Wearing your seat belt is one of the best ways to avoid serious injury in the event of an accident. According to the latest data from the NHSTA, 47% of the vehicle occupants killed in auto accidents in 2019 were unbuckled when the accident occurred. Data also revealed that seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017.
Wearing a seat belt in Florida isn’t only the smart thing to do, it’s the law. In Florida, the driver and front-seat passengers of a vehicle are all required to wear seat belts. In addition, all persons under 18 are required to be restrained by a safety belt or by a child restraint device no matter where they sit. You can be pulled over and fined for failing to wear a seat belt.
The Amount You Can Collect in Damages Can Be Affected if You Weren’t Wearing a Seat Belt
Florida state law also allows you to seek compensation after you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by another driver. You can still seek compensation for your injuries in a car accident case even if you were not wearing a seat belt when the wreck occurred. However, it may have a big effect on the total amount of compensation you will be able to collect for your accident-related injuries.
Florida applies a standard of comparative negligence when it comes to assigning liability after an accident. This means the court assigns a percentage of liability based on the role each party played in causing the accident. This can be bad news if you weren’t wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
Let’s say you suffered $50,000 in personal injuries as a result of being rear-ended by another driver while stopped at a traffic light. You file a personal injury claim to recover these losses. If you were wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, there’s a chance you could collect the entire $50,000. However, if you were not wearing a seat belt and the court determines that your injuries were caused in part by the fact that you weren’t wearing a seat belt, you could collect considerably less in your car accident case.
Get the Compensation You Deserve for Your Car Accident Injuries
Have you been injured in a Central Florida car accident that was the fault of another driver? To collect the maximum amount of compensation you are owed for your accident-related injuries, it is important to prove who was responsible for your accident and by how much. The best way to do this is by hiring a personal injury attorney to represent your claim.
Lutz car accident attorney Tania Rivas and Rivas Law Group are dedicated to protecting the rights of those who were injured due to the careless actions of another. Tania has successfully represented clients in Lutz, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and other Central Florida communities who have been injured in a wide range of car, big truck, and motorcycle accidents. She possesses the skills and resources to accurately establish who was liable for your accident and to what extent. Tania has earned millions of dollars in settlements for her clients, including $750,000 for a motorist who sustained neck and back injuries in a rear-end accident.
Contact Rivas Law Group today to speak to an experienced auto accident lawyer about your case. Tania handles most personal injury cases on a contingency basis, which means there are no upfront costs for her representation.
