Parents go places with their children on a regular basis and don’t think much about it. They want to keep their children safe and have likely taken every precaution they can think of, but they can’t protect their children from everything.
When children are involved in a car crash, there are several things that their parents need to consider. One of the first is that the children need to get immediate medical attention. Children may not show signs of being injured right at the time of the crash, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t injured.
What else should parents do after the crash?
If a child’s car seat or booster seat is in the vehicle that was involved in the crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends replacing it after a moderate or severe crash.
The only time that a car seat or booster seat should be used after a crash is if it is considered minor, which means that all five criteria apply.
- The car seat or booster seat isn’t damaged
- The vehicle door closest to the seat wasn’t damaged
- The airbags, if equipped, didn’t deploy
- There weren’t any injuries to occupants of the vehicle
- The vehicle could be driven from the crash
If parents are involved in a crash with their children, they need to ensure their children are safe after the crash. This can sometimes mean having to take off work to attend doctor appointments and take care of the children after the crash. Because these crashes can be costly, parents might opt to pursue a compensation claim, but this must be done swiftly because time limits apply to these cases.