Children in the Vehicle
What are Children in the Vehicle?
Following an accident with children in the vehicle, certain steps should be taken to ensure their safety and that they receive treatment as soon as possible.
Being involved in a car accident that you did not cause can be devastating for anyone. When children are involved, however, it can be every parent’s worst nightmare. Children are more vulnerable to serious injuries in an accident due to their age and size. It’s critical to remain calm enough to act accordingly after a child-related accident.
Steps To Take After a Child-Related Auto Accident
Following an auto accident, it is critical to do the following to ensure the safety of all children in the vehicle:
Check On Your Kids- Following an accident, you should ensure that no one is in imminent danger. Check on all of the children involved in the crash. Inquire how they are feeling and if anything hurts.
If the child has serious injuries, call 911 immediately for an ambulance. Also, make certain that the children are not in the path of any immediate dangers, such as oncoming traffic.
Contact the Police- Call the police before anyone leaves the accident scene. Once the police arrive on the scene, they will collect data from all drivers. Inform them that you had children in the car with you and that they were injured.
If the other driver was at fault, a police report is required to file an insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention- Even if your child has no visible injuries or claims to be in no pain, they still need to get examined by a medical professional as soon as possible. Some car accident injuries take time to manifest, and children may not notice their injuries right away. Seeing a doctor will ensure that any issues that require treatment are addressed before they can become worse.
Contact an Auto Accident Attorney – It’s important to get in touch with an experienced car accident attorney as soon as you can. You’ll want to mention your injuries as well as those of your children. A lawyer will evaluate your case and help you get the compensation you deserve for damages as well as any pain or suffering that was caused to you and your children.
Make Sure Children Wear Proper Safety Belts
In a moving vehicle, parents and guardians should always ensure that children are properly restrained. This will not prevent accidents from occurring, but it will help to protect children if an accident does occur.
Child Safety Laws
Children under the age of eight must be restrained in a child passenger safety seat or a booster seat appropriate for their height and weight. The manufacturer’s instructions for the seat should include proper height/weight specifications.)
This applies to automobiles such as cars, pickup trucks, vans, and other vehicles traveling on a street, road, or highway. This law does not apply to public transportation, school buses, or taxis.
Children under the age of eight must ride in the back seat of the vehicle. Children under the age of 12 are highly advised to also ride in the back seat if possible.
Parents and guardians may be exempt from following child passenger safety laws if they are driving a vehicle that does not have a back seat.
The law states that a child under the age of 8 may only be in the front seat, properly restrained in a car seat or booster seat when:
- The vehicle has no rear seating appropriate to correctly restrain a child
- All proper rear seating positions are occupied by other children
Children weighing 40 pounds or more should be properly restrained with a lap belt if proper seat belts are not available in the vehicle.
Even if the child is taller than four feet and nine inches, they must wear a safety belt. This also applies to any minor passenger over the age of six. Children over the height limit and between the ages of eight and eighteen must wear seat belts regardless of where they are seated.
Unfortunately, car crashes are a leading cause of death among children. Improper or non-use of car seats is a major factor. Even when children are restrained properly, serious injuries can still occur.
If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident that was caused by a negligent driver, you need to contact an attorney as soon as possible for legal help.
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