While seat belts are essential safety devices designed to save lives and prevent you from being thrown during motor vehicle accidents, the strong pressure and force on the body can sometimes cause unique injuries. In the medical field, the combination of physical force and restraint injuries is often referred to as seat belt syndrome. Understanding these hidden risks and how the law handles crash recovery is vital for anyone injured on the road.
Common medical complications from seat belt trauma
During a high-speed collision, lap and shoulder belts concentrate a massive amount of moving energy across the chest, abdomen and pelvis. This sudden impact often leads to severe medical issues that may not be immediately apparent:
- Internal damage: A lap belt can press hard against your belly, tearing the bowel or injuring the liver and spleen. This can cause dangerous internal bleeding.
- Chest injuries: Shoulder straps can push heavily against your ribs and breastbone. This can result in broken ribs, a bruised heart or a punctured lung.
- Spine breaks: A common injury is a horizontal break in the lower spine. This happens when the seat belt holds your hips still while your upper body snaps forward.
- Hidden symptoms: Your body’s natural response to stress can hide pain after a crash. You might feel fine at first but face life-threatening issues hours later.
When severe seat belt injuries occur, handling insurance claims requires knowing state rules. Unlike many other states that use different fault systems, Maryland follows a contributory negligence standard, one of the strictest in the country. Under this harsh legal standard, if an injured driver is found even 1% at fault for the accident, they recover nothing.
However, Maryland law protects crash victims regarding seat belt use. The law limits how seat belt nonuse can be used in personal injury claims, offering important protections for crash victims seeking compensation and generally prohibits insurance adjusters and defense lawyers from using seat belt nonuse to reduce payouts.
Taking the right steps
Victims facing surgeries, long-term rehabilitation and medical bills may be able to seek compensation for their losses, depending on the facts of the case. Consulting a skilled personal injury attorney could help protect your rights and fight for the compensation available.
