Do You Need to Replace Child Car Seats After an Accident?

Robyn Wright |

Updated: Nov 27, 2023

Probably. Here’s what you need to know.

Recently my daughter was in a car crash on her way to work (she’s okay). Luckily, my twin granddaughters were not in the car with her when she was rear-ended by a large truck. However, their car seats were in the car. After the accident, I did some research to find out whether we needed to replace child car seats.

One of the first things I found out is that it does not matter if the child is using the car seat or not at the time of the accident. That is not a determining factor on whether they should be replaced. Many people would think that if they were not being used that they would be fine but that is not the case.

The biggest factor is the severity of the accident. In our case my daughter was not seriously injured by the car was still totaled by the insurance company. This made the accident strong enough for us to know that the car seats should be replaced according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

More information: What You Need to Know About Car Seat Safety

It Is Important To Get Replacement Car Seats After Accidents. Not Matter The Severity Of The Crash.

When Should You Replace Child Car Seats After an Accident?

The NHTSA recommends you replace child car seats after a severe or moderate crash. These guidelines should be followed, even if the child was not using the car seat at the time. For minor accidents, the car seat does not necessarily have to be replaced but you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

The NHTSA considers a MINOR crash where car seats may not need replacing one that includes ALL of the following:

The car can be driven away from the crash site
The car door nearest the car seat was not damaged
None of the passengers sustained injuries during the crash
No airbags were deployed during the crash
No visible damage to the car seat

We were told by our insurance company to leave the car seats in the car and they would be disposed of when they towed the car away.

Need help with car seat safety? Here are the 5 Best Car Seat Safety Tips

It Is Important To Follow Car Seat Safety To Make Sure Your Child Is Safe In The Car.

Car Seat X-Ray – Is That Really a Thing?

While doing my research I saw several people online talking about having the car seats x-rayed at hospitals to see if there was damage. While some people attempted this, only a handful were able to find a hospital willing to do the test.

I also was not able to find any official information from the NHTSA or any car seat manufacturing suggesting this as a positive way to see if there was damage or not. Plus, doctors and nurses are trained at looking for damage to humans, not plastic car seats.

Are Car Seats Covered By Auto Insurance?

Another big question for us was whether the cost of the car seat replacements would be covered. There are several factors involved in this as well. It will depend on your insurance provider, your type of coverage, who’s fault the accident was, and any riders you have to the insurance.

In our case, we are being reimbursed by the other person’s insurance company for new cars seats since it was their fault.

Should You Replace Child Car Seat After An Accident?

When looking at car seats, is this High-End Car Seat Worth the Money?

Follow This Rule For Car Seat Replacement After An Accident

Even if your costs will not be reimbursed it is imperative that you still replace the car seats if they meet the criteria. Your child’s safety is far more important than the money it will cost to buy a new car seat for them.

Remember, keep those babies safe!

Have You Been In A Minor Or Major Accident With Or Without Your Children In The Car? How Do You Know If You Need To Replace Child Car Seat After Accident?