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Seat Belts & Injury Claims in Ohio

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How Wearing or Not Wearing a Seat Belt Affects Your Injury Case

Wearing a seat belt is one of the most effective ways to prevent injury or death when you’re in a car accident. In Ohio, it’s the law.

Anyone driving or riding in the front seat of a car must wear a seat belt. Children between eight and 15 years old must wear a seat belt no matter where they are in the car. Children under eight years old must use a booster seat or child safety seat that is securely anchored.

Drivers in Ohio have become lax about wearing seat belts in recent years. The Ohio Department of Public Safety found that compliance with seat belt laws dropped to 80 percent in 2022—the lowest in 17 years.

Almost three out of every five traffic fatalities in Ohio involved a driver or passenger not wearing a seat belt.

If you weren’t wearing a seat belt at the time of a crash, it doesn’t mean the other driver who caused the accident isn’t to blame. But it can mean you will be deemed partially responsible for your injuries.

This can impact the amount of compensation you receive when you file an insurance claim or personal injury claim against the other driver. Make sure you have someone looking out for your rights.

The seat belt injury claims lawyers at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal (HNB) have been helping injured Ohioans for more than 40 years.

We’ve seen many cases where use of a seat belt was an issue in the wreck, and we can help you maximize the compensation available to you.

Give us a call today and we can help you get the peace of mind you need when dealing with the fear and frustration that follows a serious car accident.

You pay nothing to get a skilled car accident lawyer working on your case. You only pay an attorney fee when you win compensation.

We want you to be the next who says, “Helping me, that’s HNB.”

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    What Happens When You Don’t Wear a Seat Belt

    Seat belts are proven to reduce injuries in serious car accidents. When you don’t wear one, injuries can be catastrophic.

    The force of a car slamming into another can cause vehicles to come to an abrupt stop or roll over.

    Damage can be even more severe when one of the vehicles is a large truck or bus. Without a seat belt, drivers and passengers can be hurtled around the interior of a vehicle or even ejected.

    Injuries from accidents when someone isn’t wearing a seat belt include broken bones, concussions, bruising, internal bleeding and organ damage. Recovery from these types of injuries can be long and costly.

    If you weren’t wearing a seat belt, however, it shouldn’t stop you from seeking the financial compensation you deserve when you’re injured because of another driver’s reckless behavior.

    At HNB, our attorneys have secured more than $500,000,000.00 in awards, benefits and settlements for injured Ohioans.

    We can look at your case for free and guide you toward the best possible outcome to help you recover and get on with your life.

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    How Does Seat Belt Use Impact Who’s at Fault?

    In any car accident, the key to winning financial compensation hinges on proving the other driver acted recklessly or was negligent.

    Because Ohio is a comparative negligence state, to win compensation you must prove the other driver is more than 50 percent responsible.

    Wearing or not wearing a seat belt doesn’t affect the cause of the accident. That’s decided by determining the at-fault driver’s actions and state of mind when the crash occurred.

    But not wearing a seat belt does impact the level of responsibility the at-fault driver may have for your injuries. The other driver could argue they should be allowed to pay less because you weren’t wearing a seat belt.

    For example, under Ohio’s comparative negligence system, you could be found 20 percent responsible for your injuries because you didn’t wear a seat belt. That means if you were awarded $100,000, you would only receive $80,000.

    When the other driver alleges your lack of seat belt use should reduce their cost, this is when you want a skilled car accident attorney by your side to defend your right to compensation.

    The Ohio personal injury lawyers at HNB know how to manage these situations.

    Don’t let the fact that you weren’t wearing a seat belt stop you from getting the help you need.

    If you live in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton or anywhere in Ohio, give HNB a call. We’ll be with you every step of the way, helping you recover and move on after a wreck.

    Call HNB Today  Call HNB Today