Unlike passengers in the front seat of a vehicle, those in the back seat do not have airbags protecting them from injuries in auto accidents. This lack of safety equipment, as well as a tendency for back seat passengers not to wear seat belts, can contribute to serious injuries. If you were injured as a back seat passenger, discuss your legal options with a car accident attorney in Las Vegas.
Head and Brain Injuries
Back seat passengers are more likely to engage in unsafe behaviors, such as not wearing a seat belt and lying down across the seat. This can contribute to severe and catastrophic injuries in motor vehicle accidents, including head, skull and traumatic brain injuries. A back seat passenger could sustain a head injury if he or she is flung forward and the head strikes an object inside the vehicle, such as the center console or a window.
Facial Injuries
If glass breaks in the auto accident, a back seat passenger could suffer facial lacerations. The passenger’s face could also sustain injuries such as broken bones if it comes into contact with the seat or headrest located in front of the victim. Back seat passengers are more vulnerable to facial injuries than those sitting in the front seat since they do not have airbags to cushion their impacts.
Seat Belt Injuries
Even if a back seat passenger buckles up, he or she could suffer seat belt injuries. “Seat belt syndrome” is a condition that describes a specific type of trauma caused by the force of the accident pushing the victim’s body into the straps of the seat belt. These injuries often affect the soft tissues of the chest, shoulder, thighs and abdomen.
Broken Ribs
A back seat passenger’s chest and ribs could sustain injury, including bruised, cracked or broken ribs; clavicle and collarbone injuries; and punctured lungs. These injuries can happen due to pressure against the chest and sternum from a seat belt. In severe cases, a victim could suffer heart contusions, or bruising to the heart.
Internal Organ Damage
If a victim is wearing a seat belt incorrectly and the lap belt crosses over the stomach instead of the upper thighs, this could exert pressure against the abdomen in a car accident. Compression of the abdomen by the seat belt could damage internal organs, such as the liver, spleen and kidneys. It could also cause internal bleeding. These injuries may not be noticed by the victim right away.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The forces exerted on a back seat passenger in an automobile accident could inflict damage on various parts of the spine, including the vertebrae, disks, nerves and soft tissues. Examples of spinal cord injuries include vertebral fractures, herniated and ruptured disks, and muscle sprains and strains. If the injury is severe, it could cause permanent paralysis – a loss of feeling and function below the point of injury on the spine.
Safety Tips While Riding in the Back Seat
If you are riding in the back seat of a vehicle, such as while taking an Uber or Lyft in Las Vegas, you can diminish your risk of injury as much as possible by always wearing a seat belt. Ensure that the belt is snug and correctly placed across your upper thighs and chest, not the stomach, neck or face.
Sit upright with your feet on the floor. Try not to slouch or lean forward. If possible, sit in the middle seat of the back row, as this is considered the safest position in a car accident. Children in the back seat should be properly secured in age-appropriate car seats or booster seats at all times.
If you get injured as a back seat passenger in a car accident in Las Vegas, consult with an attorney about your right to recover compensation from one or both drivers’ auto insurance policies.