What is the Seatbelt Law in Tucson, Arizona?
Mark Breyer
October 01, 2009
The seatbelt laws are a little bit confusing to many people. Most people understand that throughout Tucson and the State of Arizona you are required to wear a seatbelt. Most people realize that it has been the law in this state and in almost every state in the country for a long time, that you must wear your seatbelt while driving. People know that they can get a traffic ticket if they do not have their seatbelt on.
However, when it comes to how the failure to wear a seatbelt can affect a personal injury claim, the question becomes a little bit more complicated.
First, I think it is worthwhile to state the obvious. You should always wear your seatbelt. I know that everybody has a friend of an uncleīs cousin who has a neighbor that worked with somebody who swears they are only alive because they chose not to wear their seatbelt and they were told by some doctor at the emergency room that if they had just worn their seatbelt they would have been dead. First of all, I question the accuracy of many of these claims. These types of statements often come from medical doctors who are not at the scene of the collision or body shop workers who have not reconstructed the accident. Many of these comments are not made by true experts who have determined the extent of the damages or injuries suffered as a result of not wearing a seatbelt.
Having said that, we do know that there are going to be cases where you could actually increase the amount of harm because a seatbelt is worn. However, when youīre dealing with saving your life, generally speaking itīs good to play the odds. Seatbelts donīt always help. Seatbelts do not save lives in every accident. There is going to be some small percentage of cases where wearing a seatbelt could actually cause more injury. But to suggest that because of those things a seatbelt should not be worn is ludicrous. The reality is a seatbelt saves lives every hour of every day throughout this country. A seatbelt has saved more people from more serious injury on more occasions throughout the State of Arizona than anybody can count. You wear a seatbelt because itīs safe and because itīs a smart thing to do.
Some people make the argument that wearing a seatbelt should be a choice. In other words, itīs up to each individual if they want to suffer a serious injury. We have helped many people whoīve suffered very severe injuries as a result of an auto accident. We have helped the families of loved ones who have been lost in an auto accident. Sometimes those serious injuries or tragic deaths could have been prevented if a seatbelt had been worn. Consider the people that love you when you make the decision not to wear a seatbelt. Also consider your own financial interests, if that will motivate you.
First, wearing a seatbelt will allow you to receive full compensation if somebody else causes you a serious injury in a car accident in Tucson. In Arizona, even if somebody admits that they are completely at fault for an accident, and that person further admits that their negligence has caused somebody a terrible and debilitating injury, the at fault driver who caused the accident to the innocent person can get off with paying nothing or almost nothing if they can show that a seatbelt would have decreased or eliminated the injury. To whatever degree wearing a seatbelt would have prevented the injury, the at fault driver even one who admits he is at fault is not responsible to pay for any of the medical bills, lost wages from work, or other compensable claims.
Second, consider the medical bills associated with the injuries that come from an auto accident with no seatbelt on. Over half of all bankruptcies in this country, it has been reported, are the result of medical bills. If you donīt care about your own health, care about your own finances. Not wearing a seatbelt is much more likely to cause you to incur medical bills that cannot be paid for and that drive you to bankruptcy.
Considering the fact that a personal injury claim is greatly jeopardized by not wearing a seatbelt, even the laws of Arizona encourage people to wear a seatbelt.
However, when it comes to how the failure to wear a seatbelt can affect a personal injury claim, the question becomes a little bit more complicated.
First, I think it is worthwhile to state the obvious. You should always wear your seatbelt. I know that everybody has a friend of an uncleīs cousin who has a neighbor that worked with somebody who swears they are only alive because they chose not to wear their seatbelt and they were told by some doctor at the emergency room that if they had just worn their seatbelt they would have been dead. First of all, I question the accuracy of many of these claims. These types of statements often come from medical doctors who are not at the scene of the collision or body shop workers who have not reconstructed the accident. Many of these comments are not made by true experts who have determined the extent of the damages or injuries suffered as a result of not wearing a seatbelt.
Having said that, we do know that there are going to be cases where you could actually increase the amount of harm because a seatbelt is worn. However, when youīre dealing with saving your life, generally speaking itīs good to play the odds. Seatbelts donīt always help. Seatbelts do not save lives in every accident. There is going to be some small percentage of cases where wearing a seatbelt could actually cause more injury. But to suggest that because of those things a seatbelt should not be worn is ludicrous. The reality is a seatbelt saves lives every hour of every day throughout this country. A seatbelt has saved more people from more serious injury on more occasions throughout the State of Arizona than anybody can count. You wear a seatbelt because itīs safe and because itīs a smart thing to do.
Some people make the argument that wearing a seatbelt should be a choice. In other words, itīs up to each individual if they want to suffer a serious injury. We have helped many people whoīve suffered very severe injuries as a result of an auto accident. We have helped the families of loved ones who have been lost in an auto accident. Sometimes those serious injuries or tragic deaths could have been prevented if a seatbelt had been worn. Consider the people that love you when you make the decision not to wear a seatbelt. Also consider your own financial interests, if that will motivate you.
First, wearing a seatbelt will allow you to receive full compensation if somebody else causes you a serious injury in a car accident in Tucson. In Arizona, even if somebody admits that they are completely at fault for an accident, and that person further admits that their negligence has caused somebody a terrible and debilitating injury, the at fault driver who caused the accident to the innocent person can get off with paying nothing or almost nothing if they can show that a seatbelt would have decreased or eliminated the injury. To whatever degree wearing a seatbelt would have prevented the injury, the at fault driver even one who admits he is at fault is not responsible to pay for any of the medical bills, lost wages from work, or other compensable claims.
Second, consider the medical bills associated with the injuries that come from an auto accident with no seatbelt on. Over half of all bankruptcies in this country, it has been reported, are the result of medical bills. If you donīt care about your own health, care about your own finances. Not wearing a seatbelt is much more likely to cause you to incur medical bills that cannot be paid for and that drive you to bankruptcy.
Considering the fact that a personal injury claim is greatly jeopardized by not wearing a seatbelt, even the laws of Arizona encourage people to wear a seatbelt.
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