No parent ever wants to hear that their child has been involved in a car accident. Unfortunately, it’s a grim reality that many parents must contend with. Every year thousands of children are killed in motor vehicle crashes. In fact, it’s the leading cause of death among children in the United States. To prevent this kind of tragedy, parents purchase car seats to keep their children safe. Statistics show us that by putting kids in age as well as size appropriate car seats, they significantly cut down on serious and even fatal injuries.

But did you ever think the child car safety seat you purchase might be flawed or defective? In December of 2009, almost half a million infant and child car seats were recalled by the Dorel Juvenile Group. The problem? As reported by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the handle on the car seats could loosen and become detached. This could cause some infants to suffer fall related injuries.

So what can parents do to tell if a child seat is safe and what should be done if the car seat purchased ends up being recalled? Research prior to purchase is critical but if a recall should occur, many times the product won’t even have to be sent back! Manufacturers are often able to send replacement parts to you free of charge so that you won’t have to worry about a replacement seat in the mean time.

It is also crucial to understand how to use your child car seat or booster seat correctly. More often than not, seats are installed improperly which results in added and unnecessary risk for the child. One recent study found that out of 3,500 car seats observed, over 70% were being used incorrectly.

As a parent, when you walk into a store you are inundated with a host of products geared toward your infant, toddler, older child or teenager. All these products should come with a reasonable expectation of safety. Your child’s car seat is no exception, so it’s important to know the product’s safety history especially if it’s been used before.

While it’s usually not a bad idea to pinch pennies and purchase pre-owned items, that’s not always the safest bet when it comes to child car seats. Many thrift stores, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, have been found to sell seats that have been previously recalled due to safety concerns.

Over the years, several important steps toward safety have been taken by the government and retailers, but many infants, babies, and children still suffer injury.

If your child has suffered an injury during an auto accident and was properly riding in a child car seat, contact infant and child car seat attorney Jeffrey Killino at 1-877-875-2927 today. As defective infant and child car seat attorneys, they can offer you a free consultation on whether you may file a claim against a child car seat manufacturer.