Did you know that you should replace your child's car seat after your car has been in an accident? Even moderate accidents that result in no visible damage to the seat can put stress on the car seat's straps, frame, LATCH connectors and other structural components. Most insurance companies will cover the cost of replacing your child's car seat, so give your provider a call to find out the details.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that there are some cases where it is safe to reuse a car seat after a minor crash. You may be able to reuse your child's car seat if the crash meets ALL of the following 5 criteria:

1. A visual inspection of the child safety seat, including inspection under any easily movable seat padding, does not reveal any cracks or deformation that might have been caused by the crash;

2. The vehicle in which the child safety seat was installed was capable of being driven from the scene of the crash;

3. The vehicle door nearest the child safety seat was undamaged;

4. There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants; and;

5. The air bags (if any) did not deploy.