How fast does a car in an accident have to be going...

To need the car seat replaced? If A person rear ends me, or if I rear end them, how fast do I have to be going to need the seat replaced? Will the insurance replace it if it's my fault?

Thanks for any help ladies

I rear-ended someone last year (Feb 2011). It was a slow speed/low impact collision. I managed to cause ~$3000 worth of damage to the rental car (2010 Mazda3 *tear*) I was driving but the vehicle I hit barely had a scratch on the bumper.

One of the first things I asked Geico when I made the claim was getting the car seat replaced. They told me to go ahead and replace it, then bring the insurance adjuster the old one and a receipt so they could reimburse me. I was reimbursed the ~$300 I spent on a replacement Britax Frontier85 at BRU, full price. Also, someone hit my parked car in our apartment complex driveway and Geico just replaced the seat again and no one was in the car at the time of impact. However, the seat was next to the damaged door. In the rear-end collision, my son was with me and the seat was in the middle.

All that being said, it is my understanding that different insurance companies handle things differently but most car seat manufacturers tell you to replace the seat after *any* collision. Britax and Diono have their own guidelines. Perhaps someone else will chime in about that. I have read that insurance companies will often follow the NHTSA guidelines.

It's really not about the speed of the car. You can be severely injured in a low speed crash or you can walk away from a severe roll over. Most seats say replace after any crash but Britax follows the NHTSA guidelines. I don't know them by heart but you can google..I'm too lazy right now.

Your insurance should replace your seats but they may give you trouble. Just tell them that your fine keeping the seats you have but you need a letter from them stating liability if your in another wreck and the seats fail. They will replace your seats after that as they don't want to be at fault for a childs life.

I'm not a big fan of sending letters like that. It's ridiculous to expect the insurance company to accept liability for any future problems with the carseat.

There are two separate issues: whether the carseat needs to be replaced and whether the insurance company is responsible. Most carseats need to be replaced after any crash. You need to check your policy to see if carseats are covered, and if they are subject to a separate deductible.

Thanks so much ladies! My sister in law hit someone the other day I knew the seat needed to be replaced, but I wasn't sure if the ins company would unless she was going a certain speed. I'll have her ask tomorrow. Thanks again!

It all depends on what car seat was involved and what that specific manufacturer has for replacement criteria. Unless the seat involved was a Britax, chances are it's going to have to be replaced, no matter how slow or minor the crash was.

Britax says you can re-use a child seat after a minor crash if it fits ALL of NHTSA's criteria:

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Minor crashes are those that meet ALL of the following criteria:
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The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;

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The vehicle door nearest the safety seat was undamaged;

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There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;

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The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND

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There is no visible damage to the safety seat

Click to expand...

Most other manufacturers require replacement after ANY crash...which means, well, ANY crash. So, whether or not insurance will pony up, the seat needs to be discarded immediately and replaced. Insurance companies don't, typically, give trouble with replacement coverage (though, yes, some do...), especially with documentation from the manufacturer expressing replacement requirements (like a manual).