- Car Accidents
If you are driving with a child, it requires a high level of care and extra safety measures. Dealing with a car accident in Georgia becomes extremely challenging especially when a child is involved. In 2019, around 608 child passengers died, who were below 12.
Safety seats provide babies and toddlers protection during a car accident in Georgia. Following a car accident, many parents wonder whether they can continue to use their child’s car seat or does it require replacement. According to NHTSA, you don’t need to replace car seats after a minor car accident. It is essential to know about certain things before you use your child’s car seat after a car accident.
Car Seat Safety After an Accident & How A Georgia Car Accident Lawyer Can Help:
Car seats should be replaced following a moderate or severe car accident in Georgia. You should also follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the car seat you have. Parents who face huge repair bills after a crash are often concerned whether they need to replace their child’s car seat. If the car accident in Georgia was caused due to another person’s negligence then you should not worry about the cost of replacing a car seat. Your car accident lawyer will ensure that the cost of replacing a child’s car seat will be included in the property damage claim.
Even if your child was not in the car seat at the time of the crash, many experts agree that you should replace the car seat. The parts of your child’s car seat can become damaged due to the impact of the collision. You may not see visible damage, yet it is appropriate to replace it after a severe accident. In the following conditions of a minor accident, you may not need to replace the car seat:
- The vehicle’s door near the car seat was not damaged
- Airbags did not deploy
- None of the passengers suffered injuries
- No visible damage to car seat
- After a crash, the vehicle was in condition to be driven away
Importance of Replacing a Car Seat After a Crash:
In Georgia, children under the age of 8 are required to be in a booster seat or a car seat according to their height, age, and weight. Proper child safety seats provide significantly more protection than seatbelts alone. According to IIHS, you should always seat your child in the backseat with proper restraints. The risk of fatal injuries is greatly reduced by car seats. Car accidents have proved to be a leading cause of death for children. The majority of the deaths occur when parents don’t restrain their children.
A car accident can cause damage to the car seat that you may not notice. As empty car seats also experience crash forces. The force of a collision will cause the car seat to move forward; whereas it will be held back by the lower anchor strap causing damage that will not be apparent. This impacts the functioning of the car seat if you’re in another crash. Some people buy used child safety seats after accidents which increases the potential of unrecognized damage. A damaged car seat may not protect your child in a future collision. For this purpose, replacing the car seat after a moderate accident is essential.
When Does the Insurance Company Cover the Costs for Car Seat Replacement?
In the majority of cases, if your car accident claim gets approved by the insurance company, they will likely cover the replacement cost of your child’s car seat or booster seat in the settlement. The replacement cost may differ according to circumstances. For instance, if the child was close to the age of outgrowing the damaged car seat.
If you can provide the receipt of the damaged car seat from your credit card provider, it is easier to recover the cost. You should also provide photos of the damaged car seat, expiration date, and serial number. These will be a part of your insurance claim along with photos of the damaged vehicle and other evidence of the crash.
Hiring Professional Georgia Accident Attorneys:
If you or your loved ones were involved in a car accident, you will be needing an experienced Georgia car accident attorney to obtain compensation. Our attorneys have the right expertise and knowledge to deal with all car accident cases. We will ensure that you obtain compensation for all damages including medical expenses, property damages, and the cost to replace your child’s car seat. We will strengthen your case to achieve a successful outcome.
