Accidents and new seats

[whome?]

What are the guidelines for replacing carseats when there is an accident? For example, does a minor accident such as backing up at a slow speed and bumping into something that doesn't even cause a dent in the bumper count the same as an accident that causes airbags to deploy?

[emelsea]

I think that different insurance companies have different policies. You might want to check directly with your insurance company.

[whome?]

Oh, I wasn't asking because I wanted to make an insurance claim, but thanks for the reply. I was asking from a safety standpoint. What type of accident makes a carseat become unsafe? Barely bumping into something or just crashes that leave dents or deploy the airbags?

[o_mom]

Here are the NHTSA guidelines:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ChildRestraints/ReUse/RestraintReUse.htm

However, some manufacturers will say to replace after ANY accident, so always check with the manufacturer. If the accident is part of an insurance claim, most companies will replace them.