{"id":13451,"date":"2013-08-21T14:23:52","date_gmt":"2013-08-21T13:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theinjurylawyers.co.uk\/injury-lawyers-blog\/?p=13451"},"modified":"2013-08-21T14:23:52","modified_gmt":"2013-08-21T13:23:52","slug":"percentage-reduction-for-not-wearing-a-seatbelt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theinjurylawyers.co.uk\/injury-lawyers-blog\/2013\/08\/21\/percentage-reduction-for-not-wearing-a-seatbelt\/","title":{"rendered":"Percentage Reduction for Not Wearing a Seatbelt"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"seatbeltIf you have been injured in a road traffic accident that wasn\u2019t your fault, you can claim compensation<\/a>. If you were not wearing a seat belt at the time of your accident, you can still claim for compensation, but your compensation might be reduced<\/strong> to reflect you not wearing a seatbelt, which is breaking the law.<\/p>\n

You cannot be held responsible for the accident, but it can be seen that you contributed to the extent of your injury, as your injury may have been less severe if you wore a seatbelt. \u00a0This is called contributory negligence<\/strong> and you can be seen to be partially responsible for your injury.<\/p>\n

There will be no contributory negligence if by not wearing a seat belt, there was no further impact on the injuries you sustained.
\n<\/p>\n

If by not wearing a seat belt, you contributed to the extent of your injury, the compensation received can be reduced by up to 25%.<\/p>\n

This is outlined in the case of Froom v Butcher [1976]<\/em>, where the court ruled that if there had been a failure to wear a seat belt which contributed to the injuries in some way, then there is a reduction to be made.<\/p>\n