Regardless of whether or not a person wears a seat belt, here are some common injuries back seat passengers suffer.
Millions of passengers ride in the back seat of cars and trucks daily. While they don’t have to worry about the challenges of driving through traffic, they are still at risk of suffering injuries in an auto accident.
As of November 1, 2020, New York State requires all passengers to buckle up regardless of where they sit in the vehicle. The law was approved in hopes of saving lives. Thousands of people are killed yearly because they were back seat passengers and weren’t wearing seat belts.
Regardless of whether or not a person wears a seat belt, there are common injuries back seat passengers suffer. If you or your loved one have suffered car accident injuries due to another’s negligence, contact an experienced car accident lawyer.
Common Injuries for Back Seat Passengers
The back seat is considered dangerous for several reasons. Backseat passengers can sustain many different types of injuries in a motor vehicle accident. Some of these include:
- Head injuries
- Whiplash
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Eye injuries
- Brain injuries
- Facial injuries
- Broken bones
- Punctured lungs
- Internal organ injuries
If you have been injured in a car accident, it is vital to seek medical attention immediately. It would help if you also talked to a New York car injury lawyer to learn more about your legal rights and options.
Reasons for Back Seat Passenger Injuries
- Outdated seat belts – In older cars, the shoulder belts may not extend to back seat passengers. And even in newer vehicles, the shoulder belts may not fit correctly if the passenger is shorter or taller than average. As a result, backseat passengers may not be adequately restrained in the event of a collision, leading to more severe injuries.
- False sense of security – For some people, the back seat feels like the safest place to be in a car. After all, they are further away from the dashboard and windshield, which can be dangerous in a high-speed accident. Unfortunately, this false sense of security leads back seat passengers to let their guard down, not wear a seat belt, or sit in unsafe positions.
- Less airbag protection – While front seat occupants are protected by both the dashboard airbag and door-mounted side airbags, backseat passengers usually only benefit from side airbags. And in some vehicles, the backseat passengers may not have airbag protection.
What to Do When In an Accident
If you are riding in the back seat and are involved in an accident, the most important thing is getting medical attention immediately. This is true even if you do not notice any injury being present. This is because you might be injured without even being aware of it.
Have you or a loved one been seriously injured as a backseat passenger in a car accident? If so, our experienced car accident attorneys at Apicella & Schlesinger Attorneys at Law are here to help. We provide our clients with personalized, comprehensive representation in various practice areas.