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Green Bay Defective Seat Lawyers

Car Seat Installation Tips

A national group estimates that up to 80% of the car seats in cars that are on the road today are installed in a way that is not safe. The reason for this? Badly worded directions that do not help people install their car seats in a safe way. Because of this, installation tips have been developed to help parents keep their children safe.

• Check to ensure that the car seat is installed tightly and that the harness fits the baby snugly. The car seat really should not move when it is installed properly.
• Do not put a rear-facing safety seat in the front seat of a car with airbags. If the airbag deploys, it will hit the back of the safety seat and the baby’s head which can result in serious injury or death. A lot of cars now are equipped with sensors in the front seat that will not let the airbag deploy if there is not enough weight on the seat. Despite this, it is still a better idea to let the baby ride in the back seat.
• If your car seat has multiple harness slots, make sure the harness is in a slot at or below the baby’s shoulders. This will prevent the baby from moving around in the event of an accident. Even if the harness is in the correct slot, it still needs to be snug.
• Make sure the safety seat is positioned at an angle that does not allow the baby’s head to flop forward. If your seat does not have angle adjusters, insert a bit of firm padding at the base of the seat to prevent the baby’s head from flopping forward.
• Make certain that the car seat is installed tight enough. If it can move more than an inch in any direction, the seat is too loose. If you cannot get your seat tight enough, there is most likely a certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician in your area. If you need a CPS Technician, there is a list available that is searchable by state or ZIP code at the NHTSA web site.

If your baby has been injured due to a faulty car seat, contact the Green Bay defective child seat lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier, S.C. at 1- 800-757-8644 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.