We all know how important it is to wear your seatbelt. Statistics prove again and again that this simple habit saves lives. But did you know your seatbelt usage — or rather, lack of useage — can be brought up in court during a trial?
Let’s say you are in a car wreck which clearly was not your fault. Because you want to protect your rights, you meet with an attorney and then decide to file a lawsuit. When a fair settlement is not offered, your case goes to court. At the trial, the lawyer for the other side (the person who caused the wreck) is allowed by law to bring up whether you were wearing your seatbelt or not. Even if you did not cause the accident, you can still be found negligent because you did not have on a seatbelt. The other attorney can claim that you are responsible for part of your injury because you failed to protect your safety. And this means, you might be awarded less than you deserve for damages.
If you have any questions about seatbelt safety laws, contact the car accident lawyers at Carr & Carr Attorneys. With a dozen experienced personal injury attorneys and a support staff of approximately 40 trained professionals, we can help if you’ve been hurt.