Very Minor Accident - New Car Seat Necessary???

Updated on June 11, 2012
K.C. asks from Irvine, CA
14 answers

I need some advice. I have always heard that if you are in a car accident, you should get new car seats no matter what because you don't know about internal damage to the seat. So, that said...

This morning, in the parking lot, another lady and I backed into each other. We were both going very slowly, as we had just started moving. Her car has no dents or anything, just some minor scratches and damage to the paintwork, but nothing else. My car is a bit worse, with the back bumper partially popped out (though I was able to push it back in myself), a bunch of scratches, and a medium sized dent. The impact was on the back driver's side of my car.

My daughter was in the car, on the driver's side, so my understanding is that insurance will replace her seat at no cost. We will definitely replace hers. However, my son was NOT in the car, so I don't think insurance will cover a new seat for him. His seat was on the passenger side, so farther from the impact.

Since the impact was SO minor and insurance won't pay for the seat, I'm not sure what to do. he sits in a Britax Frontier (converts from 5 point harness to booster)

If you were in my situation, would you get a new car seat for the one that insurance doesn't cover?

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So What Happened?

Thanks everyone for your replies. Julie F, I took your advice and checked out the Britax website. You're right - we meet all of the criteria for a minor crash and should not need new seats. Whew!

Featured Answers

R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

We're her in Buena Park and last December my sister, BIL and nephew were in an accident, no one else, but my 2.5 year old's car seat was in the car. A police officer at the scene saw it and said it would have to be replaced, and the Triple "A" agent asked if there were any car seats in the vehicle and when told yes said it had to be replaced. Both said there's no way to know what if any damage was done to it so it has to be chucked and replaced.

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F.M.

answers from San Antonio on

If I were in your situation, I would NOT get a new car seat. You were going maybe 2 miles an hour, tops? Call me cheap. Call me a bad parent. But no I don't think I'd go get a new one unless I had money to spend or if the one I had was faded/old anyway.

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J.L.

answers from St. Cloud on

You were the only one who truly knows how much force was in the accident. Setting the cost aside, would you buy a new one? If you spend the next week driving him around in the 'old' one, are you completely fearful that the seat has lost it's integrity?? I vote for what puts your mind at ease. You wouldn't want to get into a bigger accident with him and wonder how well the seat will hold up.

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B.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

No need to replace either seat. You weren't going fast enough.

Good luck to you and yours.

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J.F.

answers from Bloomington on

They are going to either replace both of them or none of them. Have you been told they won't replace the one that was empty, or are you assuming?

This is my understanding since I just went through this 3 months ago.

If a rear end or sideways collision, car seats are replaced (whether or not the child was in it).

If a front end collision (like mine) the seat is only replaced if:
*the seat is damaged,
*a person is injured
*the air bags go off
*the car cannot drive off (like mine)
There may have been one more reason....can't remember.

I had to fight to get both of mine replaced (one had a child, one was empty), and my car was totaled. Fight for it! Replace it regardless.

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K.P.

answers from Seattle on

You might try calling the insurance agent and see if they know. Or the car seat maker even.

Better to be safe than sorry!

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Dallas on

We had a minor crash w/o the baby in the car and the people's insurance covered the cost of a new one.

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J.F.

answers from Las Vegas on

Go to the Britax website. They have very specific criteria regarding the use of car seats after a MINOR crash. They spell it out very clearly, so check there first.

Each manufacturer is different. I was hit from behind earlier this year. Had a Graco at the time, and when I checked with them, they indicated it needed to be replaced. In addition, the insurance company (Allstate) said it should be replaced and gave me no trouble at all about it.

Glad you are all okay!

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L.M.

answers from Dover on

Your insurance should cover the carseat regardless of if you child was in the seat or not. Technically, yes you should replace your son's seat...I believe it is better to err on the side of safety. In this case, you may be safe not to but I don't like to gamble w/ kids lives.

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D..

answers from Charlotte on

If the child isn't in the seat, I don't think that there is an issue with the seat being compromised. I think that the weight of the child plays a part.

I could be wrong - perhaps other moms know.

You might try googling it...

Glad you all are okay!
Dawn

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K.O.

answers from Atlanta on

Britax is one of the few that you don't have to replace after minor accidents. They have a few criteria and yours passes all of it. So, definitely no replacement needed for sun. If your daughter is also in a Britax, you probably won't have to replace that one either.

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J.A.

answers from San Francisco on

Read the car seat manual, I just got my daughter a new seat, a recaro so i recently read the manual, and it had different protocall for different type of accidents. I'm sure britax, which is comparable to recaro will have similar advice.

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T.A.

answers from Seattle on

They will cover it whether he was in it or not. I would! Better safe than sorry.

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J.M.

answers from Missoula on

I think it would be unnecessary... without a child in the seat, and in such a minor accident, I don't think there was enough force in play to stress the seat at all.

You could try looking at the instruction pack to it, and calling their question's hotline...

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