Texas Accident & Injury News
Parents can face charges if their child is not in an age-appropriate car seat.
Child in Critical Condition, Driver Charged After Crash on I-10
According to a KSAT News report, a child was critically injured, and a man was arrested after a crash on the Inner West Side.
Police reported that the accident happened at around 8:35 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4th, on I-10 near the West Hildebrand Road exit on the Inner West Side of San Antonio. A Nissan Sentra with a 23-year-old male driver and a 4-year-old child passenger was stopped in the middle of the lane because it had run out of gas. It was then rear-ended by a Dodge Ram pickup truck. The child was not in a safety seat and suffered critical injuries. The 23-year-old driver was also injured—he was driving without a valid license, and the vehicle had no insurance. He was arrested and charged with injury to a child.
The driver of the pickup remained at the scene and is not facing charges.
Did You Know?
1,037 accidents in Texas last year were caused by a vehicle disabled in a traffic lane.
What Parents Should Know About Child Safety Seat Laws in San Antonio As Summer Starts
Is your child in the right car seat?
NHTSA research estimates that 7 out of 10 children are improperly restrained—while 90% of parents think they’ve done it right, the data says something different:
- 40% of children are buckled too loosely
- 34% have their chest clip in the wrong position
- 30% of car seats are installed with twisted harness clips
This doesn’t just increase your child’s risk of severe injury. Parents can face fines and criminal charges if their child is injured because they weren’t in an age-appropriate safety seat.
What Legal Consequences Can Parents Face in San Antonio?
In Texas, children under 8 years old must be secured in a safety seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches—after that, regular seat belt rules apply.
Failure to comply with this law is a misdemeanor and can result in fines of up to $250.
However, penalties can be steeper depending on the circumstances.
If your child is injured in an auto accident and they were not in a car seat, parents or caretakers can face criminal charges, such as:
- Injury to a Child — Ranging from a state jail to a first-degree felony, depending on the circumstances and severity of the injury.
- Child Endangerment — State jail felony.
How Can I Tell If My Child’s Car Seat Is Installed Correctly?
It can be hard to tell if your child’s car seat is installed correctly. Fortunately, the TxDOT’s Save Me With a Seat program helps parents figure it out for free.
You can visit savemewithaseat.org and enter your zip code to find and schedule a free appointment with your nearest TxDOT district office. On the website, you will also find detailed instructions on how to determine what car seat your child needs. A brief summary:
- Rear-Facing Seats — Should be used until your child is 2 or until they exceed the height and weight limits of the seat.
- Forward-Facing Seats — Should be used after your child is older than 2 and until they exceed the height and weight limits of the seat.
- Booster Seats — Should be used after the child outgrows forward-facing seats and until they are at least four feet nine inches (4’9”) and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
Of course, parents can do everything right, and their child can still be injured in a car accident. When that happens, call Shaw.
Was Your Child Injured in a Car Accident in San Antonio? Call Shaw!
If your child was injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault in San Antonio or the surrounding area, you could be entitled to compensation for things like:
- Ambulance Costs,
- ER Treatment,
- Medical Bills,
- Pain and Suffering,
- Property Damage,
- Trauma/PTSD,
- Missed Work,
- And More.
We’ll help you find out if you have a case for free.
Call Shaw at 800-862-1260 today to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced child injury lawyer in San Antonio. There are no fees or obligations attached—just the expert legal advice you need. Carabin Shaw has been a trusted name in San Antonio for over 32 years because we put our clients first.
We look forward to serving you.