Child Car Seat Accident Print

The number one cause of death for children in the United States between one and 16 years old is auto accidents. Even though the child mortality rate from collisions has decreased in recent years due to the increased use of child restraints (car seat, booster seat, and seat belt use), much still needs to be done to protect our most vulnerable population of passengers.

To learn more about your legal rights after an auto accident, contact us today.


Troubling Personal Injury and Death Rates

According to the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 1,400 children under 15 died and 203,000 were personally injured as the result of motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2005 alone. This is an average of four deaths and 556 injuries each day.
Despite Child Car Seat Use

  • The NHTSA is constantly stressing that having children in age-appropriate and body-size-appropriate child car seat or restraints would reduce these death and injury rates by half — indeed, of the children hurt or killed in vehicle crashes in 2005, nearly half were unrestrained. However, this indicates that more than half of those children were in a car seat or restraints when they were injured or killed in a crash.

Child Car Seats Not Always Safe

The proper type and best model of car seat depends on a child's age and size. The NHTSA's website has extensive information on what to look for in a car seat or car restraints for your child, and on how to install and use car seats.

Unfortunately, the use of child car seats does not ensure the safety of children in cars:

  • More than 20 models of child car seats have been recalled since 1990 for not meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
  • Car seats are often difficult to install and use properly, and not all car seats can be used in all vehicles.
  • Car seats can be outdated, and after a collision a car seat may not continue to meet safety standards.
  • Investigators found that 72% of the 3,500 child restraint systems studied were misused in a way that could increase a child’s risk of injury during a crash. As any parent can tell you, it's not easy to install a car seat at all, let alone being sure that it's installed correctly.
  • School buses usually do not have car seats or accessories for car seats such as latches, nor do they have seat belts

Choosing a Safe Child Car Seat

There's a confusing and troubling array of child car seats on the U.S. market, and the NHTSA has noted that the cost of a car seat does not indicate its level of safety or its ease of use. Parents can take their cars and car seat questions to one of the Child Passenger Safety Inspection Stations operated in each U.S. state.

If your child was injured in an auto accident while restrained in a child car seat, you can turn to the Kuvara Law Firm for help. We have decades of experience helping families whose members have been injured in motor vehicle crashes, and we can advise you of your legal rights and options. Contact us today to arrange a complimentary consultation our offices are located in San Jose, Salinas, San Rafael, Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Fresno, Oakland.  – we're glad to be of assistance to you.