Answer Man: Am I liable if a passenger not wearing a seat belt is injured? | Local News

If a passenger is injured from failing to use seat belts, all of the driver’s liability must be determined under Alabama’s negligence laws.

According to an article on findlaw.com, negligence cases are an attempt by the legal system to determine who is responsible for injuries resulting from an accident. The first steps are to find out if one person has a duty of care to another and if he or she has failed to do so. If so, that person could be held liable for any injury resulting from their lack of care. “

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The article gives the example of a driver (you) changing lanes on a motorway. A car that is moving too fast in the other lane collides with your truck. If you injure yourself, who is to blame? And could you file a lawsuit for negligence?

In this example, the driver of the car could be to blame for the car being too fast.

“However, under Alabama law, there is a doctrine known as ‘cooperative negligence’ that can be a defense if the plaintiff, in this case you, contributed to the accident,” the article reads. “Suppose you didn’t use the turn signal or look over your shoulder when you changed lanes. If you acted negligently in the accident, this could rule out legal exploitation. “

Passengers injured in an accident face similar challenges in proving negligence.