Tennessee Automobile Accident Attorneys Discuss Child Safety Seats
Did you know that car accidents are the number one cause of accidental death for children under eighteen years of age? This troubling statistic paired with estimates that child safety seats are used incorrectly up to ninety five percent of the time, is a reminder to parents that choosing the correct car seat for your child and using it properly may not be as easy as it seems. Children’s car seats are sometimes given and received as gifts during the holiday season, especially for parents who are expecting a child or who have young children. As such, be sure to do your research and shop carefully to ensure that you get the type of car seat that your child needs.
Tennessee child safety restraint laws require that infants under one year old, and weigh less than twenty pounds be secured in a rear-facing car seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) takes the rear-facing recommendation a step further and suggests that a rear facing car seat keeps children under the age of two years old safer than turning them around on their first birthday. Many car seats that are on the market support rear facing car seat use beyond the state minimum requirement of one year and twenty pounds by offering seats that can be used rear facing up to a weight limit well beyond twenty pounds. Some seats can even be turned around for forward-facing use after your child’s second birthday. In Tennessee, children between one and three years old who weigh over twenty pounds may use a car seat that faces forwards. Once your child is four years old, they must use an adjustable booster seat that keeps the seat belt in an appropriate position for their size until their eighth birthday.
Choosing the correct car seat is just the first step in ensuring your child’s safety in the car. You must ensure that car seats are properly secured in the vehicle, and you must also adjust the car seat straps to fit each child and buckle each child into their seat properly. If your child is wearing a winter coat or a snowsuit, be sure to remove it before buckling them into their car seat because it can interfere with the operation of the car seat straps during a crash, resulting in serious injury. The instruction manual that was provided with your car seat should help you with installing, adjusting, and using the seat properly, but if you would like additional help or reassurance that you are using your child’s car seat correctly, many police departments offer free child safety seat inspections. The website for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is another great car seat safety resource for parents and caregivers.
If your family has been involved in an accident, your child may have been injured even if they were secured properly in an appropriate child safety seat. The Memphis Automobile Accident Attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC are here to help your family recover from the injuries and damages that you have sustained as the result of an accident. Call us today, at 901-680-9777, to learn more about how we can help you.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
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