727-381-9200

Practice Areas

Michael Babboni

About Us

Results

Legal Information

Contact

5 Reasons To Wear Your Seatbelt In Florida

Wearing your seatbelt while driving or riding in a passenger vehicle in Florida isn’t just good sense, it’s also the law. In the state of Florida all passengers aged 18 and up must wear their seatbelt when traveling in the front of a vehicle, while all passengers 18 and under must wear their seatbelt regardless of whether they are in the front or the back. If you happen to forget to put on your seatbelt and you find yourself in an auto accident in the St. Petersburg region, this could affect your ability to get the settlement you deserve.

Comparative Negligence In Florida


Comparative negligence statutes in Florida allow partial blame to be placed on an injured individual if their injuries are deemed to be at least in part their fault. In instances where a person has been in an auto accident and was not wearing a seatbelt, this could mean losing half of your settlement or more. For instance, if it is determined that your injuries were 50% more severe because you were not wearing a seatbelt during your accident, you will lose 50% of any settlement you may have been awarded to cover your injuries.

When you are in an auto accident in the St. Petersburg region it’s always important to call on the help and expertise of a trained Florida personal injury attorney but it’s even more important when you may have forgotten to click your belt before getting in the passenger’s seat or behind the wheel. Your Florida personal injury attorney will help you to navigate your case while ensuring you get the maximum settlement you’re entitled to in order to cover your damages.

Why Wear Your Seatbelt


Getting into the habit of always wearing your seatbelt is important. Studies have found that wearing a seatbelt lowers your risk of severe injury by as much as 50% while also lowering your risk of fatal injury by 45%. A few reasons why all Florida drivers should want to get into the habit of automatically putting on their seatbelt when they get into a vehicle are:

  • Maximize the effectiveness of your airbags – Airbags work wonders in reducing injury in severe car accidents, but they cannot work alone. Wearing your seatbelt keeps you in position for your airbags to work most effectively.

  • Keeps you and your passengers in their seats – The main role of your seatbelt is to keep you in place in your seat no matter where you’re sitting in the vehicle. This protects you and your passengers from projection in the event of a crash. Just one individual not wearing a seatbelt can be thrown about a vehicle putting all occupants at risk.

  • Prevention of serious head and neck injury – Head and neck injuries are some of the most devastating injuries sustained in Florida car accidents. These can be lifelong and disabling, resulting in years of continued medical intervention. Your seatbelt helps to keep you from experiencing severe whiplash and hitting your head on various parts of the vehicle’s interior.

  • Keeps the traffic tickets away – If you’re caught without a seatbelt, whether you’ve been in an accident or not, you could be fined between $30 and $60 for each violation. Putting on your seatbelt is a simple way to save you money.

  • You help your accident case – If you do happen to be in an accident in Florida, the simple act of wearing your seatbelt can really help your accident case. Your insurance provider won’t be able to easily assign you blame for your injuries if you were not at fault, and you have a better chance of getting the compensation you need to fully cover your accident-related damages.