car seat & wreck question

i was just wondering if i would need to buy a new car seat... here are the facts...
i had a wreck today.
my little girl was not in the car.
i was on my way to pick her up.
her carseat was in the car.
i was not going fast at all, maybe 30 at the most.
but my car, a 99 honda, was totalled.
do i need to buy a new one?
i know insurance would probably cover it.
thanks,
elizabeth

Yes, You *must* replace the seat.

The answer is that it depends. Because your child was not in the car seat at the time of the crash, your insurance will likely not replace or cover the cost of a new car seat. Most manufacturers, define the conditions for replacing a car seat, and most do not simply say replace the seat if it is in the car during a crash. A variety of factors must be considered, and usually, an important one, is whether or not the child was in the seat at the time of the crash. Indeed, the first requirement for Britax is: "Only Britax child restraints that were occupied at the time of the crash are eligible for exchange."

Thus, if your child was not in the seat, Britax will not alllow an exchange of the seat after a crash. Unfortunately, most insurance agencies follow the same format.

Whether or not you replace the seat, is really your call, but I wouldn't expect coverage by insurance or any other thrid party.

Good luck.

Actually it doesn't depend. Whether or not insurance or Britax will cover the replacement is not the question. The car was totaled. It MUST be replaced.

The only time that the NHTSA recommends that a car seat doesn't need to be replaced is when the crash meets ALL these requirements for a minor crash:

The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site
The vehicle door nearest the child restraint was undamaged
There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants
The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND
There is no visible damage to the child restraint.

Considering the car was totaled, that doesn't qualify as a minor crash. Even if insurance or Britax doesn't cover the seat, you will need to purchase a new one.

Yes that is what Britax told me- Definatly has to be replaced and destroyed so no one else can use that seat -since the car was totaled.

If insurance gives you problems, tell them you want them to sign a paper saying they will be liable in the event your current carseat fails in the future. No insurance company will sign that and you'll get a new seat.

If you plan on replacing your seat with the same model, ask about keeping your cover. Most companies won't have a problem with that.

Meaning of Totaled

My understanding of the meaning of "totaled" is that the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the car -- so the insurance company considers it a total loss. Instead of repairing the car they give you the current market value of the car. I've had two accidents that would meet the "minor" accident requirement above -- but where my car was considered "totaled" -- because of the age and condition of the car.

I would, by all means, try to get the insurance company to replace the seat. But, I just wanted to point out that just because the car was totaled doesn't mean that it was a "major" accident.

actually it does. A minor crash indicates little or no damage to the vehicle, AND no injuries to any passengers. Not how hard the crash was.

Little damage can still be sufficiently costly to repair where it may technically cost more than an older vehicle is worth to fix it and thus total the car even after a "minor" crash. A new bumper alone can be megabucks on some cars. I'd replace the seat even after a minor crash personally whether insurance covers it or not because I would no longer trust a crashed seat even an unoccupied one.

A crash where you were going 30 mph is going to be a major crash. Please replace your seat. There is nothing to indicate that this was a minor crash in any way.

my unoccupied BV was replaced...

The car was <eventually> totalled. Alstate wanted to fix it but thats another story. The day of the accident I called Allstate and said my seats NEEDED to be replaced. Period. Didn't ask, didn't request, just said they need to be replaced. TODAY. Surprisingly, they were VERY helpful, said to buy replacement seats, take pictures of old and new together, cut straps on old and take more pictures, submit pictures and receipts, and they would re-imburse me. That is exactly what happened. I recieved a check for $603, the cost of my replacement Husky - Regent and BV. My 6 year old was in the husky, the BV was empty, but both were replaced really without much hassle. Luckily a store about an hour away had both so I could replace them quickly. BTW, my insurance is State Farm so this was the other ladys insurance! (she hit me) Allstate has beed difficult in many ways to deal with since I am not one of 'theirs' but they were good about the seats.

FWIW, Britax also advised replacing both seats, said they could write a letter to Allstate if Allstate required it, and said that I could apply but wouldn't necessarily qualify for replacement or exchange seats from Britax. Evidently its some kind of lottery system.

Laurie in WA, getting my new VUE today!