It is a well-known fact that wearing a seat belt greatly increases the chances of surviving a serious auto accident or avoiding serious and life-altering injuries. Regardless, millions of people continue to consciously get on America’s roadways without buckling up.
Early this month, when the driver of a 2004 Nissan Pathfinder went off the left side of the roadway and then tried to steer back onto roadway, he over-corrected causing the man to loss of control of the vehicle. The vehicle rolled across, and off the ride side of the highway. Two of the eight occupants were ejected during the rollover. It is believed they were passengers and not wearing a seat belt. One died at the scene; the other died at the hospital that evening. The remaining occupants of the vehicle were all wearing seat belts at the time of the accident and sustained minor injuries.
While there is no way of knowing how injured the two deceased passengers would have been had the seatbelt kept them contained in the rolling vehicle, it is worth noting that the driver and other passengers who were belted in escaped unharmed or with minor injuries.
It is sometimes difficult to fathom that a piece of fabric can be a vital difference between life and death, but the evidence is overwhelming that a seat belt is your first, best defense against injury and death in an auto accident. Choosing not to wear a seat belt not only increases the risk of injury or death, but also the risk of substantial medical expenses and possibly an increase in insurance costs. Additionally, if you are facing a lawsuit against a negligence party, recovery can be substantially reduced because without a safety belt, it may be determined that you contributed to your injuries or your loved one contributed his/her death. Whether you may think it is un-cool or uncomfortable, whatever temporary discomfort a safety belt provides is not worth the risks or the costs.
I urge all my readers to take time to watch “Embrace Life – Always Wear Your Seat Belt,” a video depicting the physical and emotional effects of an auto accident victim who was not wearing a seat belt. Whether you are a mother, father, sister, brother, grandma, grandpa, cousin, aunt, uncle, good friend, being in an auto accident doesn’t just affect you.
Mark Bello has thirty-six years experience as a trial lawyer and fourteen years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by a plaintiff involved in pending, personal injury, litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Member of Public Justice, Public Citizen, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.
