Because of their smaller size, children are uniquely vulnerable in car accidents. Car seats and booster seats are designed to keep children safe during collisions, but defects can render them dangerous. At our firm, our Miami personal injury attorneys represent families when a child has been hurt due to a malfunctioning car seat. Contact us for more information.
Common Defects
There is usually something wrong with the design or manufacture of the seat that causes it to fail when you need it to work the most. Our lawyers have seen many defects, such as:
- Chest clip defects. The harness could break during a crash because of a defective chest clip.
- Buckle defects. When the buckle fails, a child can slide out from the seat in a crash, suffering serious injuries.
- Base defects. Many car seats are latched to a base that is permanently installed in the car. When there is a defect with the latch, the seat can be thrown about.
- Inadequate padding. The cushions should have enough padding to cushion the blow after a crash. When padding is lacking, a child can suffer a head or other injury.
- Unclear or missing instructions. A product can also be unreasonably dangerous when it lacks adequate warnings or safety instructions. Unclear instructions, for example, might make it hard for a parent to install the seat properly.
Many people have no idea what is wrong with the seat. All they know is that it did not work as expected during a collision and that their child is hurt. Please contact us so that we can have a look at the seat to identify what failed.
Car Seat Recalls
When a manufacturer becomes aware of defects, they should issue a recall. The federal government can also issue recalls. In the recent past, many companies have had to recall their products:
- Evenflo has issued multiple recalls over the years for defects related to the release button and buckles. Some of their models have unintentionally detached during crashes.
- Britax has recalled about 70,000 seats due to problems with structural cracking and defective harness chest clip, among other issues.
- Baby Trend issued a recall early in 2017 because of failure to comply with the federal regulations regarding child seats.
To stay up to date on the most recent recalls, you can visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website. Realize, however, that a car seat can be defective even if the company has not yet recalled it.
Contact a Miami Product Liability Lawyer for a Free consultation
You can reach Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP today by calling 305-371-2692. We would be happy to review your case and explain your rights.