Should You Replace a Child’s Car Seat After Any Accident? Pt. 1

Personal Injury Attorneys | Not all accidents requires car seat replacement, but know when you should.

Question: Car Seat, Accident History: Should I Replace My Child’s Car Seat?

I was involved in a car accident recently. Though my children were not in the vehicle, their car seats were. A friend tells me that I have to replace on the seats. The accident wasn’t that severe, and the thought of buying three new seats on top of car repairs is not thrilling my husband. Do I really have to replace them?

Answer:

I am glad the accident was not severe and glad your kids were not in the car at the time, and I do feel bad for you as you deal with the days following a car accident. There is so much to take care of, and I can’t blame you for wanting to be sure if replacing the car seats is absolutely necessary.

National Highway Traffic and Safety Guidelines on Car Seats and Accidents
I will start by pointing you in the direction of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association (NHTSA). This governmental agency oversees the policies on child passenger restraints, and they base their decisions on scientific data.

Your friend is only half-right about replacing car seats. There was a time when there was blanket advice that any car seat involved in an accident needed to be replaced, but NHTSA has revisited that policy and tweaked the language a bit. Depending on your situation, it may not be necessary to replace any or all of your car seats.

The clarified policy now recommends that all car seats involved in “moderate to severe crashes” be replaced in order to ensure the highest level of protection for the child. You can see there is a little bit of wiggle room. It is not a black and white issue. -Verywell.com

 

Pt. 2 Continued on next blog…. 

 

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