Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of injury to children. Almost 250,000 kids suffer injury in collisions each year, and 2,000 children die annually according to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA). Further, traffic collisions constitute the leading cause of death of children between the ages of 2 and 14 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tragically, drunk driving is a significant factor in car accidents involving children. Approximately, one in five accidents that result in injury or death of a child involves a driver who is intoxicated. Of these children, approximately half are passengers riding in the vehicle with the intoxicated driver.

Because of the risk of children being injured in auto accidents caused by unsafe driving practices, such as alcohol impaired driving, adults are advised to ensure that kids are properly buckled up in an age and size appropriate safety restraint. A third of children under the age of 13 who die in passenger vehicle collisions are not fastened into a seat belt or car seat according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Federal traffic safety officials urge adults to secure kids in an appropriate safety restraint or seat belt every time a driver climbs behind the wheel. The NHSTA reports that properly installed and utilized child safety restraints offer injury-reducing and life-saving benefits. When used correctly, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Additionally, booster seats decrease the risk of injury to child passengers by 59 percent. In more concrete terms, the NHTSA estimates that child safety restraint systems have saved the lives of about 10,000 children under the age of five between 1975 and 2011.

Although child safety restraint systems offer an effective way to prevent injury to children in car crashes, many parents either elect not to buckle their kids in or fail to do so correctly. Research conducted by AAA reveals that 3 out of 4 car seats are either improperly used or installed. This misuse is to some degree a product of poorly designed car seats and inadequate installation instructions.

When children are injured in Georgia auto accidents, they can suffer significant physical injuries and deep emotional trauma. Our Georgia auto accident lawyers work diligently to maximize the recovery for such injuries, so injured children have the financial means to obtain excellent medical care and counseling. A crash that causes injury to a child might support a legal claim based on the negligence of a driver. If your child suffers more severe injury because of a defective car seat or booster seat, the manufacturer or retailer of the device also might be a viable defendant.

Put Our Law Firm’s Over 39 Years of Experience to Work For You

If your child has been injured in a car accident in Georgia, your child might be entitled to compensation. Our attorneys at Montlick and Associates have been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and in the Southeast for over thirty years, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED® (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2013/09/22/more-than-a-third-of-children-killed-in-crashes-were-not-in-car-seats-or-wearing-seat-belts-the-government-reports/

http://nj1015.com/aaa-3-in-4-kids-not-properly-secured-in-car-seats-audio/

http://phpa.dhmh.maryland.gov/ohpetup/kiss/docs/pcps_cps_rpt_2007.pdf