Good Car Seats Reduce Injuries to Children

use car seats to reduce injury is car wreck

Choosing a car seat that will reduce your child’s risk of injury

Car seats that will reduce your child’s risk of injury

There are a lot of options out there for car seats that are marketed as good options for keeping your child safe.  However, not all car seats are going to provide the best injury protection possible for your child.  When picking a car seat, it is important to check trusted sources and see whether the seat is reliable.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) provides an extensive list of car seats and separates them into three categories: “Best Bets,” “Good Bets,” and “Not Recommended.”  It is a little troubling that they call their categories “bets” but it is true that car accidents are extremely dangerous incidents and no car seat is going to guarantee that your child is safe.  Yet, putting your child in a highly rated and properly sized car seat is going to make them far more safe in an accident than if they were not in a seat.

IIHS also provides a handy guide for determining proper booster seat fit here.

Car Seats and Your Car Accident Insurance Coverage:

Another reason you should make sure your child is properly secured in a good car seat is to make sure your insurance coverage is not affected. If you are in a car accident, and your child is within the height range that a booster seat is recommended, and they were not in a seat, then the insurance provider can argue that you contributed to any injuries they received because you were negligent in not having them in a seat. This height range is generally 4 feet 9 inches which may be taller than some parents would expect. Arkansas law requires children under 6 years old or under 60 pounds to ride in a car seat. Being in a car accident is bad enough. You do not want the added burden of an injured child and wondering if things would have been different in an appropriate seat.

Additionally, if you are in a car accident and your child is in the proper car seat, your insurance policy may cover the cost of replacing your car seat. This is good because car seats should be replaced after an accident even if there is no obvious damage to the seat.

 

Kirk Joyce is a general practice attorney in Northwest Arkansas with experience in personal injury law.  If you would like to meet with him to discuss your case, please contact the Joyce Law Firm to schedule a consultation. 

JoyceLaw Firm was founded in 2002 by Kirk Joyce.  Each of the attorneys at the Joyce Law Firm focus in specific areas of law, including, but not limited to: personal injury, immigration, criminal defense, family law, and business law.  Contact the Joyce Law Firm today at 479-442-5577.  More about Joyce Law Firm