West Virginia Accident Brings Into Question Failure to Use Seat Belt
50-year old Tim Hall of Harper’s Ferry was killed in the early morning hours of Sunday August 15, 2015, when for reasons unknown the van he was driving went off the road and struck a parked car. Hall was thrown from the vehicle in the accident that occurred on Hollow Creek Lane. There were no other injuries reported.
All that can be deduced from the terrible tragedy is that Hall was not wearing his seat belt, hence being ejected from the vehicle upon impact and failing to do so has turned what could have been a few cuts and bruised into a fatal wreck.
Inexplicably, West Virginia lawmakers have failed to see the correlation between wearing a seat belt and surviving an automobile wreck. The CDC reports on their web site that:
- “Adult seat belt use is the most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries in crashes.”
- In West Virginia, wearing your safety belt in a motor vehicle is mandatory―and not just during the annual statewide Click It or Ticket campaigns.
- All drivers must wear a seat belt.
- All passengers in the front must wear a seat belt.
- All passengers in the back under 18 years old must wear a seat belt.
- Violators can be fined up to $25.
(source: The West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles: http://www.dmv.org/wv-west-virginia/safety-laws.php)
If we are to save lives by encouraging motorists to wear their seat belt, lawmakers are going to have get serious by raising the fine to a level that will get the public’s attention.
At Adams Legal Group, PLLC, our personal injury and car accident lawyers are well versed in the seat belt and other traffic laws that come into play in many automobile accidents resulting in injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicular accident, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation to discuss whether we can get compensation for your injuries and losses. Call today – (304) 381-2166.
