Baby Injured in Washington Car Accident

By Pendergast Law on August 12, 2013

A 10-month-old boy was injured when he was ejected from a vehicle in a Washington auto accident. According to an Associated Press news report, the car crash occurred in Shelton. Officials say the baby was not in a child seat when the car spun out of control. He was thrown from the vehicle during the crash. His condition was not known at the time of the report. The 20-year-old woman driving the car was not injured.

Failing to properly restrain your child while driving in Washington is against the law. Under The Anton Skeen Act, which became effective in June of 2007, the following apply to all drivers in the state:

• Children under the age of one must be restrained in a rear-facing infant seat.
• Children between one and four years of age must be restrained in a forward-facing child safety seat.
• Children between the ages of four and six must be restrained in a child booster seat.
• Children over the age of six must either use a properly fitted booster seat or wear a safety belt that has been properly adjusted and fastened.

Drivers who fail to restrain young passengers can face a fine of at least $112 per child. More importantly, parents who fail to put their child in a safety seat are putting their child in harm’s way.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), restraint use saved the lives of 303 children ages four and younger in 2010. Furthermore, child safety seats reduce the risk of death in car accidents by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for children between the ages of one and four. The CDC estimates that children ages four to seven have their risk of injury reduced by 59 percent when they are restrained in a booster seat instead of just a safety belt.

The lawyers of Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. help families get compensation for injuries suffered in Washington car accidents. Our Seattle child car accident attorneys offer free consultations on all potential claims. Please contact us at (888) 228-3860 for a comprehensive case evaluation.