Failing to Wear a Seat Belt and Its Affects on Personal Injury Claim

Those who are injured from an accident, while failing to wear a seatbelt, will see a minimum reduction of 25% in damages according to Nova Scotia the Regulations to the Insurance Act. If you are a victim of car accident injury, call Halifax personal injury lawyer NOVA Injury Law for a FREE CASE REVIEW at 1-800-262-8104and our experts lawyers will help you get the best compensation for your damages.

Being in a motor vehicle accident because of someone else’s negligence can have devastating impact on your life and to those close to you. As an injured person, you are entitled to claim damages from the at-fault party’s insurance company. While the accident may be someone else’s fault, the final settlement can be impacted by your own actions before the accident.

Contributory Negligence

During car accident injury claim negotiations, the insurance company adjuster or defence lawyer may say that you bear some responsibility for your own injuries. What they’re getting at here is a legal term called “contributory negligence”. They throw this term around because it reduces the amount that they think they need to pay for your injuries.

Not Wearing a Seat Belt will Hurt your Claim

One obvious factor that can impact your settlement is not wearing a seatbelt. It’s common knowledge that not wearing your seatbelt is an unsafe practice, but, not everyone knows just how much of an impact it can have on your injury claim if you’re hurt in a car accident, even through no fault of your own.

Failing to wear your seatbelt is seen as an inaction that you have taken that contributes to your injuries. While it may not have caused the accident, it may have led to a more severe injury than what you would have sustained had you worn a seatbelt. Failing to wear a set belt can lead upto 25% reduction in your injury claim. This is seen as a negligent action on your part and is grounds for a reduction in your damage award. New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland & Labrador follow similar legislative guidelines.

You know you should wear a seatbelt, so just do it. As a motor vehicle accident lawyer, I have all too often seen injured people have their compensation slashed because they failed to buckle up. I want to see my clients achieve a fair settlement in every case. I get to know my clients and know how much they did before the accident. To explain that they’re claim is being reduced because they didn’t put on a seatbelt is a tough conversation. Don’t throw part of your injury claim away, not to mention your health. I’d much rather be talking to my client about less serious injuries because they wore a seatbelt, than the alternative.

How can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help your Case?

At NOVA Injury Law, in all car accident cases, we start with our free, no obligation case review. We explain a person’s legal rights and options and identify the strengths and weaknesses of their claim. I give injured people my honest take on what they can expect from their claims and if my firm can leverage our skills, experience, and resources on their behalf to get them a better result.

NOVA Injury Law is the right team to represent car accident injury victims because this is what we do each day. I’ve created a modern law firm that is focused on building medically accurate injury claim for car accident victims. We’re based in Halifax, and we’re having success representing injured people across Atlantic Canada. We take our responsibility to our clients seriously because our clients depend on us when they need us most. If you our someone you know has been hurt in a car accident, call NOVA Injury Law today for FREE CASE REVIEW at 1-800-262-8104