Florida Law mandates that the front seat occupants of a vehicle must wear seat belts; and all passengers under 18 years old must wear seat belts or other available restraints regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle.  It is against the law to operate a car if all the passengers do not meet these standards.

When in an auto accident, a three point seat belt can prevent your pelvis from rotating and causing more severe back injuries.  It can also protect your body’s internal organs as well as restricting your body’s motion in the cabin making it far less likely that you will suffer head trauma or hit the windshield or roof of the vehicle.  Insurance companies routinely argue that a person’s failure to wear their seat belt resulted in a more severe injury than had a seatbelt been used.  Insurance companies also claim that if a person was not wearing a seat belt during a crash, then they are solely responsible for their injuries as those injuries could have been prevented by wearing their seat belt.  One of the first defenses insurance companies routinely claim is, “the seat belt defense.”

Wearing a seat belt can not only save your life but also prevents the insurance company from claiming the seat belt defense in an effort to minimize your personal injury claim.