A six-year-old girl is recovering from several surgeries following a horrific accident that nearly claimed her life. The girl was riding in a vehicle driven by her father when the vehicle struck a tree. The girl underwent hours of surgery to repair her abdomen, which had been sliced open by the seat belt that she had been wearing at the time of the crash.
The girl’s mother would like other parents to be aware of what happened to her daughter because she does not want anyone to make the same mistake that they did. They thought that the girl had outgrown her booster seat, so she was wearing a seat belt. Not only that, but the girl put the shoulder portion of the lap and shoulder belt behind her. The position of the shoulder strap increased the force of the lap belt against the girl’s body during the accident, and she was nearly cut in two.
Unfortunately, many parents do make the same mistake and move their child out of a booster seat before their body is truly large enough to be safely restrained by a properly used adult seat belt. Mississippi law requires that all children under age seven be restrained in a properly fitting child safety seat. Child safety seats come with instruction manuals to help parents use them correctly. Infant car seats should be kept facing the rear of the vehicle for as long as possible, in fact, many pediatricians recommend keeping kids rear-facing until they are two years old. After that, it is best to keep a child in a forward-facing seat with a five-point harness until they reach the upper limit for safe use of the seat. One important thing to do at this stage is to make sure that the center clip of the harness remains at armpit height because otherwise, the child could slip out the top in the event of a crash. When your child outgrows their harness car seat, they can use a booster seat while following the instructions for belt position based on the child’s weight, height, and age. The booster seat positions the seat belt in a way that restrains the child safely and transfers tension from the belt to the seat, not the child’s body when there is an accident.
Barrett Law PLLC: Serving Mississippi Motor Vehicle Accident Victims
Accidents involving seat belt injuries to children are often tragic. Children who are injured by a seat belt during a motor vehicle wreck often sustain life-threatening injuries and face a long recovery time if they do survive. If you or your child were hurt or someone that you love was killed in a motor vehicle or accident, you might be able to recover for your injuries or your loss. The experienced Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC help accident victims and their families recover physically and financially after automobile accidents. Please call our office today, at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free, initial consultation.