In road safety guidelines wearing a seat belt while driving is one of the rules among many but sometimes in a road accident or car crash, some injuries are caused by seat belts too. The reason for seat belt injury is that those are worn in the wrong manner which causes more problems rather than protection.
In an auto accident, an improperly worn seat belt can cause injury in either the shoulder, chest, stomach, ribs, neck, or hips. Wearing a seat belt properly can reduce the risk of damage to these parts of the body. For minor injuries in an auto accident, you can rely on Specialty Care Clinics services. We provide treatment as well as diagnosis of your internal injuries if have any.
SOME MOST COMMON SEAT BELT-RELATED INJURIES IN CAR ACCIDENTS
Wearing a seat belt protects you from severe damage in an accident by exerting a force to keep your body in place but sometimes this becomes the reason for another injury that we will discuss here. Seat belt injuries in car accidents are often termed “Seat belt syndrome”.
Bruised Ribs :
The seat belt in the car seat work as the harness that mainly rests on the shoulder, chest, and on the side of the ribs. In a car accident, you may not get affected by the accident itself but in some cases, seat belts can cause an injury to the ribs which is not similar to rib fractures but the pain is kind of the same. Hence, after the accident, if you suffer from any kind of pain look for medical help and exactly about your condition.
Sternum Injury :
We know that majorly seat belt rest at the chest portion. In a mild accident, the damage happens to only soft tissues around the chest but in another case, the impact may damage the sternum or bone in the center of the chest which affects the heart and lungs behind it. Whatever the matter is, get a diagnosis to know the injury’s position and start the treatment accordingly.
Shoulder Injury :
Shoulder joint injury is one of the highly occurring injuries due to seat belts. During the crash, the tear in the tendons and muscle fibers in the shoulder causes pain. This kind of seat belt injury happens when the belt pushes back your shoulder and tries to keep them intact in a place to avoid major damage.
Soft tissue injuries can take a while to heal and causes discomfort in long term. Get the specific treatment and follow your doctor’s advice carefully for a fast recovery.
Abdominal Injuries :
In some old cars, the middle seats of the truck offer the lap belt as there is no diagonal belt strap present for the middle ones. In an auto accident, these lap belt straps can cause injuries to the abdomen leading to abdominal pain. Long-term internal injury and or internal organ damage is also possible in some cases.
Hence, if after the auto accident you experience abdomen injury or pain in the guts consult the medical professional immediately to avoid further damage.
Abrasions and Lacerations :
In mild auto accidents, the type of injuries may include cuts or abrasions. Among all injuries internally there are some that cause damage externally like lacerations into the skin, abrasions, or deep scratches. Seat belts at the time of collision can leave deep marks on the skin that if not treated can leave a lifelong imprint or also can turn into another wound.
Get a medical professional’s help in cleaning and dressing the injury and healing meds to avoid further causing of infection.
HOW DO SEAT BELTS WORK DURING AUTO ACCIDENTS?
At the time of an accident or a crash, seat belts tend to lock themselves to prevent major injury by keeping the body stable. While seat belts can save the life of the passenger from major damage or death but it is also possible that one can have seat belt injuries in some cases.
We know the value of life and first-hand treatment which is why we cover a range of treatments for all kinds of minor injuries that happen during auto accidents like seat belt injuries. For quick response call Specialty Care Clinics at (469) 545-9983.