Child Car Seat Lawyers
Ft. Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyers who want you to know how to protect your child, but will fight for you if there has already been an injury.
Car Accidents and Child Car Seats
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research shows that in the last 30 years, the lives of over 8,325 children have been saved due to the proper use of child restraints during a car accident. There is no reason with these numbers that we shouldn’t trust child safety seats to keep our most precious cargo safe in case of a car accident. However, too often, there are car accidents where a child is injured during a car accident due to a defect in the child seat or vehicle.
Child Car Seat Accidents – Does Higher Price Range Mean Better Safety?
When it comes to choosing the right child car seat to buy, many people believe price range and safety go hand in hand. If they buy the inexpensive model, then it is probably not safe. If they buy the nicest one in the store, then their child is sure to be safe in the event of a car accident. Unfortunately, this is not always true. In a market that seems to have hundreds of choices in every price range, choosing one can be incredibly confusing. The problem is that car seats can be defective no matter how much you pay for them. You only have to go as far back as 1990 to find over 20 types of child car seats that have been recalled by the manufacturer. Keep in mind these recalls involve millions of units.
Common Child Car Seat Defects
There are hundreds of children injured each year in auto accidents because of child car seats that do not meet the minimum NTSB Safety Requirements. Some of these defects are recalled, while some are not.
Some of these design and manufacturing defects include:
- Defective buckles and harnesses
- Defective design and/or material used for padding
- Defective design of plastic shell
- Defective design in straps – do they fit too loosely?
- Defective design in fit of car – is the car seat able to work in your car (fitting correctly)?
Child Car Seat Instructions
NHTSA research shows that three out of four child safety seats are not properly installed. This could be due to a parent not understanding the instructions. If you are unclear about the installation or uncertain if you did it correctly, we urge you to please visit your local fire station. Florida fire stations offer a service where a firefighter will come out to your car, inspect the car seat installation and help you reinstall the child seat if necessary. This is at no cost to you and is a simple step to protect your child.
If you have been involved in a car accident and your child was injured even though they were strapped in to their car seat, you need to contact a lawyer immediately. The Ft. Lauderdale Car Accident Attorneys at MADALON LAW will help you by answering your questions and giving you a free consultation. If we feel there is reason to believe there was negligence from the manufacturer or even the other driver, we will take on all the fees of your case and will not bill you unless we win your case.
