Did You Buy a Booster Seat Based Upon Falsified Data?

Despite many booster seat manufacturers stating their seats are side-impact tested and safe for children who weigh less than 40 pounds, the a congressional subcommittee has taken serious issue with both claims. 

“Parents who want to keep their children safe by choosing the appropriate car seat or booster seat encounter false claims and misleading advertising in the marketplace,” according to a recent report from the House of Representatives’ Economic and Consumer Policy subcommittee regarding false assurances of safety by some of the leading manufacturers of children’s car booster seats. 

“This results in premature transitions from car seats to booster seats,” the report added. 

A particular concern is a booster seat’s ability to protect a child in the event of a side-impact collision, which accounted for about a quarter of car crash fatalities among children under the age of 15 according to 2018 data. 

Side-impact collisions may cause a number of serious injuries, including:

• Concussion
• Neck injuries
• Whiplash
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Paralysis
• Broken bones

Are Manufacturers Rushing Kids into Booster Seats?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the risk of injury to toddlers between 12 and 47 months old is reduced up to 82 percent when toddlers are in car seats, as opposed to using just a seat belt. Statistics show booster seats offer less protection because there’s only a 45 percent reduction of serious injury to children ages 4 to 8 years old who are placed in them. 

At the time the report was released in December, Baby Trend and Artsana continued to recommend their booster seats for children who weigh as little as 30 pounds, despite a majority of experts agreeing that children under 40 pounds and 4 years of age should not use a booster seat. 

Still, both the Baby Trend PROtect Yumi 2-in-1 booster seat and the Baby Trend PROtect Yumi Folding High Back are sold with weight recommendations of 30 to 100 pounds. 

Artsana also markets its Chicco KidFit 2-in-1 booster seat as safe for children ranging from as little as 30 pounds, and promotes its DuoGuard technology as providing superior protection for both the head and torso. The DuoGuard allegedly offers “head and torso protection with a rigid shell and energy-absorbing EPS foam throughout 10 height positions.”

However, the congressional report says there are no tests nor other evidence that prove DuoGuard adds any extra protection. 

By ignoring the advice of experts and agencies whose missions it is to provide safety reports and precautionary measures, these manufacturers and their decisions harm families — with the potential of causing life-long injury and pain.

Family Receives Millions in Damages

Dorel is no stranger to accusations about its booster car seats’ failures.

In 2016, a federal jury in Texas awarded a family $34.4 million because a May 2013 crash left their child partially paralyzed, according to The Marshal News Messenger. He was in a Safety 1st Summit Booster seat at the time of the accident.  

The jury found Dorel was 80 percent responsible for the child’s injuries in an initial $24.4 million verdict, and determined the family was owed an extra $10 million due to what the jury deemed was Dorel’s gross negligence. 

If you purchased a child’s booster seat based upon a manufacturer’s negligent weight recommendations or falsified safety statements, you could be eligible to participate in this booster seat class action lawsuit investigation.