Car Accident Seat Belt Injuries | Seatbelt Trauma, Burn, Rash, Injury to Organs

Injuries From Seatbelts

Seatbelts are meant to prevent serious injury during a car crash, but sometimes seat belts cause injuries in an accident. You may be able to file a lawsuit to get compensation if you are injured by a seatbelt. You need an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you file the lawsuit so that you can get the compensation you deserve.

Minor Seat Belt Injuries

common seat belt injuries Most of the time injuries caused by seat belts are minor and do not seriously impact the life of a person. But there are instances where seat belts can cause serious internal injuries and other injuries that require extended medical treatment.

Knowing how these injuries happen can help you prevent seat belt injuries.

Causes Of Seat Belt Injuries

Seat belts offer protection by restraining you when your vehicle collides with another vehicle or object or when it comes to an abrupt stop. It prevents you from getting thrown forwards into the windshield which can result in serious injuries. Since it has to hold you securely in the event of an accident that contact can result in an injury depending on the following factors:

The speed of your vehicle at the time of the collision
The position of the seat belt on the body
The severity of the collision
Whether the seatbelt functioned as it was designed to do during an accident or not
Whether there was a manufacturer defect on the seat belt that you knew nothing about
The kind of seat belt that was being used. Was it a shoulder belt or a lap belt?

These factors can lead to a seat belt injury. For instance, a malfunctioning seat belt is likely to break the moment your car collides with another vehicle or object, which means it won’t restrain you as it is supposed to do. Sometimes when two cars crash, they hit each other really hard. This can make your seat belt hurt you because it holds you back so strongly.

Common Injuries Caused By Seat Belts

Many accident victims have abrasions or bruising caused by a seat belt’s restraint on their bodies. But these injuries can get worse depending on the nature of the accident. The position of the seat belt on a person’s body determines the kind of injury that may result in the event of a serious accident. Lap belts or seat belts that go around the lap can cause internal abdominal injuries or spinal cord injuries.

Seat Belt Syndrome

You are likely to get injuries such as neck injuries and shoulder lacerations if you were using shoulder belts. Shoulder belts are seat belts that go across your shoulder.

Seat Belt Injury Most Common Organs

Generally, seat belt injuries include:

Dashboard or PCL injuries
Chest and sternum injuries
Intestinal injury
Bruised or fractured ribs
Neck injury or whiplash
Torn shoulder muscles or tendons
Head injuries caused by impact with the steering wheel
Abdominal wall injury
Injuries to the soft tissues of the abdomen

Some of these injuries such as injuries that result from how the seatbelt was positioned during the accident do not often show symptoms immediately. Sometimes you experience the symptoms hours or days after the accident. So, go get examined at the hospital after a serious accident just in case.

Sources Cited

Most common seat belt injuries https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470262/
What is seat belt syndrome? https://www.impactmedicalgroup.com/2022/10/10/how-can-i-tell-if-i-have-seat-belt-syndrome/
How often do seat belts malfunction? https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts