Parents have a tremendous amount to worry about nowadays. One of your primary concerns, of course, is your child’s safety in your car, truck or SUV. To keep the young one in your family safe, it is important to follow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s car seat recommendations.
Unfortunately, even if you always strap your son or daughter into a size-appropriate car or booster seat, your vehicle’s front seats may put him or her in extreme danger. That is, your child may suffer catastrophic injuries or die because of a seatback collapse.
What is a seatback collapse?
Your car’s front seats stay upright thanks to internal mechanisms. These mechanisms may not be strong enough to absorb the impact of a rear-end collision or another type of motor vehicle accident, however. If the mechanisms fail, your front seat may fall backward.
Why are seatback collapses so dangerous?
According to reporting from CBS News, seatback collapses have seriously injured or killed hundreds of individuals during the past three decades. Most of the victims, sadly, are children. Because your son or daughter is small, his or her body is probably no match for the combined weight of your body and your car’s front seat.
How can you protect your child?
Where you place your child inside your vehicle may make all the difference. Indeed, whenever possible, you should put your child behind a vacant front seat. Doing so substantially reduces the chances your child will sustain a crush injury during a seatback failure.
Ultimately, if your efforts to protect your child are not fruitful, you may have grounds to pursue significant financial compensation for any injuries he or she suffers.