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Seatbelt Use Considerations in a Civil Case
In a civil trial, defendants are typically allowed to assert a variety of defenses in an attempt to lessen the damages they will ultimately have to pay to an injured plaintiff.
Three of these defenses—contributory negligence, comparative negligence and failure to mitigate damages—deal with a plaintiff’s culpability for their injuries and ask whether the plaintiff might also be at fault for their injuries.
Contributory and comparative negligence address the injured plaintiff’s failure to act prudently or reasonably. Some states treat contributory negligence as a complete bar to recovery. Other states treat comparative negligence as a factor in determining the extent to which the plaintiff’s recovery should be lessened. Mitigation, or failure to mitigate damages, is a legal principle that states a party who has suffered a loss has to take reasonable action to minimize the loss suffered.
In automobile collision cases, when a driver or passenger has been injured, states vary on whether to allow evidence of a plaintiff’s use of a seatbelt as a means to demonstrate contributory negligence, comparative negligence or failure to mitigate damages.
The following table has information on whether states allow evidence of a person’s seatbelt use to be used to demonstrate negligence or to mitigate damages in a civil trial.
The box allows you to conduct a full text search or type the state name.
State Seatbelt Use Considerations
|
STATE
|
ADMISSIBLE NEGLIGENCE
|
ADMISSIBLE DAMAGES/
MITIGATION
|
STATUTE/CASE LAW
|
|
Alabama
|
No
|
No
|
Ala. Code 1975 § 32-5B-7
|
|
Alaska
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Hutchins v. Schwartz, 724 P.2d 1194 (Alaska, 1986)
|
|
Arizona
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Law v. Superior Court In and For Maricopa County, 157 Ariz. 147 (Ariz., 1988)
|
|
Arkansas
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Mendoza v. WIS International, Inc. Ark. Apr. 14, 20161
|
|
California
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
West's Ann. Cal. Vehicle Code § 27315
|
|
Colorado
|
No
|
Yes2
|
C.R.S.A. § 42-4-237
|
|
Connecticut
|
No
|
No
|
C.G.S.A. § 14-100a
|
|
Delaware
|
No
|
No
|
21 Del. C. § 4802
|
|
D.C.
|
No
|
No
|
DC ST § 50-1807
|
|
Florida
|
Yes
|
No
|
West's F.S.A. § 316.614
|
|
Georgia
|
No
|
No
|
Ga. Code Ann., § 40-8-76.1
|
|
Guam
|
No
|
No
|
16 G.C.A. § 27105
|
|
Hawaii
|
|
|
No statute or case law found
|
|
Idaho
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Repealed I.C. § 49-673(8) in 2014
|
|
Illinois
|
No
|
No
|
625 ILCS 5/12-603.1
|
|
Indiana
|
No
|
No
|
IC 9-19-10-7
|
|
Iowa
|
No
|
Yes3
|
I.C.A. § 321.445
|
|
Kansas
|
No
|
No
|
K.S.A. 8-2504
|
|
Kentucky
|
|
|
Case and statutory law are unsettled
|
|
Louisiana
|
No
|
No
|
LSA-R.S. 32:295.1(E)
|
|
Maine
|
No
|
No
|
29-A M.R.S.A. § 2081
|
|
Maryland
|
No
|
No
|
MD Code, Transportation, § 22-412.3
|
|
Massachusetts4
|
No
|
No
|
M.G.L.A. 90 § 13A
|
|
Michigan
|
Yes5
|
Yes
|
M.C.L.A. 257.710e(h)(8)
|
|
Minnesota
|
No
|
No
|
M.S.A. § 169.685
|
|
Mississippi
|
No
|
Yes
|
Miss. Code Ann. § 63-2-3
|
|
Missouri
|
No
|
Yes6
|
V.A.M.S. 307.178
|
|
Montana
|
No
|
No
|
MCA 61-13-106
|
|
Nebraska
|
No
|
Yes5
|
Neb. Rev. St. § 60-6,273
|
|
Nevada
|
No
|
Unsure
|
N.R.S. 484D.495
|
|
New Hampshire7
|
No
|
No
|
N.H. Rev. Stat. § 265:107-a
|
|
New Jersey
|
Separate damages pertaining to failure to wear seatbelt, and apportion them to parties
|
Waterson v. General Motors Corp., 544 A.2d 357, 376, 111 N.J. 238, 275 (N.J., 1988)
|
|
New Mexico
|
No
|
No
|
N. M. S. A. 1978, § 66-7-373
|
|
New York
|
No
|
Yes8
|
McKinney's Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1229-c7
|
|
North Carolina
|
No
|
No
|
N.C.G.S.A. § 20-135.2A
|
|
North Dakota
|
No
|
No
|
NDCC, 39-21-41.4
|
|
Northern M. Is.
|
|
|
No statute or case law found
|
|
Ohio
|
No
|
Yes9
|
R.C. § 4513.263
|
|
Oklahoma10
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
47 Okl. St. Ann. § 12-420
|
|
Oregon
|
No
|
Yes5
|
O.R.S. § 31.760
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
No
|
No
|
75 Pa. C.S.A. § 4581
|
|
Puerto Rico
|
|
|
No statute or case law found
|
|
Rhode Island
|
No
|
No
|
Gen. Laws 1956, § 31-22-22
|
|
South Carolina
|
No
|
No
|
Code 1976 § 56-5-6540
|
|
South Dakota
|
No
|
No
|
SDCL § 32-38-4
|
|
Tennessee
|
No
|
No
|
T. C. A. § 55-9-604
|
|
Texas
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
V.T.C.A., Transportation Code §545.413(g) repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., Ch. 204, § 8.0111
|
|
Utah
|
No
|
No
|
U.C.A. 1953 § 41-6a-1806
|
|
Vermont
|
No
|
No
|
23 V.S.A. § 1259
|
|
Virginia
|
No
|
No
|
VA Code Ann. § 46.2-1092
|
|
Virgin Islands
|
|
|
No statute or case law found
|
|
Washington
|
No
|
No
|
West's RCWA 46.61.688
|
|
West Virginia
|
No
|
No12
|
W. Va. Code, § 17C-15-49
|
|
Wisconsin
|
Yes
|
Yes13
|
W.S.A. 347.48
|
|
Wyoming
|
No
|
No
|
W.S.1977 § 31-5-1402
|