Car seats are supposed to protect babies and children if the vehicle they’re in is involved in a crash. Some people don’t realize that car seats aren’t infallible. If they’re involved in a serious crash, they need to be replaced.
It’s imperative for parents to understand when to replace the car seat because using one that should have been replaced could put the child’s safety in jeopardy. Some parents may opt to replace the car seat after even a crash that’s minor.
What’s a major crash?
If any of these five points are true, the car seat should be replaced immediately.
- The car seat has visible damage
- The airbags in the vehicle deployed
- The door that was closest to the car seat was damaged
- There was at least one injured occupant in the vehicle
- The vehicle couldn’t be driven away from the scene
It’s possible that a manufacturer may have stricter requirements for when the car seat should be replaced. It’s critical to follow those instructions, even though this is an unexpected expense. The child’s safety is well worth the expense just in case another crash occurs.
Even though a car seat can help to protect the child, the child should still get a medical evaluation so they can get the care they need. This can be costly, especially if the child is injured. Seeking compensation from the at-fault driver may help to offset those costs, but this must be done within the time limit that’s set by state law.
