Parents in St. George, Utah who currently use the Recaro Performance Ride or ProRide Convertible Car Seats should check the company’s website to determine if their child’s seat is part of a recent recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) discovered a troubling safety problem in late 2013 and early 2014 that could put children in St. George and around the country in danger in the event of an auto accident. After 18 months of resistance and denial from the manufacturer, a recall of all models built between Jan. 15, 2013 and June 9, 2015 has been issued.
The Defect
The NHTSA discovered the issue during routine federal safety compliance crash tests. In the event of an auto accident, regulators found that a part vital to securing the top of the child seats breaks upon impact and allows the top of the child seat to fly forward.
Recaro and its lawyer did not believe the seats were faulty and filed a formal petition denying any need for a recall in Nov. 2014. The company’s lawyer stated in the petition that the strap was never intended to support a child over 52 pounds and argued that a 65-pound child caused the failures in NHTSA tests.
The company additionally argued that any breakage was not necessarily bad in the case of an accident. “Technology has shown repeatedly that collapse, breakage and crumpling of material minimizes energy and increases the rate of survival for the occupant in the event of a collision,” Recaro explained to regulators, per The New York Times.
While there have been no reports in St. George or anywhere else in the country of such failures, Recaro has finally recalled more than 173,000 child safety seats.
If your child has been injured in a collision while riding in an affected Recaro child seat, contact your local auto accident lawyer immediately.