Do you always need a new carseat after a car accident?

[Anonymous]

I was in a car accident last month and DD and I are both fine, but a friend suggested I get a new carseat. The impact did not seem bad enough to me, but I'm wondering what other people would do. thanks!

[Anonymous]

Call your insurance company - they may cover the cost of replacement.

[Anonymous]

If it was more than a little fender bender, like you weren't going more than about 10 miles an hour, I'd probably replace it.

[Anonymous]

My husband had 2 fender benders in his car - one in 2006 and one in 2008. In 2006, the insurance company replaced the seat, no questions asked. In 2008, the standards had changed and they had a list of things that had to happen in the crash before they would replace the seat, such air bag deployment. We decided not to replace the second time. Definitely call your insurance company and see what they say, and if they don't replace, you have to decide if you want to replace it yourself.

[Anonymous]

Here's what the NHTSA has to say about it:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ChildRestraints/ReUse/index.htm

[Anonymous]

Op here, thanks for the link! Very helpful

The criteria for NOT needing to replace the seat are:


*

The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;
*

The vehicle door nearest the safety seat was undamaged;
*

There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;
*

The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND
*

There is no visible damage to the safety seat


Now, I couldn't drive our car from the crash site, but only because the metal was digging into the front right tire, not because there was structural damage that made the car physically unable to drive. If my DH were there or my DD wasn't with me, I would probably have tried to hammer it out.

I still can't decide. I guess I should call the insurance company...
Thanks everyone!