Car accident and replacing car seat

[Bernadine]

It needs to be replaced after any accident, right?

I rear ended someone yesterday. Hit them pretty good, but the airbags didn’t go off or anything. I’m thinking I still need to replace the car seat? Will the insurance adjuster give me any guidance?

[kkfeb04]

Check the car seat manufacturer. The insurance adjuster will not know. If insurances covers it (they should, mine reimbursed for whatever seat I wanted not just replaced with the old seat), get new ones. I wanted to keep my 7 and 5 year olds harnessed longer so I got a more expensive seat and paid for next day air shipping and they covered it 100%. We went through my insurance vs at fault insurance since my insurance would fight at fault to cover. I live in a no fault state.

[dottyblue]

Depends on the seat. I know Britax says it's ok to keep if there was no airbag deploy and both vehicles could be driven away from the accident. Some manufacturers say to replace after any accident.

You should be able to call customer service and get guidance if you don't have your manual any longer

[pandora89]

It depends on your car seat and insurance company.

We were in a very minor accident (a truck backed into the front of our car) and insurance adjuster insisted we replace our car seats, regardless of what the manufacturer said. We had a clek fllo and they paid for a replacement clek foonf since we needed a car seat the same day and our local store only had foonfs on hand.

eta - we didnt have to show the receipt of the original car seat purchase, we had to send pictures of our old car seat with the straps cut, and a link to the car seat we intended on replacing it with. Our adjuster sent us an email transfer with the money for the replacement car seat the same day so we didnt have to wait for a cheque or for the vehicle to be repaired. 

[CurlyQ284]

I was in an accident that didn't seem to affect the seat but I replaced it and submitted the receipt to USAA and they reimbursed me for the cost.

I think I had to provide the original receipt and show that I bought the same model, which was fine since I got it on Amazon. I could be wrong about the requirements though, it was 4 years ago.

[macmars45]

I'd replace.

[Deleted]

NHTSA has guidelines about this.

www.nhtsa.gov/car-seats-and-booster-seats/car-seat-use-after-crash

[JayhawkGirl]

We were rear ended on the highway a year ago yesterday. I replaced our britax and Graco booster

[JayhawkGirl]

ETA: insurance reimbursed me. It was the other drivers company. They try to tell me I had to go through some special company/clearinghouse to match up the car seats. I told him nope, I have already ordered them. I did not want something that has been sitting in a warehouse for a year, and their adjuster took from Saturday until Wednesday to get back to me on it and I needed them on Saturday. I basically took the approach of a double dog dare you to fight me on my kids car seats

[nextbigthing]

I would absolutely insist on it. I've been hit twice and neither insurance company batted an eye at replacing.

Sorry you were hit