Question re replacement of seat after accident

M

mookie

Guest
Question re replacement of seat after accident

We have a new (6 mo. old) Eddie Bauer car seat, installed forward facing in our SUV. We (I) rear-ended another car over the weekend. The other car was stopped or had just started to move and I jammed on the brakes and skidded into his rear bumper. I was probably traveling at 10 miles per hour at time of impact. There were no injuries, thank God, and no damage at all to our SUV. The other car, a Honda Accord, had minimal damage (it's trunk popped open and wold not stay locked). My question is, do I need to replace our car seat? There is no evidence of any load marks on the straps, and no evidence of stress to the car seat itself. I guess the simple answer is just replace the car seat, but I'd rather not have to if it's not necessary.

Any advice?
 
ADS
C

Caviller

Guest
Technicians are taught...

...that any carseat involved in a crash should be replaced. Many insurance companies will pay, and some are required by law to pay in certain states.

The best resource is probably to call the manufacturer of the carseat for their opinion.

Q27 in the FAQ link under the top banner addresses this topic briefly.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says this:

"What if my car safety seat was in a crash?

A seat that was in a crash may have been weakened and should not be used even if it looks fine. Call the car seat manufacturer if you have questions about the safety of your seat."

See the right sidebar at this link:

www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

The official answer will always be conservative. Of course, a parent can make the 'tough choice' to do otherwise. Unfortunately, only you can decide what risks seem acceptable for your case.

Hope that helps!
 
A

abenner

Guest
Question re replacement of seat after accident

Our vehicle was in an accident in town so we weren't going all that fast. Not only did insurance cover the cost of a new car seat, but the car seat manufacturer (Century) wanted it back for research purposes. They don't get much real data on car seats in wrecks. For our help, they not only gave us a new car seat, but gave us an upgraded one! We got 2 new car seats from the wreck. However, I wouldn't recommend being in a wreck to get a free car seat!

Amber
 

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