Boston Seat Belt Safety Lawyer Tips

Seat Belt LawSeat belts have been mandatory in cars manufactured since 1966 and all drivers and passengers are required to wear them, with few exceptions. Still, accidents happen and people are injured because they were not wearing a seat belt or a child was not properly restrained in a child safety seat. The following are some tips from a Boston accident lawyer about seat belts.

  1. Be sure your child is in an approved child safety seat until he or she is at least 8 years of age or is at least 57 inches tall.
  1. Wearing a seat belt can minimize injuries in an accident and prevent you from being ejected from your seat or into a window. Although Massachusetts law does not allow your failure to wear a seat belt to be evidence of negligence or comparative negligence in a car accident in Boston or elsewhere in the state that could decrease your award for compensation, why take the risk of suffering a permanent injury or death?
  1. If you are unsure about how to use a child safety seat, you can go to your local police department and have an officer examine the seat to be sure it complies with safety regulations. Some studies suggest that over 70% of such seats are not used properly.
  1. Be sure everyone in your car is buckled up before you drive. You should be responsible for the safety of the people in your car.
  1. You do not have to wear a seat belt if you are a rural postal worker, bus driver or passenger, taxi driver, tractor driver or a truck driver if your truck is at least 18,000 pounds. Also, no seat belt is required if your car was manufactured in 1966 or earlier.  Seat belts still offer more protection, so wear one.
  1. Another exception to the seat belt requirement is if you can provide medical documentation that your medical condition or particular disability would pose a danger if you were to wear a seatbelt.

Do not take seat belts for granted. Although not wearing one is considered a secondary violation in Massachusetts, meaning that you can only be ticketed for not wearing one if you were stopped for violating a traffic law or ordinance, your health and safety should be paramount. Make it a routine for you and your children so that it becomes second nature.

Damages in a Car Accident
Car Accident LawyerIf you suffered injuries in a car accident in Boston, you are entitled to compensation for certain damages:

  • Lost earnings
  • Medical expenses
  • Lost earning capacity
  • Rehabilitation costs
  • Loss of consortium by a spouse
  • Pain and suffering including emotional trauma

Although not wearing a seat belt can certainly increase your chances of sustaining a serious injury or even death in a car accident, it cannot, as indicated above, be introduced at trial before the trier-of-fact in determining if you were comparatively negligent. To maximize your compensation, retain a car accident lawyer who can investigate the facts of your accident, contact all responsible parties, handle any insurance issues including coverage disputes, and gather the necessary records and supporting documentation of the nature and extent of your injuries.

Retain Car Accident Lawyer Neil Burns & Roshan Jain

Neil Burns has served his community since1985 and has helped low and moderate income clients in various matters at reduced fees in many cases. Personal injury and car accident cases are on a contingency basis so that you pay no out-of-pocket costs. Mr. Burns have been representing the rights or injured claimants against individual and corporate defendants for decades and gives each case the same focus and attention. Contact Burns and Jain today for a free and confidential evaluation of your injury claim at (617) 227-7423.