A Common Driving Mistake That Could Cost You Your Life | Bellevue Car Accident Lawyer

Looking for Some Added Comfort in Your Vehicle? Do Not Recline Your Seat! As a Bellevue car accident lawyer and Washington wrongful death attorney, I am always eager to pass along information which can prevent injury or save lives of those in car accidents.

Let’s face it, sitting in a car for a long period of time is not the most comfortable thing in the world. Sometimes you want to rest, stretch out as far as possible, or even take a relaxing nap. This usually means that you are reclining your seat in order to get as comfy as you can, whether driving or as a passenger, while confined in your vehicle. While many of us do this, I’m sure a lot of us are unaware that doing so puts you at much greater risk to be seriously or fatally injured if involved in a car accident.

Dr. Eileen Bulger, Director of Emergency Services at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, explained what can happen if your seat is reclined while involved in an accident. “You can impact your chest, you can have fractures of the spine, you can have head injury for your head kind of whipping forward, as well. And, then the severe injuries to the legs come from sliding forward into the dash board.”

Bulger recently compiled statistics and data that provided concerning results. The study showed that passengers who partially recline their seats, if involved in an accident, increase their risk of death by 15 percent. Those who fully recline their passenger seats increase their risk of mortality if in a car accident by 70 percent. Perhaps the main reason for this is because reclining your seat makes airbags and seatbelts much less effective.

Dr. Adrian Lund the president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said, “having the seat reclined means you’re not protected the way the vehicle was designed to protect you.”

While many may be unaware of these dangers, one accident survivor hopes his story will help shine light and knowledge on the issue. Prashant Kumar was in a car accident with his seatbelt fastened and seat reclined. Kumar said, “I chose to recline because I thought it would give me a little bit of sleep and rest.” The result of the accident resulted in failure of Kumar’s heart, liver, lung and kidney. He also was in a coma for two and a half months and lost both of his legs.

Kumar leaves us with this request, “Please, when you get into a car, I beg you, please do not recline your seat.”

We have all seen how devastating car accidents can be. So if there are ways to keep our selves safer, we should not ignore them. Please take Kumar’s warning seriously and do not recline your seat while in your vehicle. The potential consequences and risks simply are not worth the benefits.

This information is provided by Straight Talk Law, where you can order free information on Seattle auto accidents, buying Washington car insurance, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by King County personal injury attorney and author Jason Epstein and his Seattle auto accident, Everett motorcycle accident, and Bellevue wrongful death law firm in Seattle, Washington.