Do You Need To Replace Your Car Seats After An Accident?

Insurance Blog

If you are in an auto accident with your children in the car, your first priority is to make sure that they are safe and not injured. Once everyone is deemed to be okay, your next priority needs to be making sure that they will be safe if you should get into another accident. For children under the age of 8, this usually means deciding whether or not to replace their car seats or booster seats. Read on to find out whether you need to replace your seats.

Moderate and Severe Crashes

If your car is severely damaged or anyone in the car has been injured, it's safe to say that your car seats need to be replaced. Even if you cannot see any damage to the seats, it's very possible that the plastic or metal has been compromised. This means that in the event of another accident, the seat could fail to protect your child.

Do not drive around without a car seat while you are waiting to have yours replaced! Your auto insurance company (or the company of the other driver, if it was his or her fault) will usually pay for a new seat. If you have already purchased a seat, you can submit the receipt to the insurance company; many times you will be reimbursed.

Minor Crashes

The question of whether to replace a car seat is generally asked after minor accidents. While you do not want to put your child at risk for injury if the seat was compromised, you also don't want to make an insurance claim or spend money on a new seat if it's not necessary. Go through this list of questions to see if you need to have your seat replaced:

• Were you able to drive the car after the accident? If the answer is no, you need to replace the seat.
• Which doors, if any, were damaged? If the door nearest the car seat was affected during the accident, it's safest to assume that the seat should be replaced.
• Were there injuries? If anyone got more than a minor bruise or scratch, the seat might be compromised as well.
• Did the airbags go off? Airbag deployment generally only occurs during moderate to severe crashes, and these types of accidents require that you replace the seat.
• Does the seat look damaged? If there is any cracking, crazing or breakage, then you definitely need to replace the seat.

If none of these conditions apply, then it's probably safe to continue using the seat. If you are unsure, talk to your auto insurance company, who can talk to you about specifics regarding the car accident and help you make the right decision. Remember, your insurance company wants your child to be safe in the car almost as much as you do, so don't be afraid to ask questions when it comes to making this important decision. Companies like LA Insurance can give you more information about when your car seats will need to be replaced.

18 November 2014