In a recent car accident that took place in Utah, three men who were not wearing seatbelts were killed. A fourth man was wearing a seatbelt and survived with only minor injuries.
3 Men Killed in Accident Were Not Wearing Seatbelts
The Utah Highway Patrol is investigating the one-vehicle rollover crash that killed three men and injured a fourth. The men were returning from a camping trip when the 2003 Dodge Durango they were traveling in went off the road and rolled over.
According to a report from the Highway Patrol, the driver might have over-corrected when the car began driving left of the roadway, causing the car to drive off the road and rollover. Speed might have also been a factor in the crash.
The front seat passenger was the only one wearing a seatbelt and he was the only one to survive.
Importance of Wearing a Seat Belt
This crash underlines the importance of wearing a seatbelt. Though seat belt use has increased – averaging 88 percent nationally – there are still groups less likely to wear seat belts. These include teens, commercial drivers, and males in rural areas. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belts are the single most effective traffic safety device for preventing death and injury. The act of wearing a seatbelt can reduce the risk of crash injuries by 50 percent.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Brain injuries** **
A car accident can traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur as a result of a blow to the head or a piercing head injury. A TBI ranges in seriousness – mild, like a concussion that can heal on its own, or severe, such as an injury that impairs critical functions such as speech, vision, concentration, memory and emotional control.
Other forms of head injuries
This list of injuries includes eye injuries resulting in partial vision loss or blindness; injuries to the ear resulting in loss of hearing; facial or jaw fractures; and dental injuries, including loss of teeth.
Neck and back
Whiplash occurs when the neck stretches and quickly snaps back into place as a result of either a sudden stop or acceleration. It is the most common injury suffered in car accidents. It can damage the vertebrae, ligaments or disks, or the spinal cord itself, in the neck and back, potentially causing paralysis or other loss of function in one or more limbs or larger portions of the body. A blow to the neck can also crush the trachea or larynx. A broken neck as a result of a car accident can result in instant death. Less severe neck and back injuries can occur causing chronic pain that can significantly reduce the quality of life.
Chest
The impact caused during a collision can break ribs and/or the sternum (breast bone). This often occurs if a driver or passenger was not wearing a seat belt. While the severity of chest injuries has been greatly reduced by airbags in dashboards and steering wheels, fractures and injuries to organs can still occur.
Diaphragm rupture
A diaphragm rupture is a tear of the muscle across the bottom of the rib cage, often caused by blunt or penetrating trauma to the trunk or lower chest. The diaphragm is crucial to respiration.
Compression
Compressive pelvic injuries/injury to abdominal organs. The liver, spleen, and kidneys are commonly injured in front- and side-impact collisions.
Leg and knee
Most leg and knee injuries occur as a result of smashing into a part of the car. This can result in a range of wounds ranging from contusions (bruises) to fractures. If knees are abruptly twisted or turned they can suffer meniscus tears (tearing of cartilage in the knee).
Foot
Often ankles, feet, and toes can easily be strained, sprained or broken (fractured), or in worst cases severed from the body.
If you have been involved in an automobile accident, you should immediately call a personal injury attorney that can help you build your case. They have the experience necessary to ensure you are able to prove your injuries so that you can collect the compensation you are owed.
