If your child has been in a car accident, it’s important to take the following steps:
- Check for injuries: Check your child and any passengers for injuries. If anyone is injured, call 911 immediately.
- Call the police: Contact the police and report the accident, even if it seems minor.
- Document the accident: Take photos of the scene, including any damage to the vehicles and the surrounding area. This documentation may be useful when filing an insurance claim.
- Exchange information: Exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver involved in the accident.
- Seek medical attention: Even if your child appears to be uninjured, it’s still a good idea to have them evaluated by a medical professional to rule out any potential injuries or complications. A child’s body is different and it’s worth the time to go to your pediatrician, get a once over, and make sure everything is okay. It is not uncommon for children to have little chips of broken bones. The doctor knows what to do to find that injury and you, as a parent, probably don’t.
- Contact your insurance company: Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to report the accident and discuss your coverage options.
- Consult with a personal injury attorney: If your child has suffered injuries or damages as a result of the accident, it may be helpful to consult with a personal injury attorney who can help you understand your legal options for pursuing compensation.
Car seats
if it’s a car accident where people have been injured and there’s property damage, your child’s car seat is no longer safe and you need to replace it. You are entitled to have a new car seat under your insurance policy or the insurance policy of the person who hit you. Please promptly get a new car seat.
Modern car seats are made out of plastic designed to protect your child for one impact. After that, the car seat manufacturers can’t guarantee that the plastic itself will remain or have the same integrity to be able to protect your child a second time.
The insurance companies know this and may require you to show proof of the destruction of the first car seat, which usually means sending a photo showing that you’ve cut the straps off the original car seat. This is important because no one wants unsafe car seats getting passed on to other parents. Often parents aren’t aware that they need to get new car seats after a collision, which includes booster seats for older children.
It’s important to remember that car accidents can be traumatic experiences, especially for children. If your child is feeling overwhelmed or anxious after the accident, it may be helpful to seek support from friends, family, or a mental health professional.
Contact us.
If you have questions about this article or if you would like to have a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced attorney about your personal injury case, please call us at (414) 306-8999 or write to us using the contact form on this page.
