Hello all, new member here. I've done a bit of searching but haven't been able to find anything suitable yet.
I’m looking for some fairly specific help here. DH was doing some boxing day shopping and got T-boned in a parking lot, causing significant damage to the driver’s side door. Luckily we’ve got the car fixed etc. and LO and I (3 months preggo at the time) were not in the car at the time but his car seat was. (It's a Britax Boulevard.)
SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance) told us at the time that if we wanted to replace the car seat, we should go ahead and do so, keep the receipts, and that our claims person would “do their best” to help us get the cost refunded. There was no doubt in our minds that the right thing to do was to replace the car seat before using it again, which we did.
Now SGI claims that their policy would not cover our situation. Here are some quotes from one of their emails:
The car seat must be damaged (no longer able to perform the function it was intended for to the level it was intended for) from the collision to be considered for repair or replacement.
SGI is also aware that many manufacturers suggest car seats be replaced after a collision, but unfortunately their recommendations do not specify the threshold of damages that would warrant the seats replacement, an important factor in this determination.
In order to accurately determine whether the seat has sustained any damages, SGI has looked to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and their extensive research on the subject, for guidance…SGI's policy… is consistent with the policy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who also take the position the child safety seat would not require replacement in this situation.
And in a subsequent email, they also say that they choose to follow the USA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because they have done “extensive research” while Transport Canada’s policy (which states that car seats should be replaced after any collision) has no research backing and is just a recommendation.
My DH and I are looking into contacting MLAs and Ombudsmen since SGI is not budging on their policy. For us, it’s not a matter of getting our money back, it’s about a policy that is unsafe considering other parents who could find themselves in a similar situation and would not know of Transport Canada’s recommendations and/or not be financially able to replace a car seat.
Does anyone know of any research/studies that have been done in Canada (I’m having trouble finding anything myself)? Any other ideas for influencing SGI’s policy? Thanks so much for any help.
I’m looking for some fairly specific help here. DH was doing some boxing day shopping and got T-boned in a parking lot, causing significant damage to the driver’s side door. Luckily we’ve got the car fixed etc. and LO and I (3 months preggo at the time) were not in the car at the time but his car seat was. (It's a Britax Boulevard.)
SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance) told us at the time that if we wanted to replace the car seat, we should go ahead and do so, keep the receipts, and that our claims person would “do their best” to help us get the cost refunded. There was no doubt in our minds that the right thing to do was to replace the car seat before using it again, which we did.
Now SGI claims that their policy would not cover our situation. Here are some quotes from one of their emails:
The car seat must be damaged (no longer able to perform the function it was intended for to the level it was intended for) from the collision to be considered for repair or replacement.
SGI is also aware that many manufacturers suggest car seats be replaced after a collision, but unfortunately their recommendations do not specify the threshold of damages that would warrant the seats replacement, an important factor in this determination.
In order to accurately determine whether the seat has sustained any damages, SGI has looked to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and their extensive research on the subject, for guidance…SGI's policy… is consistent with the policy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who also take the position the child safety seat would not require replacement in this situation.
And in a subsequent email, they also say that they choose to follow the USA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because they have done “extensive research” while Transport Canada’s policy (which states that car seats should be replaced after any collision) has no research backing and is just a recommendation.
My DH and I are looking into contacting MLAs and Ombudsmen since SGI is not budging on their policy. For us, it’s not a matter of getting our money back, it’s about a policy that is unsafe considering other parents who could find themselves in a similar situation and would not know of Transport Canada’s recommendations and/or not be financially able to replace a car seat.
Does anyone know of any research/studies that have been done in Canada (I’m having trouble finding anything myself)? Any other ideas for influencing SGI’s policy? Thanks so much for any help.