Do I need to replace my car seat after a very minor accident?

[Elizasmom]

I was rear ended while sitting at a light recently. There is extremely minor damage to my bumper. My daughter was strapped into her Britax Marathon. It's hard to imagine that it was damaged. Are there any guidelines about when a seat should be replaced? The impact was probably similar to suddenly slamming on your brakes. It seems like such a waste to throw out a $250 seat. I bought a new one today "just in case", but I'd like to at least keep the other as a spare. Britax has a seat replacement policy that only covers severe accidents (30 mph). It seems like they may not think it's necessary, but they wouldn't come out and say that.

[egoldber]

I would contact your insurance company. They may replace it as part of the accident damage. It can be hard to tell when plastic is damaged. Sometimes, even though there is no visible damage, the plastic can be weakened. And the next time, if you do happen (hoping NOT) to have a major accident, it could fail when you need it. So, personally, I would replace it. Maybe one of our carseat tech folks will be able to answer with specifics.

HTH,

[lukkykatt]

I was in the same situation recently and was told by the car seat technician at the Fire Department that even if you are in a minor parking lot accident you should replace your seat. If you were rear ended, then you probably put your claim through the other person's insurance. The liability portion of their coverage should replace your carseat. Contact their insurance adjuster and ask them about replacing your carseat. Good luck!

[Windy City Heather]

Can any one tell me if you have to replace the car seat if the child was not in the seat? A frind of mine got in an accident and said because his 5 year was not in her boster he did not have to replace the seat. I think he does.

Thanks for you help.

[Momof3Labs]

I think that you are right - the seat may still have sustained some damage in the accident. Who wants to take that kind of chance??

[Joolsplus2]

The best thing to do is call the seat manufacturer :)

[lukkykatt]

After our accident, we were told by the insurance company that they would not replace the seats since our children were not in them at the time of the accident. Their position was that the seats would not be damaged unless they were occupied at the time of the collision.

But I called the manufacturer and they said that it did not matter - the seats could have been damaged and should still be replaced. I had to write a letter to the insurance company, and included the page from the manuals that stated that the seats should replaced after ANY accident. It took a little persistance, but they eventually agreed to pay for our replacement seats.

PS: In our accident, the other party was at fault - that is why their insurance company paid for them. Our agent was a little fuzzy about whether our insurance would have reimbursed for them. But your friend should replace his/her seats regardless, if that is what the manufacturer recommends.

[gravymommy3]

I asked my insurance agent about this today and he said that the seats fall under our homeowners insurance if we are at fault in an accident. With a $500 deductible, I would have a hard time replacing them. Guess I better drive safetly.

[belindapooh]

Ok I'm bumping this up to the top because this happened to me this morning. I got rear-ended with minor damage to the bumper. I on the other hand am a little sore in the back area. My dd was not in her RA. I talked the driver's insurance agency and they will not replace the carseat unless there is visual damage or malfunction to the seat. Neither of which I could see. I'm very upset that they won't replace it - I'd rather that than my bumper as it's a safety issue. I intend to talk to the driver and see if he will compensate me on his own. But if he says no, then I'll have to pay for it myself. Any thoughts, please? I don't want to be out $200 when the accident wasn't my fault.

TIA,
Belinda
Nyah's mom born 2/6/02

[belindapooh]

Oh and in addition, I checked the RA manual and it says to replace the seat after 6 years or after a severe crash. I would say mine was not a severe crash so copying the manual won't help.

Thanks again,
Belinda