As you’re likely aware, seat belts work by limiting your forward movement in a car accident, preventing you from striking your head against the steering wheel or dashboard. And the data is there to prove that seat belts are indeed effective.
However, the force exerted on your chest and abdomen by your seat belt can also cause its own share of injuries. After a car accident in Lafayette, LA, a Lafayette seatbelt injury lawyer from Kenny Habetz Injury Law can help you recover compensation for all your injuries, including those potentially caused by your seat belt.
Contact our law office in Lafayette, Louisiana, at (337) 399-9000 to schedule a free consultation with a Lafayette seatbelt injury attorney. A seat belt can injure you even when it otherwise saves your life. Contact Kenny Habetz Injury Law to learn about seeking compensation for such injuries.
How Kenny Habetz Injury Law Can Help After You Suffer a Seatbelt Injury in Lafayette, LA
Over the last fourteen years, Kenny Habetz Injury Law has recovered millions of dollars in injury compensation for accident victims in Lafayette, Louisiana. Our founding Lafayette personal injury attorney has over 15 years of legal experience standing up to insurers and at-fault parties.
When you suffer injuries in a blunt trauma car accident caused by someone else’s negligent driving, our Lafayette car accident lawyer will perform the following tasks for you:
- Review your case (for free) to assess your legal right to compensation
- Collect records from the police and your doctors for your case
- File a claim with the other driver’s insurance company
- Take your case to court if the insurer denies your claim or refuses to settle
Injuries from a car crash can leave you facing health problems and financial difficulties, so do not hesitate to contact Kenny Habetz Injury Law to discuss the financial compensation you can pursue for them.
What Are My Seat Belt Injuries From My Car Accident Case Worth?
Seat belt injuries are compensated like any others you sustain in an accident. Both the other driver and their insurer must pay for all injuries that result from a car accident caused by the driver’s negligent actions. It does not matter whether you hit the steering wheel or were injured by your seat belt.
What Compensation Is Available To Accident Victims?
You can seek compensation for both your economic and non-economic losses resulting from your car accident injuries. Economic losses cover your medical bills and lost income. Thus, if you visited the emergency room after suffering chest pain in your car crash, the accompanying hospital bills can be included in your car accident claim.
Non-economic losses are often referred to as “pain and suffering.” Chest injuries from a seat belt impact can be painful, potentially limiting your movement for several days or weeks and diminishing your quality of life as a result. You can seek compensation for these losses in your claim.
How Much Do Car Accident Lawyers Charge?
Car accident lawyers often charge a contingency fee, which is calculated at the end of your case based on the compensation they recover. This arrangement means your attorney only gets paid if they win money for you.
Can I Seek Compensation if the Other Driver Blames Me for a Car Accident In Louisiana?
Even if your seat belt injury happened in a crash where you may have contributed to the cause, you can still seek compensation under Louisiana’s comparative fault law. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your level of fault.
What Are Some Common Seat Belt Injuries?
Some common seat belt injuries include the following:
- Chest bruise
- Fractured ribs
- Torn chest cartilage
- Strained chest muscles
These chest injuries from hitting your seat belt are, thankfully, often minor. A fractured rib will usually heal within six to eight weeks, for instance. However, you should always seek medical care for chest pain after a crash, as it may signify a life-threatening injury to your vital organs.
What Are Some Common Causes of Car Accidents In Lafayette, LA?
Seat belt injuries happen when your body is thrown into your seat belt during a collision. They commonly happen in rear-end crashes and head-on collisions, wherein your body’s momentum carries it forward into the seat belt.
According to Louisiana car accident statistics derived from the Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation Safety (CARTS), rear-end crashes are the most common type of collision. In 2023, over 28% of Louisiana car accidents involved a rear-end collision, according to the Manner of Collision table on the How Crashes Occur tab.
What Is The Deadline To File A Lawsuit After A Car Accident In Louisiana?
Louisiana has a two-year statute of limitations for injury claims occurring before 7/1/2024. Accidents occurring before that date may be subject to a one-year statute of limitations. Because the state’s deadline arrives so quickly, you should contact a lawyer promptly after an accident to start working on your case.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident?
Seat belt injuries can happen even in a minor car accident. If you have any pain in your chest after a car accident, you should seek medical care. A chest injury can range from minor bruising from hitting your seat belt to serious internal injuries to your heart or lungs. If you experience severe chest pain, call for an ambulance when you report the accident.
Contact Our Lafayette Seatbelt Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
The driver who caused your collision may be responsible for all of your injuries, including those resulting from seat belt use. Contact Kenny Habetz Injury Law for a free consultation to discuss your Lafayette, LA, car crash and how our Lafayette seatbelt injury lawyer can help you fight for fair injury compensation.
