Our retractors weren't replaced after crash

tentoes

New member
A recent post made me double-check something. We were hit about 2.5 years ago (broke our front axle and driver's-side door). After a lot of back-and-forth the guy's insurance finally agreed to replace the car seats.. I just found out that the retractors and belts (mine and both car seats') involved weren't replaced :(

How do I proceed from here?
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
If the case was closed you may well end up paying for it.

If it was negligence on someone's part that led to the oversight you can try to get the case reopened, but it may be more trouble than it's worth.
 

tentoes

New member
Exactly what I was wondering :)

Does negligence mean we failed to ask them to replace or its standard protocol and they just weren't doing their job?
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Meaning that someone didn't do their job. This may depend on your state laws and the auto shopstandard policy.

I'm guessing in most states you not asking puts the fault on you. If you had asked they be replaced and they weren't the problem would likely be theirs.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
My BIL owned a body shop, and protocol was to examine them, not to automatically replace them. Obviously having pretensioners activate would necessitate replacement, or if the rip stitching on the lapbelts are torn out, there's a label that says 'replace me NOW' on some cars, but otherwise the metal mechanisms in the retractor don't just break in a crash, nor does the webbing become too stretched to work without visible damage.

(I'm not saying don't get them replaced--especially if it's easy and/or free to do so-- just I don't want you to feel bad about using them in the meantime).
 

jjordan

Moderator
My BIL owned a body shop, and protocol was to examine them, not to automatically replace them. Obviously having pretensioners activate would necessitate replacement, or if the rip stitching on the lapbelts are torn out, there's a label that says 'replace me NOW' on some cars, but otherwise the metal mechanisms in the retractor don't just break in a crash, nor does the webbing become too stretched to work without visible damage.

(I'm not saying don't get them replaced--especially if it's easy and/or free to do so-- just I don't want you to feel bad about using them in the meantime).

I have heard that vehicle manufacturers have standards for when seatbelts need to be replaced, which lines up with what Julie is saying here. (And also coincides with the way that car seat manufacturers have varying guidelines for when to replace seats.) Just because the retractors have not been replaced doesn't necessarily mean that the shop was negligent in not replacing them.
 

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