The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which enforces vehicle safety standards to reduce injuries and deaths from motor vehicle accidents, recommends replacing a child’s car seat after a moderate or severe crash. There’s no need to replace a child’s car seat after a minor crash, according to NHTSA.
Can I use a car seat after an accident?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers recommendations on when to replace children’s car seats and booster seats after car crashes. … If the vehicle needed to be towed from the scene of the crash, the car seat should be replaced. The vehicle door closest to the car seat was not damaged.
Do insurance companies have to replace car seats?
Insurance companies in California are obligated by law to replace occupied seats. … An insurance company may instruct you to purchase a replacement seat and submit the receipt for reimbursement. It is important that you clarify what your insurance company will cover before buying a new car seat.
How do you know if a car seat is safe after an accident?
There is no method of truly determining if the restraint has been damaged in an accident. If you were involved in a minor accident where the child was occupying the car seat, we recommend that the car seat be destroyed, as the continued safety of the car seat would not be able to be determined.
Why can’t you reuse a car seat after an accident?
Crash forces are extreme; they’re strong enough to bend the steel frame of the car, and can easily damage a car seat too. Even though you may not be able to see the damage, the plastic in the car seat could be weakened by these crash forces and may not protect the child properly in a 2nd crash.
Will insurance pay for a new car if it’s totaled?
A standard auto insurance policy normally won’t pay to fix your car if it’s been totaled. … In some states, an insurer might be required to total your car if repair costs would exceed a certain percentage of the car’s value.
Should you replace a car seat after a minor accident?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which enforces vehicle safety standards to reduce injuries and deaths from motor vehicle accidents, recommends replacing a child’s car seat after a moderate or severe crash. There’s no need to replace a child’s car seat after a minor crash, according to NHTSA.
Do insurance companies pay for car seats?
Insurance companies reimburse you for the car seat you owned, not the car seat you purchase. So before upgrading your car seat to the most expensive model, make sure you are aware that the reimbursement will be for the amount paid for the original receipt.
What voids a car seat warranty?
If the product is too padded it could squish during an accident and your child could be ejected. … On top of which, every car seat specifically states that after market products should NEVER be added to the car seat and that it voids the warranty and makes you responsible if the car seat fails for any reason.
Does State Farm cover car seats after an accident?
If you’ve been in an accident, make sure that the car seat is safe to use before putting a child back in it. … In many cases, a new car seat might be covered by your auto insurance policy. Talk to your State Farm agent or claim rep for more information about your policy’s car seat replacement coverage.
Do seat belts need to be replaced after an accident?
Seat belts are essential for safety
You should always replace the driver’s seat belt vehicle after it has been involved in a serious crash. You should also replace any other occupied seat belt in the crashed vehicle. It should be appreciated that damage to webbing and mechanism is often invisible to the eye.