Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers Blog

Child safety seats are designed to keep children safe in the event of a crash or collision. Unfortunately, there are problems with the design and testing of the seats that can cause serious and unnecessary injuries to children. The restraints are tested for safety by the manufacturers and not by any outside agency. The lack of outside testing causes the manufacturers to miss potential safety defects found with the restraint.

By law the manufacturer of any defective child safety seat must notify registered owners of the recall. Unfortunately, not all consumers register their child safety seat and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reminding all parents and caregivers to register their seat with the manufacturer and notify the company of any address change.

To register your child restraint you will need to provide the following information:
• Your Name
• Your current mailing address
• Manufacturer's Name
• Model Number
• Model Name
• Date of Manufacture

Related Sources:
Register your Child Restraint

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages five to fourteen according to the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The importance of safety seats

Without proper safety restraints or because of a child safety seat failure, children can be severely injured or killed during a collision. This can be caused by coming into contact with the vehicle interior or from being ejected from the vehicle.

The NHTSA has stated that safety restraints should be used for all children until they are eight years old, or reach a height of 4'9". This is because the safety features of automobiles are designed for adults, leaving children vulnerable.

Safety seats are necessary for the survival of infants and children in the case of an accident, but a child safety seat failure may cause further injury and death.
Safety seat defects

An experienced car seat lawyer knows that problems exist with some child safety seat designs. The failure of a safety seat due to poor design and construction will not properly protect a child and can lead to serious lifelong injuries or wrongful death. Possible defects in safety seat design or construction may result in:

• Shoulder straps that unclip or loosen, resulting in ejection


• Poor pelvic protection, which causes the child to slide down


• The inability for the safety belt to hold the safety seat in place


• Cracking of plastic parts


• Separation of the infant carrier from its mounting base


• Inadequate head protection


• A buckle that can release during an impact

Possible results from defective safety seats

Defective safety seats have the potential to cause injury that could have been easily prevented. Infants and children may suffer from brain damage, spinal and neck injury, paralysis, loss of limbs and death due to defective safety seats.

Continue reading "Important Information on the Failure of a Child Safety Seat" »