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Study Says Seat Belts Can Reduce the Severity of Liver Injuries

Drivers in Kentucky should know that one of the most common car crash injuries is internal abdominal trauma. In most such cases, the liver and spleen are affected. While the spleen can be removed if necessary, the liver is a vital organ. This makes the latter a greater threat to drivers.

A recent study from NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn has shown that the risk for severe liver injuries can decrease as much as 21 percent if drivers simply remember to wear their seat belts. If the car has working airbags, that rate becomes 26 percent. Though seat belts won’t prevent liver injuries altogether, the important conclusion is that they save lives. Airbags alone, on the other hand, cannot reduce the injury severity.

The results were developed after an analysis of six years’ worth of crash information from the National Trauma Data Bank. The patients analyzed were all involved in vehicle crashes and sent to the hospital alive or dead. Of the patients who experienced severe liver injury cases, 15 percent died. In comparison, 8 percent of patients who had mild or moderate liver injuries died.

Seat belt use could potentially have an effect on a car accident claim. This is why victims guilty of contributory negligence will want their cases argued by a lawyer. A lawyer can calculate a fair settlement and negotiate with the auto insurance company; if the company refuses to payout, the lawyer could assist with litigation. If the victim was negligent and died, however, the lawyer will say honestly that in such a case, a wrongful death suit cannot be filed.