash have the right to seek damages or financial compensation from the at-fault person or party. If a car accident causes seat belt injuries, these can be included in the victim’s car insurance claim.
All drivers in Colorado are required to carry liability insurance to pay for the medical bills and property repairs of others after an at-fault crash. If you are diagnosed with seat belt injuries, you may qualify for benefits under this coverage if you can prove that the other driver is at fault.
Another possibility for seat belt injury compensation is a product liability claim. This may be available if the seat belt you were using was defective and malfunctioned during a car accident, such as the buckle unlatching or belt tearing. Seat belt defects may give you the right to hold a manufacturer or distributor responsible in addition to the person who caused the car accident.
How Can a Car Accident Attorney in Fort Collins Help With a Seat Belt Injury Case?
If you get diagnosed with any type of seat belt injury from a car crash in Colorado, get help with the claims process by consulting with an attorney. A Fort Collins car accident lawyer can help you get the medical care you need to recover from all of your crash-related injuries, including any caused by a safety restraint belt.
Your attorney can gather evidence to prove your claim against another driver for causing your car accident and all related injuries. If your seat belt contained a defect, your lawyer can help you bring a product liability claim against a manufacturer in addition to your car insurance claim for maximum compensation. Meanwhile, you can focus on healing.
To discuss seat belt injuries in connection to a recent car accident in Fort Collins, contact Cannon Law to request a free consultation.