It is hard to believe that some people still forget to fasten their seatbelt however here at FJG we still come across cases where a person’s injuries could have been severely reduced, if they had just had their seatbelt on.
The law requiring all drivers to wear their seatbelts came into force over 39 years ago on 31 January 1983. It is safe to say that thousands of lives have been saved and countless injuries prevented as a result of drivers and passengers wearing their seatbelts.
If the safety benefits alone aren’t enough to encourage people to buckle up, then perhaps the hefty £500 penalty fine would be enough to persuade you.
However, the punishment for not wearing your seatbelt doesn’t stop there. If you are unfortunate enough to have suffered an injury in a road traffic accident whilst not wearing your seatbelt there may well be a deduction in the amount of compensation you could receive.
By failing to wear your seatbelt the law takes the view that you have contributed to your own injuries. The courts have found that if your injuries could have been prevented had you been wearing a seatbelt then your damages will be reduced by 25%. If it could be argued that your injuries were made worse by not wearing a seatbelt then the reduction is 15%.
A specialist solicitor will obtain medical evidence to help determine what, if any, deduction should be accepted therefore if you have suffered injury whilst not wearing your seatbelt so we strongly suggest that you seek legal advice before liaising with the Defendants.
Accordingly if you have been injured in any accident that wasn’t your fault please contact Rhian Lowe on 01206 835269 for some free initial advice.