Do car seats have to be replaced after accidents?

Silver Member Joined: Oct 28 2009 Posts: 789

my car was involved in an accident while parked on the street. ds's car seat was in the car. I dont know the extent of damage. the accident happened shabbos morning and the nypd towed the car. it may have been only because of a broken window. anyways, does the car seta have to be replaced just because of the impact?

Executive Member Joined: Dec 19 2006 Posts: 399

I think I once heard that you do but it would depend on the extent of the damage

Gold Member Joined: Nov 17 2010 Posts: 1191

I heard that you must replace a bicycle helmet after an accident, but don't know for sure about the car seat.

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 2:30 pm Post subject:

I would have said yes from the name of the thread. Now I am not so sure. If it was a minor impact it probably shouldnt be a problem as there was no child affecting the resistance put on it.

However, it is a rule that once in an accident a car seat should be replaced. It might even be covered under your insurance. Ask them.
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Silver Member Joined: Oct 28 2009 Posts: 789

well, I dont have full coverage. I'm still hoping the other guy has good insurance (I did not get the police report yet) and I was wondering if I sould try to get them to pay for a new car seat.

Gold Member Joined: Mar 31 2010 Posts: 2093

Anything in/on/from the car that needs to be fixed or replaced due to the accident, should fall under damages from the accident. You'd have to find out exactly what your policy covers, but if you're trying to collect under the other person's policy, then you should definitely list the car seats as part of the damages, including anything else in the car that may have been ruined.

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 7:18 pm Post subject:

It actually depends on the brand of the car seat and the extent of the damage.

My old Britax manual (and calls to the company to confirm) said that the seats need to be replaced if there is an accident which causes structural (not just cosmetic) damage to the car.

At one point they said that you sent them in pictures of the car after accident and the car seat, if they deem the damage extensive enough that the seat needs to be replaced they will replace car seat and destroy the old one.

Every other car seat manufacturer that I have heard of says to replace the car seat after any accident.

Read your manual and call the company if there are any questions.

Hatzlacha!
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Diamond Member Joined: Nov 10 2005 Posts: 3401

Posted: Sun, Feb 20 2011, 8:43 pm Post subject:

[quote="realeez"]American Academy of Pediatrics

What if my car safety seat was in a crash?

Do not use seats that have been in a moderate or severe crash. Seats that were in a minor crash may still be safe to use. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) considers a crash minor if all of the following are true:

* The vehicle could be driven away from the crash.
* The vehicle door closest to the car safety seat was not damaged.
* No one in the vehicle was injured.
* The air bags did not go off.
* You can�t see any damage to the car safety seat.
* If you are unsure, call the manufacturer of the seat!

Actually, this is incorrect - it is impossible to see internal damage to a carseats core structure! Or, it could possibly be weakened and CH"V fail in a more severe accident, having some unseen internal damage. After I was in an accident, the cop made sure to inform me that car seats must ALWAYS be replaced after ANY accident. Carseats should be covered under insurance. And even if not, it's only a small price to pay for your childs safety.

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 10 2005 Posts: 3401

Senior Member Joined: Aug 25 2009 Posts: 249

There's a wonderful site with tons of info about carseats. You can post your question without joining and someone knowledgable will reply. www.car-seat.org

Posted: Mon, Feb 21 2011, 2:19 am Post subject:

I exited the office one day to discover than someone had backed into my car. It could NOT be driven away from the site, because we couldn't open the hood to establish that there was no damage underneath. However, the carseats did not need to be replaced as there was no impact anywhere near them, the airbag was not discharged (yes, only one...I'd be happy with none), and it was obvious from the damage that there would have been no impact to the seats. I asked the police officer who took the report to specifically state this somewhere in the official report, so if it ever became an issue I'd have a record.
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Posted: Mon, Feb 21 2011, 11:31 am Post subject:

I was in a car accident last week. Granted it was more than a fender bender, but there was no visible damage to the car seats. The insurance company still told us to replace them and they would reimburse us.

I suggest you read your product guide, or inquire with the manufacturer.

Gold Member Joined: Jul 26 2008 Posts: 2096

You can take it to the fire department. They'll check it for cracks or other defects. But I've always heard you should replace a carseat after a crash.