There are more than 60 million children aged 14 or younger in the United States. Sadly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that car accidents are the leading cause of death among children ages two through 14 years old. According to recent NHTSA statistics, an average of five children is killed and 568 injured every day in motor vehicle crashes. The good news is child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury to infants by 71 percent, and to toddlers by 54 percent.

Unfortunately, however, child safety seats and their close cousins – booster seats – are plagued by frequent safety recalls. In February 2008, for example, Evenflo recalled more than 1 million car seats after discovering that the seats could fail in the event of a side impact crash. Similarly, Chicco in June 2008 recalled thousands of infant car seats when it became apparent that the seats had defective bases that could increase the risk of injury in a car accident. Other common defects include poor construction, attachment failures, flammable or other hazardous materials, defective harnesses and unsafe design that puts our children at risk.

Even when no recall has been issued, the complexity of child safety seats often leads to improper installation or use. Studies have shown that up to 82 percent of parents are not able to properly install their children’s car seats. The NHTSA urges parents and caretakers to read child safety seat instructions carefully and to check their vehicle manuals for further information on safely attaching car or booster seats. Parents should also register their car and booster seats with the manufacturers to ensure that they will receive notification of any recalls. Finally, the NHTSA offers a searchable recall database online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm.

If your child has been injured while riding in a car seat or child booster seat, it is crucial that you contact an experienced accident lawyer immediately. Our dedicated injury lawyers can help you obtain all of the compensation to which your child may be entitled. This might include money for pain and suffering, emotional distress, medical bills and other financial damages. Only a trial lawyer who has handled many motor vehicle accident matters can decide the best strategy for handling your case.

At Feldman Shepherd, we are committed to obtaining the best possible recovery for our clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey as expeditiously as possible. We are here to serve you with hard work, attention to detail and a caring approach tailored to your individual needs. If we may be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us today.