On behalf of Casey Woodruff
Keeping children safe is a priority for authorities in the Chicago area. While there are many ways in which a child may be injured, car accidents are often to blame. In an effort to try to prevent children involved in car accidents from suffering serious injuries, earlier this month the Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 held an event designed to help educate on how child safety seats should be properly used.
Most parents and guardians would never knowingly do anything to put their child at risk for serious injury in a car accident. Despite these good intentions, many unknowingly do just that. According to the executive director of Illinois Tollway, “more than 80 percent of safety seats in Illinois are installed incorrectly”. Making sure that the seat is installed correctly could greatly reduce the risk that a child in the seat will be hurt should a car accident occur. Between the years of 1975 and 2011, it is estimated that more than 9,800 children under the age of five were saved by the proper use of child restraints.
While many may not want to think about it, the possibility of being involved in a motor vehicle accident is present each and every time someone gets into an automobile. While following the rules of the road lowers the risk of crashes happening, even safe drivers could find themselves involved in a collision should someone else on the road drive in a dangerous manner. These incidents do occur with devastating results. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration indicates that motor vehicle collisions are the number one reason children between the ages of 12-months and 12-years-old die.
While child restrains may, in some situations keep a child alive in a crash, they could still be hurt. When a child is injured in a car accident that is due to the negligent behavior of another driver it is possible that his or her parents will decide to seek monetary damages via a personal injury lawsuit. Working with a lawyer who handles these types of cases is usually a good place to start.
Source: The Chicago Tribune, “Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police Host Kids Safety Event at IKEA Schaumburg,” Jon Bigness, July 29, 2013
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Proper installation of car seats could save children in crashes
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