Newport Beach Injury Lawyer: Child Safety Seat Installation Mistakes

Child safety seats can reduce the chances of a serious car accident injury or fatality by a significant margin, but only if they are installed properly and they are the appropriate model for your child’s height and weight. Many parents attempt to properly restrain their children in the car, but make unfortunate mistakes that could put their kids at risk.

Here are the most common mistakes parents make while choosing and installing child car seats:

• Using a broken or defective child seat. Never use a safety seat that has been involved in an accident. Be very wary of purchasing a used child seat. And if your child’s seat is recalled, stop using it immediately.
• Using a seat that is the wrong size for your child. A seat is useless if your child is too big, too small, too tall, or too heavy for the seat. Check your child’s height and weight often.
• Not properly securing the seat in your car. A child seat is useless if it is not properly secured. Have your seat inspected by a safety expert and be sure you know how to properly install and remove the seat.
• Placing a child seat in front of an air bag. Air bags can kill children. Be sure your car seat is facing the proper direction. If you must have your child’s seat near an air bag, be sure the air bag is deactivated.
• Placing your child in the front seat too early. Even children who are no longer in booster seats could be in greater danger while riding in the front seat of a vehicle due to their height and weight. Children under the age of 12 should ride in the back.

Child car accident injuries can be devastating for the entire family, and could affect many aspects of your family’s daily lives. If you wish to collect compensation in the aftermath of a California car accident and child injury, contact a Newport Beach Injury Lawyer at Russell & Lazarus today at (949) 851-0222.