# Backless Boosters - After an accident



## khaoskat (May 11, 2006)

Ok, we were in a car accident Tuesday. I know all three other seats (Boulevard, Evenflo infant seat and Roundabout) have to be replaced, even if there was no one in them, which was the case for the Boulevard.

But my question is, do backless boosters have to be replaced. It was not even in a seat. When my eldest is not in the car, we have it sitting between the middle row of captain chairs on its side on the floor, so we can get DD2 in/out easier without always having to flop down the seat.

Also anyone have any ideas to get our insurance company to advance the money to replace the carseats. I don't have a spare $750 sitting around to go purchase all 4 seats right now (don't even have the money to purchase a $30 backless booster at the moment). So, yes, I know my kids are unsafe because they are riding around in the car seats that were in the accident, but it is either unsafe and following the law in carseats or unsafe and breaking the law without carseats.


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

Call your insurance company about it. Some will tell you to buy replacement seats, send in the receipt, then they reimburse you. This is how my company works, and I got my reimbursement check long before my credit card bill was due! I would fight to have the booster replaced too.

Here's a helpful article with the NSTA's guidelines for replacing seats.

Call and don't back down. Be prepared to make your case with the insurance company by knowing the guidelines and knowing what each of your car seat manufacturers say about replacing after accidents.

You say that your choice is to use an unsafe seat or break the law. But, your seats are being used in a way that goes against he manufacturer's guidelines for use, which is also actually against the law in most states.

Good luck.


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## khaoskat (May 11, 2006)

I have no choice, we do not even have the money at the moment to purchase a $30 backless booster, much less replacing what is basically about $750-$800 worth of carseats and waiting up to 30 days to get reimbursed for it. To do so would mean my entire family would go without food right now for that month and we would have utilities shut off.

We do not have a credit card, we got rid of those several years ago, when DH got his finances in order. If we do not have it in our bank account, we do not spend it. And right now, I don't even have $1 in my account.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Call your insurance adjuster and explain. Maybe get the prices from Target's or Walmart's or Babies-R-Us's website (whereever you plan to purchase the seat), put them in your 'cart' and get the total, and provide that to the insurance company. Maybe then they can cut you a check immediately and you can cash it and go get the seats.

I had my seats replaced a few weeks ago when my car was totalled, and I just bought them online and had him reimburse me. It was a very rare occurance that I actually had teh $800 in my bank account to be able to do that, but I did ask if they could cut the check ahead of time and he did say it would be ok if did just what I described above.


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X (Nov 18, 2004)

I had to use the kids seats until I was able to replace them which took about 2 weeks. I made sure to only go where I had to and stayed home a lot. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.


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## MJB (Nov 28, 2009)

I can understand not wanting to be in debt, but honestly, just go get a credit card and buy some new seats. You can pay it all off when the insurance company reimburses you. I would not drive anywhere with my kids in unsafe seats. Go to your bank and open a credit account, and buy some new seats already. You could even get an amazon.com credit card and order them online if it is too hard to get to the bank. You do have a choice here.


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## StoriesInTheSoil (May 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MJB* 
I can understand not wanting to be in debt, but honestly, just go get a credit card and buy some new seats. You can pay it all off when the insurance company reimburses you. I would not drive anywhere with my kids in unsafe seats. Go to your bank and open a credit account, and buy some new seats already. You could even get an amazon.com credit card and order them online if it is too hard to get to the bank. You do have a choice here.

I think that might be a little harsh, please consider that not everyone can just run out and be approved for a credit card, mama.

OP, I hope your insurance company starts working with you soon. In regards to your original question, I'm really not sure but I think that any seat that was in the car should be replaced. I think that an_aurora's suggestion of showing them the total on amazon or the TRU website might be your best bet. Good luck and I'm glad you're okay after your accident!


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## pumpkinhead (Sep 15, 2003)

I can't imagine why you'd need to replace a backless booster after a crash. Maybe someone can explain it to me







. When we were in our accident, I had to purchase the seats and be reimbursed for them. They wouldn't just give me money to go out and buy the seats. I think you'll have to physically talk to them and explain your situation.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MJB* 
I can understand not wanting to be in debt, but honestly, just go get a credit card and buy some new seats. You can pay it all off when the insurance company reimburses you. I would not drive anywhere with my kids in unsafe seats. Go to your bank and open a credit account, and buy some new seats already. You could even get an amazon.com credit card and order them online if it is too hard to get to the bank. You do have a choice here.

Respectfully, this is spectacularly unfair. We don't all have these choices for various reasons. Sometimes we have to do our best even when our best isn't *The Best*.


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## khaoskat (May 11, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MJB* 
I can understand not wanting to be in debt, but honestly, just go get a credit card and buy some new seats. You can pay it all off when the insurance company reimburses you. I would not drive anywhere with my kids in unsafe seats. Go to your bank and open a credit account, and buy some new seats already. You could even get an amazon.com credit card and order them online if it is too hard to get to the bank. You do have a choice here.

I disagree. We don't have the credit score to get a credit card right now. DH has been unemployed for a long time and we are behind on everything even the car we were driving in. So, basically his credit score went to heck in hand basket and that was before our baby got sick. It went even worse when the baby got sick, because even the minimal work he was finding had to be put on hold for two weeks while we were constantly going to dr appt. after dr appt, until someone finally listened to us a week later and realized there was something physically wrong with my child, then had emergency surgery with a 4 day hospital stay.

We have barrowed all we can from every source while DH's new job gears up with checks getting out. He has been traveling and going with just a meal a day or sandwhich for a meal because we didn't have the money for anything more. I have done without meals as well, or just eating a serving of veggies as a meal, so that the kids can have food and what we had would last till we got a bit more money in.

In a few weeks, when all the kinks get worked out of the new job, and pay starts getting direct deposited instead of waiting for checks to get cut and mailed and it will change, but until then that is how it is.

As a matter of fact, if our van is totaled we wont even have the credit to get a new vehicle, which means I will be walking 4 kids down a busy street two times a day to get my oldest two to school because we wont have a car.

So, maybe before you just jump to the gun and automatically assume people can go out and get credit, you will think next time. I live in one of the hardest hit areas after the crash. Our unemployment rate was in double digits well before the Nations was. Our waits for things like WIC, Food Stamps, etc are about 6-8 weeks right now if you are lucky, or it could be even longer.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pumpkinhead* 
I can't imagine why you'd need to replace a backless booster after a crash. Maybe someone can explain it to me







.

In people with mature (post-puberty) skeletons, the fully developed hip bones help hold the lapbelt down during a crash, directing the crash forces into large bones in hips and thighs and not internal organs and soft abdominal tissue. The armrests of backless boosters serve as "artificial hips" for younger people. It is possible, even likely, that a crashed backless booster may have a weakened structure and may not do what it needs to do. I do not worry AS MUCH about a crashed backless booster as I do about a crashed harness seat, but I still recommend replacement.

OP, if the insurance company won't replace the seats, try selling the Boulevard and Roundabout cover. You might get enough to purchase a Cosco Scenera.


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## ancoda (Oct 17, 2005)

I am pretty sure you are suppose to replace all carseats that are in the car in any crash. Yes it is annoying and sometimes hard to try to decide what to do in the in between time of the crash and getting the cash to buy new one. I really can't tell you what you should do about it, just use your best judgment on what you feel is safest.
Also something that a lot of people don't know or just don't remember is that you should also have any seat-belts that were being used when the crash occurred be replaced too.


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## Sharon RN (Sep 6, 2006)

I'm sorry to hear about your accident. :-(

I just wanted to warn you- my dh totaled our family car on 9/2, and because he was found at fault, our insurance company is refusing to buy us a new car seat, even though we have comprehensive coverage. Make sure, before you even consider spending that $ (if you can get it together) that you will actually be reimbursed for it.

Good luck!


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## khaoskat (May 11, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sharon, RN* 
I'm sorry to hear about your accident. :-(

I just wanted to warn you- my dh totaled our family car on 9/2, and because he was found at fault, our insurance company is refusing to buy us a new car seat, even though we have comprehensive coverage. Make sure, before you even consider spending that $ (if you can get it together) that you will actually be reimbursed for it.

Good luck!

Amazingly enough, we had no fault or even remote possibility of being at fault in this accident.

There was a three car pile up and we were the car that was in the very front of the pile up. A drunk driver came up at a high rate of speed for the street, squealed his tires try to stop, slammed into the car behind us, pushing her into our car. Thankfully the light had just turned green as the accident happened, and DH was already moving his foot off the brake and instead of bouncing back into the lady, we were shoved into the intersection where there were not other cars.


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## Marissamom (Dec 17, 2009)

if it wasn't strapped in and there were no forces acting on it, then a backless booster doesn't need replaced. if it was just between the seats, then a crash is going to do the same damage as dropping it out of the car onto the pavement would, and any damage would be to the outside edges, not to the place where a seatbelt would apply force in a future crash. if it had been buckled in there would have been the force of the buckle against it, but that wasn't the case, so you don't need to replace it.


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## leighi123 (Nov 14, 2007)

Can you go get free seats from SafeKids or something for now? Or borrow some? Or sell something to buy them?

Otherwise I'd stay home/walk/ride bikes/take the bus everywhere, its not worth the risk


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## ckberkey (Jan 7, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *leighi123* 
Can you go get free seats from SafeKids or something for now? Or borrow some? Or sell something to buy them?

Otherwise I'd stay home/walk/ride bikes/take the bus everywhere, its not worth the risk

This. I am sorry this happened to you and it sounds like it couldn't have happened at a worse time. Hopefully the insurance co will work with you. When we had a big accident, the insurance company estimated the replacement costs and sent the check right away.


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## pumpkinhead (Sep 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
In people with mature (post-puberty) skeletons, the fully developed hip bones help hold the lapbelt down during a crash, directing the crash forces into large bones in hips and thighs and not internal organs and soft abdominal tissue. The armrests of backless boosters serve as "artificial hips" for younger people. It is possible, even likely, that a crashed backless booster may have a weakened structure and may not do what it needs to do. I do not worry AS MUCH about a crashed backless booster as I do about a crashed harness seat, but I still recommend replacement.

OP, if the insurance company won't replace the seats, try selling the Boulevard and Roundabout cover. You might get enough to purchase a Cosco Scenera.

Thans for the explanation!


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## painefaria (Jul 4, 2007)

I am so sorry that this has happened to you at such a bad time. I looked into a few options for you.

At some of the Safekids events that have been giving out vouchers for boosters. This may be worth it to get you through until you can figure out your how you are going to be able to get the seats.
United Way may be able to assist you to locate car seats.

Do you belong to a local church, group, etc to borrow money? You may be able to work something out with them.

Have you gone to talk to your insurance agent in person? I know that adding a face to the plight sometimes helps. They may be able to vouch for you with the adjuster to get the check up front maybe have it sent to them and order the seats in their office or whatever works.

good luck


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