CHILD BOOSTER SEAT AND RESTRAINT USE IN THE UNITED STATES IS HIGHER THAN EVER ACCORDING TO A REPORT RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 BY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA (CHOP) AND THE ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS (AIAM)
PHILADELPHIA DEFECTIVE CHILD SEAT ATTORNEY ADVISES PARENTS ON OTHER POTENTIAL SEAT DEFECTS AND HOW TO FURTHER PROTECT YOUR CHILD.
Over an 8 year period from 1999 to 2007 researchers noted that overall child restraint use increased from 51% to 81% in children younger than 9. During the same period, age appropriate restraint use, including booster seats among children 4 to 8 years old quadrupled from 15% in 1999 to 63% in 2007. Research indicates that for 4 to 8 year-olds booster seat and proper child seat usage reduces the risk of injury in a crash by 59%. Booster seats elevate a child’s small body to insure proper seat belt fit, better protecting them in the case of a crash. Kristy Arbogast, Ph.D., the Director of Engineering at The CHOP Center for Injury Research and Prevention where a long-term study was conducted stated “Along with the increase we see in the number of kids riding in child restraints, we can also see changes in the types of restraints they are using now versus 10 years ago. More 4 and 5-year olds are riding in booster seats now, rather than car seats with built in harnesses, with slightly more of them in high back booster seats than backless. But among the 6 through 8 year olds, backless booster seats are far more prevalent than high back booster seats”.
When you place your child or infant in a safety seat, you expect and trust the manufacturer has designed a safe seat that will protect your child in the case of an accident. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Once again, often we find that many manufacturers place profits over safety and design child safety seats according to Federal standards, which are really minimum standards. Often there are design defects that are not revealed during testing and many times, testing is not done or when it is done is done under real world conditions testing of the seats. Effectively designed child seats have lead to many injuries and deaths which were easily preventable. When the child’s seat does not operate properly, its ineffectiveness can be more dangerous than failing to use the seat itself in that it can cause additional injuries for the child or fail to protect the child from serious harm or death.
Following are possible defects that may occur:
a. Child seat clip defects;
b. Child seat buckle defects;
c. Child seat detachment defects;
d. Improper padding on child seats;
e. Weak outer-protective and inner-protective shell;
f. Flammable material;
g. Defective handles;
h. Base/self separation and deficient construction;
i. Sudden release due to defective harnessing system; and
j. Unanticipated rotation.
If your child or a child that you know was injured as a result of a defective child car seat, please feel free to contact the Pennsylvania product liability lawyers at the law firm of Reiff and Bily. If your child has been injured in a car accident and you believe that their child safety seat played a role in that injury, then you may very well have a legal case to make. Pennsylvania child safety seat lawsuits can often provide financial and legal assistance to parents who have suffered through the injury or death of their child. These lawsuits can insure that the seat makers do not repeat their hazardous behavior. Settlements from these lawsuits can insure that all medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, expenses and other costs are taken care of for the family involved.
Contact our office for a free no obligation consultation and learn about your rights when it comes to product liability and child safety seats at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com. Reiff and Bily is a personal injury firm located in Philadelphia, PA and is also listed in the Bar of Registered Preeminent Lawyers International Edition. Our Pennsylvania defective products lawyers have had years of experience dealing with product liability cases throughout the state and are especially interested in cases involving child safety seats and the promotion of auto and passenger safety.
