With Child Passenger Safety Week well underway, our Boston injury law firm wants to remind you to make sure that the child safety seat that your son or daughter is using works correctly and is properly installed. Unfortunately, car seat defects can cause serious injuries to children. Should that happen, you might be able to file a Massachusetts products liability lawsuit against the negligent manufacturer.
That said, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that even when there are no product defects, parents are still making five key errors when using booster and car seats:
• Using the wrong harness slot • Positioning the harness chest clip over the wrong part of the body/not using it at all • Not securing the restraint system tightly enough • Wrong seat belt placement • Allowing the harness to stay loose
Also, one in five parents reportedly don’t read the instructions when installing a car seat.
There are steps that parents and caretakers can take to make sure that a car seat or booster seat is free from safety defects, properly installed, and appropriate for a child’s age, weight, and height. Child safety seats do save hundreds of lives each year, but they can’t do their job unless they are used correctly and are defect-free.
Traffic crashes continue to be the leading cause of child deaths in the US. At Altman & Altman, LLP, we represent families with kids that were injured in Massachusetts car accidents, pedestrian accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, bicycle collisions, and other accidents caused by the negligence of others. Other motor vehicle-related injuries that can lead to kids getting hurt include seat belt defects, air bag problems, accidental backover accidents, car window injuries, trunk-related injuries, hyperthermia from being left in the car for too long, and car fires.
As the parent or guardian, you may be able to sue for damages on your child’s behalf. This can provide compensation for their pain and suffering while covering medical cost, rehabilitation, and other expenses, including long-term care needs. Your Boston personal injury case is a civil proceeding and not a criminal case against the other party.
U.S. DOT and Safe Kids Kick Off Child Passenger Safety Week With New Survey on Common Car Seat Mistakes, NHTSA, September 17, 2012
Child Passenger Safety Week, Mass.gov