Symptoms of a Seat Belt Injury

Seat belts save thousands of lives every year and prevent some of the worst car accident-related injuries that a person can sustain. This does not, however, mean that their use doesn’t come without its own set of risks. In fact, many car accident victims report suffering from symptoms specifically because they used their seat belts, where the strap itself actually caused injuries to the abdomen and chest areas.

What is Seat Belt Syndrome?

In particularly forceful impacts, the seat belt straps that restrain our bodies and keep us from suffering significant impacts can actually cause injuries. This occurs when the physical force of impact causes the areas above and below the belt to continue forward, while the point of contact remains fixed (where the seat belt is located). Transmission of physical force in this way is known as seat belt syndrome, or seat belt injury when it causes physical damage. These injuries can range in severity from abrasions or bruising, from the hip to the shoulder and crossing the chest area at a 45 degree angle to intra-abdominal injuries and spinal fractures. Other injuries include:

• Solid-organ injuries, such as liver and spleen lacerations, as well as trauma to the pancreas and kidneys;
• Injuries to the neck, like cervical spine and clavicle fractures; and
• Thoracic injuries, such as rib fractures, sternal fractures, and pulmonary contusions.

These injuries can be serious and except in the case of bruising and abrasions may leave no visible sign, which is why car accident victims should keep an eye out for specific symptoms, like dizziness, blood in the urine, vomiting or coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, and pain between the ribs and hips.

Recovering Damages for a Seat Belt Injury 

Diagnosing and treating seat belt injuries can end up being prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, in Georgia, car accident victims who can prove that their injury was the result of someone else’s negligence can recover compensation for these, and other, costs. This is true even if the injury wasn’t the result of a design or manufacturing defect in the seat belt itself, as the claimant would still not have suffered the injury were it not for the at-fault party’s negligent actions. In other cases, however, a seat belt manufacturer could bear partial responsibility for the injuries. These cases can be complicated, as they involve multiple defendants and so usually require the help of an attorney. In Georgia, car accident victims have two years from the date of their injury to file a lawsuit against the parties responsible for the crash.

Reach Out to Our Dedicated Atlanta Car Accident Lawyers for Help 

If a negligent driver caused your Georgia car accident and you suffered a seat belt injury as a result, you could be entitled to financial reimbursement for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Call Shiver Hamilton Campbell at 404-593-0020 to learn more about your rights and options following such a collision from one of our experienced Atlanta car accident lawyers today.

Sources: 

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470262/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818312/