Defective Car Seat Litigation
Child safety seats can save lives. According to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), auto accident deaths among children age 12 and under decreased by 43 percent from 2002-2011. The use of child safety seats and booster seats helped reduce the fatality rate among babies and toddlers. That’s why it’s so troubling to the Brooklyn, NY attorneys of Zucker & Regev when defective child safety seats lead to injuries.
Our law firm would like to discuss defects in car seats and how these can lead to injuries and deaths. We’ll also note some basics about product liability lawsuits and who is held liable in these sorts of cases.
How Child Safety Seats Are Supposed to Work
Child safety seats are intended to reduce the impact and forced experienced by a very young child in the event of an auto collision. These seats strap children in and offer protection from harm. When child safety seats are used properly, children are less likely to be thrown from a vehicle and are less likely to be crushed or struck by objects and other passengers in the vehicle.
Flaws with child safety seats negate the benefits of a properly functioning safety seat.
Potential Defects of Child Safety Seats
Some potential defects in child safety seats may include:
- The safety seat disconnects from its base
- The latches and straps do not work properly
- The padding of the safety seat is insufficient to prevent injury
- The shell of the safety seat is weak or poorly designed
- The safety seat shell materials shatter into sharp/jagged pieces
- The safety seat lacks instructions for proper use
Potential Injuries from Defective Car Seats
When a car seat malfunctions, an infant or toddler could be thrown from a vehicle or sustain serious trauma from impact while still in the seat. Possible injuries include:
- Head and facial trauma
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Neck and spinal cord injury
- Broken bones
- Cuts and puncture wounds
- Severe bruises and contusions
- Damage to internal organs
In some tragic cases, the injuries that result from a defective child safety seat prove fatal. In these instances, our Brooklyn lawyers can help with wrongful death litigation.
Recovery and Long-Term Effects of Injuries
A young child’s recovery from a serious auto collision can take months if not years. The injuries could lead to scarring and disfigurement, and might result in lasting disabilities or physical limitations. In the case of brain injuries, a young child’s cognition, memory, and ability to speak can be severely impacted.
Who Is Liable for a Defective Child Safety Seat?
Liability following a child safety seat defect varies from case to case based on different factors. The designer, manufacturer, and distributors of the safety seat can be held legally liable:
- Designers may have made an inherently defective product that was dangerous from the outset
- Manufacturers may have used the wrong materials or exhibited shoddy workmanship
- Distributors might have sold damaged products that were bound to function incorrectly
When speaking with our attorneys, we can go over the facts of your case and let you know who should be held legally liable.
Speak with Skilled Defective Product Attorneys
To learn more about your legal options following an auto accident involving your infant or toddler, be sure to contact a skilled product injury attorney. Zucker & Regev is here to help the people of Brooklyn in their time of legal need. You can reach us by phone at (718) 747-9283.