Jacksonville Seat Belt Injury Lawyer
Although seat belts save lives, they can also cause significant injuries in a car accident. In rare instances, a seat belt can malfunction and fail to offer any protection. In either case, you may be entitled to significant compensation for the pain, suffering, and expense caused by your injuries. Our Jacksonville seat belt injury lawyers are dedicated to helping those who need it most. Call us today at (904) 549-6434 to schedule your free consultation.
Being ejected from a vehicle in an accident carries a high risk of serious injury or death. Seat belts are designed to keep you securely fastened inside the vehicle during an accident to minimize harm. Therefore, Florida law requires most drivers and passengers to wear a seat belt while driving or riding in a moving vehicle.
However, the seat belt itself can cause serious injuries. When a car suddenly stops during a collision, your body continues moving forward, but the seat belt straps may bruise you or cut into the parts of your body they are holding in place. In some cases, cuts and bruises could be signs of serious internal injuries. In other cases, the seat belt may fail to keep you secure during an accident, allowing you to be ejected. Numerous parties may owe you compensation for your seat belt injuries. Our Jacksonville car accident lawyers can help you get the justice you deserve.
Why Hire Our Jacksonville Seat Belt Injury Attorneys
If you’ve suffered a seat belt injury, the insurance company may blame you, claiming that you wore it incorrectly. If the seat belt has malfunctioned and failed to protect you, the insurance company may even accuse you of not wearing a seat belt at all and deny coverage for your injuries. An experienced seat belt injury lawyer will know how to prove your injuries weren’t your fault and recover the compensation you deserve.
We have been protecting you and your family since 1979, and our experience makes all the difference. Our client-centric law firm will put you and your family first. Our attorneys work together as a team, sharing strengths and resources to ensure you get the best results and always have a point of contact you can reach with questions and concerns.
We have recovered over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements, and our results are no accident. We win through caring, understanding, and hard work. We don’t charge any upfront fees, and you only pay us if we win. Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation and let us go to work for you.
“Part of our reputation is that we put people first. It starts with clients being our number one concern. That's something we've stood for since 1979. Our reputation is built on that basis and that's how we got to where we are today.”
A Seat Belt Injury Law Firm That Cares About Our Community
We have homegrown roots in Jacksonville and feel a moral obligation to give back to the community where we got our start. We are dedicated to making Jacksonville a safer community for anyone who walks, rides, or drives in the Jacksonville area.
This is why we launched our Safe Ride Home program, offering free vouchers for Uber and local taxicab rides to help you get home safely on holidays when drinking and driving are common, such as New Year’s Day. We’ve given away 12,315 rides so far.
We also give away free bicycle helmets for children and educate parents on keeping kids safe with properly sized helmets.
We are proud to be active members of the Jacksonville community. Our community involvement includes our volunteer work with Jacksonville Legal Aid and our sponsorship of the Jacksonville Jaguars, for whom we are the exclusive personal injury law firm. These are just a few examples of the many ways we give back to the Jacksonville community that we love.
Our Clients Are Thrilled With Their Results
We treat every client with honesty, dignity, and respect while we provide aggressive advocacy that gets the results our clients trusted us to get. We take the trust of our clients seriously, and we regularly receive glowing client reviews, such as the following, because of our hard work:
“I was in an automobile accident and was very scared of what to do next. I called a couple of lawyers, but Farah & Farah were the most personable and seemed that they would fight for me. They made it possible to attend physical therapy and any other doctor appointments. My attorney was Robert Bonner and his legal assistant, Sejla. Mr. Bonner always kept in touch with me with any updates. He fought for me and won the best possible outcome I could've received. I'm very pleased with the outcome, and if I ever do need counsel, I won't hesitate to call them again.”
“I am beyond grateful to have Kahlil Farah and Ynette as my team! They did an amazing job protecting me, educating me, and being thorough throughout this whole process. I highly recommend Farah and Farah as a whole. They will make sure you have the best care and outcome that assists you with getting back to your normal life.”
“This was my first time ever being in an accident, and Farah and Farah made the process so easy. I would like to thank my case manager, Phil, for doing such a great job. I recommend Farah and Farah 100%. These guys are professionals and know what they’re doing!”
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Seat Belt Requirements in Florida
Florida’s seat belt law requires most drivers and adult passengers in the front seat to wear seat belts when a vehicle is in motion. The law makes exceptions for rural postal carriers, newspaper delivery workers, and garbage collection workers carrying out their duties. You are also exempt if you have a medical condition that makes seat belt use dangerous or inappropriate. Failing to wear a seat belt as required if you’re not exempt is a non-moving violation punishable by a fine of $30.
However, wearing a seat belt no matter where you are in the car is important because it is more likely to save your life than cause a serious injury. In addition, unrestrained passengers in the back seat can become projectiles that seriously injure the other occupants of the vehicle.
Seat Belt Laws for Minors
Minors must wear seat belts no matter where they sit in the car. State law also requires children under 12 to ride in the back seat. Children under five must have a federally approved child safety restraint device. The required device varies based on the child’s age, height, and weight. Failure to follow the child restraint laws is a moving violation punishable by a fine of $60 and three points assessed against the driver’s license of the responsible parent or guardian.
Children Ages Four and Five
Four- and five-year-olds must ride in a separate carrier seat, integrated car seat, or booster seat, correctly secured in the back seat only. A child should stay in a forward-facing car seat until they outgrow it and transition into a booster seat. They should remain in the booster seat until they are big enough to wear a seat belt properly without a booster seat, even if this occurs after the child passes the age of five.
Children Ages Three and Younger
Children must ride in a carrier seat or built-in car seat until they turn three. Children are safest in rear-facing child seats in the back seat. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recommends keeping your child in a rear-facing seat until your child’s height or weight exceeds the limits specified by the manufacturer, which may not occur until around the age of two. Once the child outgrows it, you can transition the child to a forward-facing seat.
Because of the airbags, front seats are extremely dangerous for rear-facing child seats. If you lack a backseat, you must turn the airbag off to safely transport a child in a rear-facing car seat.
Who Is Liable if My Seat Belt Fails During a Car Accident?
Liability for a seat belt failure varies based on the cause of the failure. For example, if the seat belt fails to lock or the buckle comes undone during an accident, it won’t protect you as it should. You could be ejected from the vehicle or slammed into the dashboard. The manufacturer may be liable if the seat belt was defective or designed unsafely. If a mechanic repaired or installed your seat belt incorrectly, the mechanic and the mechanic’s employer may be liable.
Of course, a driver or other party who has caused the accident will also be liable. In such cases, liability may be shared by the party causing the accident and the manufacturer.
However, if the seat belt fails because it was twisted or worn out, you may be unable to hold the manufacturer or mechanic liable. Insurance companies often claim this is the case, with or without evidence. However, our dedicated Jacksonville, FL personal injury attorneys will ensure the seat belt is thoroughly inspected to prove the exact cause of the malfunction and identify the liable parties.
What Damages Can I Recover in a Seat Belt Injury or Seat Belt Failure Lawsuit?
You may be able to recover significant damages if you have suffered serious seat belt injuries. Your damages may include compensation for the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- The cost of personal care
- The value of domestic services you can no longer perform
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of bodily functions
You may have additional injuries caused by other forces in the accident and will also be entitled to compensation for these. We recently recovered $496,000 for a client who suffered multiple leg fractures in a car accident and required surgery. Our client also suffered from severe abdominal bruising—a common seatbelt injury.
The amount you recover will vary based on the severity of your injuries, who the liable parties are, and the financial impact of your injuries. Call us today at (904) 549-6434 to schedule a free case review and let Team Farah go to work for you.
Can I Recover Compensation if I Wasn’t Wearing a Seatbelt?
If your seatbelt failed because you wore it improperly or didn’t wear one at all, you may still be eligible for compensation from the parties who caused or contributed to the accident. Florida’s seat belt law doesn’t excuse at-fault parties from liability, but the insurance company could use your mistake as evidence of comparative negligence.
Under Florida’s comparative negligence law, you can recover damages for your injuries if you are less than 50 percent at fault for the injuries. However, your damages will be reduced proportionately. For example, if your damages are $100,000, and your improper seat belt use is 20 percent responsible for your injuries, your damages would be reduced to $80,000. However, you cannot recover any damages if you are 51 percent or more at fault.
You don’t have to accept a finding of fault by the insurance company or law enforcement as final. We’re dedicated to proving our clients are less than 51 percent at fault. We’ll thoroughly investigate your accident and how the injury occurred. We may be able to prove that your seatbelt use or lack thereof played little or no role in your injuries.
Seat Belt Injury Cases We Handle
We handle all types of seat belt failure claims and injury claims that involve injuries that range from minor to catastrophic. Seat belts may cause the following injuries, even if you wear them properly:
- Lumbar spine fractures.
- Injuries to the intestines and bowels.
- Injuries to the membrane that attaches the intestines to the abdominal walls.
- Injuries to the spleen, liver, pancreas, kidneys, heart, or lungs.
- Broken collarbone
- Damage to the carotid artery in the neck
- Spinal cord injuries in the area of the cervical spine.
- Fractured ribs
People with intestinal injuries may require surgery. If detected early, many people recover. However, if you sustained carotid artery or spinal cord injuries, you may suffer permanent and disabling effects, even with early detection.
We have helped clients with seatbelt injuries of all types, and we understand the devastation these injuries cause. You’ll get through this, and our attorneys can help. Contact us now for a free case evaluation.
“The benefits of hiring a lawyer are that your settlements will be higher. An attorney is going to be able to pinpoint different issues that may arise during the client process. So getting an attorney involved allows us to take advantage of all the coverage available. And in the cases of serious injury that's important.”
Get in Touch With Our Seat Belt Injury Attorneys Today
A seatbelt failure lawsuit can hold negligent manufacturers accountable so you can recover compensation for the significant toll your injuries take on your finances and quality of life. With over 45 years of experience and over $2 billion in compensation recovered, we have the resources and skills you can count on to get the results you deserve. Experience makes all the difference. Call us today at (904) 549-6434 to put our experience to work.
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