A Virginia personal injury attorney knows that one of the easiest ways to minimize your risk of a car accident injury is to buckle up every time you get in your vehicle. Sadly, despite the overwhelming evidence that seat belts save lives, almost 30 million people in this country make the sometimes-tragic decision to not use their seat belts. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that seat belts save more than 15,000 lives every year. Imagine how many more lives could be saved if everyone buckled up. According to the NHTSA, that would be at least 2,000 lives every year.
If you have been injured in a car accident, contact the legal team at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp. A car accident attorney from our firm can help you get the financial compensation you may be entitled to for the losses that you have suffered.
Reasons to Buckle Up
Not only does a seat belt keep you from hitting the dashboard or other areas of the vehicle in a crash, but it can also help minimize injury should the airbag deploy. In fact, if the airbag deploys and the occupant is not wearing a seatbelt, not only are they not protected, but they can also actually suffer more severe injuries from that force.
Another danger of not wearing seat belts is the risk a person has of being ejected from the vehicle in the event of a crash. Unrestrained occupants can also injure other occupants in the vehicle if the force of the impact is strong enough to fling occupants around the vehicle.
Contact a Virginia Personal Injury Attorney
Although not wearing a seat belt will not legally affect your injury claim, wearing one could save your life and we urge everyone to buckle up when getting in their vehicle, no matter how close or how far your destination is.
If you have been injured in a car accident, contact a Virginia car accident attorney to find out what legal options you may have. Depending on the circumstances of the accident you were in, you may be entitled to financial compensation for medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and any other losses your injuries have caused you.
The legal team at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp will work diligently to get you the best financial outcome based on the circumstances of your case, like the $235,000 settlement we obtained for one client who suffered a mild concussion, soft tissue injuries to her back and neck, and a laceration to her face in a crash caused by another driver who failed to yield the right of way.
Call our office today for a free and confidential case evaluation. In the meantime, our firm offers a free consumer guide, Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in Virginia. This guide covers many topics, including what damages you can claim, how much your claim may be worth, how and why most claims settle, how injuries to passengers are different, and what a car accident attorney’s duties are to their client.
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