Just a thought and well question i guess

mommyoftwoboys

New member
If you were in a car accident, not your fault, would you request that the insurance or the person at fault replaces your car seats since you have to replace them?

Im just thinking of it this way, technically, you have to toss any seats that have been in an accident, so it makes the carseat apart of the car. So it was damaged and the other insurance company should pay?

I mean I look at it this way, I just spent 293 on an MA for youngest, and 313 on a Regent for oldest (which is on its way here today) and if I was hit by a car tomorrow,minor or big, i would have to throw away these and spend another 600 to replace them. Would there be a way to get the person at fault to pay for it, or for the insurance company to replace the seats?

just wondering. i mean i know accidents happen and all, and it would be kind of mean to sue for the car seat money but isnt there something people can do about it.
 
ADS

rlsadc

Senior Community Member
yes, the insurance companies would definately be replacing them...and if it came down to it, i would contact britax and see if i qualified to have them replace my seats.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Absolutely! They are at fault, they have to pay for the damage they cause. Period. Lots of people have gotten reimbursed for their replacement seats. My friend even got a new stroller that was in the trunk and damaged irreparably by a red light runner.
 

mommyoftwoboys

New member
Who actually replaced it? the insurance company?

I mean I just wanted to know this for future reference, I hope I dont ever get into an accident with my kids, or with my new van period, lol. but if it were to happen, every goes so quickly and you just become speedy gonzales you know? and you forget to think things. I mean I never thought about it when I was in the car accident when my first son was born. I didnt have the carrier in there, but the base of the carrier was in the car, and a car ran a stop sign and totalled my car. I didnt know all i know now, but should i have replaced the base?

Who would you actually ask to get your seats replaced then, i cant see Britax replacing the seat unless it was something wrong with the seat itself, or will they if in an accident?
And what if the accident was your own fault can you add the cost of the seats in the repairs? I mean you have coverage for a reason ya know :)
 

broken4u05

New member
if your car is being fixed with their insurance than they would pay for the seats as well. Some people don't like to use insurance and pay out of pocket and that is fine but ask them to pay for it if they do not than call their insurance. No matter what if it is not your failt than someone not youself should pay.
And yes the base you had should of been replaced. Thankfully i have never been in a accident with kids or seats at all in my car. Now there would be 3 seats to replace
 

Splash

New member
Britax actually DOES replace seats that were occupied at the time of a severe crash. They want them.
Most insurance companies don't complain, but some balk at it. Even when they do, all it normally takes is something in writing from the manufacturer saying the seat needs to be replaced, and a request for the insurance company to put IN WRITING why they are not replacing your seat.
 

CRS

Senior Community Member
My insurance company pays out for car seats which is great because I don't have a spare $1100 lying about! They're also under the crash exchange programme so if my insurance company changed their mind (which they wouldn't ) then they can get replaced that way.
 

mommyoftwoboys

New member
My insurance company pays out for car seats which is great because I don't have a spare $1100 lying about! They're also under the crash exchange programme so if my insurance company changed their mind (which they wouldn't ) then they can get replaced that way.

What is the crash exchange program?!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
If your seat meets the requirements from Britax (occupied, fairly severe crash), they'll send you a new seat, you send the crashed one, done :).

For most seats, though, you may need to buy your new seat then send a copy of the receipt to the insurance company for reimbursement and they'll just send you a check.
 

Brycen'sMommy

New member
My husband was in an accident (his fault) a few weeks after our son was born. Luckily, he didn't have the baby but he did have the car seat. We asked the insurance company to replace the seat but at first they said they weren't sure if they could. I just emailed them a copy of the NHTSA car seat replacement guidelines and they immediately wrote us a check.
 

mommyoftwoboys

New member
thanks for the info, I guess I'll be keeping my reciepts in a safe place (with their birth certificates and ss cards and shot records.
Which I had to hunt down my oldests shot records, but finally got them. I need to get an updated one for my youngest, cause Im not sure its got all that hes gotten. We change drs so often, (that would be because health care is CRAP here)
But this is definately information to have on hand. I mean we could have gotten our car seat replaced from the last accident (which was my fault) but it turned out there were mechanical faults from getting the brakes fixed a couple weeks before.
But it still wasnt the other cars fault, but I didnt know we could get it replaced, We bought a new seat not long after that. and that one was in storage. I mean car seats arent cheap, and I was never one to skimp on what car seat, I just never got the most expensive, or always the safest. But since I do now, this information is going to come in handy in case of a future accident, my fault or anothers fault. That will be the first thing I will say, you have to replace my car seats cause chances are the seats will be in the car, if in an accident wether the kids are in them, not always, but majority of the time. My oldest was that time, my youngest wasnt born yet. I was almost 9 months pregnant when that happened, we had to buy a new car immediately too.
But since I never knew that you had to replace the car seat in an accident. (this really isnt widely known believe me) I never thought to get the insurance to cut a check for a new car seat and I probably paid around 100 bucks for the one he was in.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Hoping you'll never need it in the future, knock on wood, but if you ever need any more pointers about crashed seat replacement and insurance, there's an article I put together for the Safety Articles section of the board. Here's the link, and may you never actually be in a position to need any of the info. in it: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9575 :)
 

beebear23

Senior Community Member
I believe in California it's the law the the insurance company has to replace the car seats... I believe it's whoever is at fault, but I'm not sure b/c I haven't been in a crash since having DS(thank God!).
 

Duckieheart

New member
I know my SIL didnt have a problem getting my DN seat replaced when she was in an accident with my step-moms car. It was my SILs fault too (although one of those that she really wasn't doing anything wrong- but it was technically her fault).
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
We had no problem getting AJ's seat replaced when we were in a crash w/ him. We were able to upgrade to a 5pt harness. :) We got the seat and check on the same day, that day as I was leaving town the next day. I feel bad for whoever has to replace my seats. :p
 

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