Being involved in a car crash with your infant or young child is frightening. While some of these children can speak up if there’s something wrong with them after the crash, others don’t have a way to let you know what’s wrong. This can make it difficult to know what to do after the crash.
One thing that you need to think about, whether your child was in the car or not at the time of the crash, is their car seat. If the crash was moderate to severe, you’ll have to replace that seat if it was in the car at the time. If the crash was minor, you can continue to use the seat if you choose.
What constitutes a minor crash?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set specific standards for what it means for a crash to be classified as “minor.” It’s only considered a minor crash if all of these points are true:
- No damage is visible on the car seat.
- You could drive the car away from the crash.
- Nobody in your vehicle was injured.
- There was no damage to the door nearest to the car seat.
- No air bags deployed in the crash.
Of course, your greatest concern is any injuries suffered in the crash. More serious injuries can result in the need for considerable medical care. Victims of crashes that are the result of other driver’s negligence may choose to file a claim for compensation. This can help them to recover medical care costs, lost wages and other financial damages directly related to the collision.
