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Can you continue using a child’s car seat after a crash?

On Behalf of | Jul 30, 2024 | Car Accidents |

Being in a crash can bring considerable short and long-term expenses. Hence you might want to avoid any unnecessary expenditure. For example, if your trailer was damaged, or your alloys were cracked you might decide not to replace them.

Your child’s car seat is not in the same category. Having a fully functional one is a necessity, not an option. That does not necessarily mean you always need to replace it after a collision.

The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises car owners to always replace child car seats after a moderate to severe crash. However, they say that “Car seats do not automatically need to be replaced following a minor crash.”

How can you tell whether your crash was minor?

Asking yourself the following questions can help you decide whether your crash could be considered minor or not:

  1. Was the vehicle fit to be driven away from the crash site?
  2. Was the door closest to the child seat undamaged?
  3. Was everyone in the vehicle unharmed?
  4. Were all of the airbags undeployed?
  5. Was the seat visibly undamaged?

Only if you can answer yes to all five questions can you consider it a minor crash. Even then you may still want to replace the seat. After all, just because you have had one collision does not mean you might not be involved in another. Understanding how to claim compensation after a car crash could help you cover the cost of this and the other expenses you may incur.