The journal Traffic Injury Prevention has published a study, the results of which should interest women drivers in West Virginia. It turns out that, despite the use of three-point seatbelts and the more excellent protection afforded by newer model vehicles, women are at a higher risk for car crash injuries than men are. In front-end collisions, the most common car crash, women are 73% more likely to be injured.
In addition, women-run double the risk that men do for lower-body injuries, particularly injuries to the abdomen, spine and legs. This holds for newer model vehicles. Researchers studied over 22,000 front-end crashes and divided the vehicles between those manufactured before 2009 and those made during or after 2009. The more modern cars saw 55% fewer injuries and gave greater protection to the abdomen and lower extremities.
The study does not get into why women are more vulnerable in car crashes, but there is one factor that is easy to grasp: the lack of crash safety data that pertains specifically to women. In crash tests, the dummies are very often modeled on men with female crash dummies being merely smaller versions of these. Yet women have differences in fat distribution, muscle strength and pelvis shape that can have an impact on injury severity.
After a traffic accident, drivers, regardless of sex, may be left with serious injuries and the various costs related to them. They may lose their job and have a diminished capacity to find work again. Under personal injury law, though, they may be eligible for compensation if they are deemed less than 50% at fault. To see what their chances are like with a claim, victims may want to request a case assessment from a lawyer. If retained, the lawyer may handle all negotiations for a settlement.