When a defective car seat fails to protect your child during a car accident, the consequences can be devastating. Thousands of children suffer serious injuries each year in motor vehicle accidents. Many of these injuries result from car seat misuse, but some stem from design flaws, manufacturing defects, or inadequate warnings on car seats. If your child was injured by a defective car seat in Tulsa, you have the right to hold the manufacturer accountable.
Abel Law Firm helps families recover the compensation they deserve for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and long-term care needs. We offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win your case. Call (918) 777-7046 today to speak with a Tulsa defective car seat lawyer who understands your family’s needs.
Why Choose Abel Law Firm for Your Defective Car Seat Claim
When your child’s safety is at stake, you need a law firm with experience in product liability cases. Abel Law Firm has spent nearly 50 years fighting for injured Oklahomans and has recovered more than $550 million in compensation for our clients. Our team includes multiple Super Lawyers recognized by their peers as among the top 5% of attorneys in Oklahoma. T. Luke Abel, our managing partner, received the Lawyer of the Year award for Product Liability from Best Lawyers in America in both 2023 and 2025. This recognition reflects his skill in handling defective product cases. Kelly Bishop earned Super Lawyer status for 13 consecutive years, and Matthew Wade brings additional experience as a Top 100 National Trial Lawyer.
Our clients trust us because we deliver results. Abel Law Firm maintains excellent ratings on Google with consistently positive client reviews. Additionally, The Journal Record voted us Oklahoma’s Best Personal Injury Law Firm for three consecutive years. We understand the emotional and financial toll that a child’s injury places on families. That’s why we handle every aspect of your case—from investigation to negotiation to trial—so you can focus on your child’s recovery. We’re available 24/7, offer free consultations with no obligation, and never charge fees unless we recover compensation for you.
How Defective Car Seats Cause Serious Injuries
Car seats are designed to protect children during vehicle accidents. When manufacturers cut corners or fail to warn parents about known dangers, these safety devices become weapons. Research from NHTSA shows that approximately 46% of car seats are misused. Yet many of these misuse incidents result from unclear instructions or design features that make proper installation and use difficult. When a car seat is defective, even correct installation cannot protect your child.
Common defects include:
- Loose installation due to poor base design
- Forward-facing infants in seats designed for rear-facing use
- Loose harnesses that don’t properly restrain children
- Missing or broken retainer clips
- Harness straps that are positioned incorrectly
These defects can result in serious injuries, including head and brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, internal bleeding, broken bones, and, in the worst cases, wrongful death.
Types of Defective Car Seat Claims
Oklahoma product liability law provides multiple pathways to hold manufacturers accountable for defective car seats. Understanding these product liability claim types helps you recognize whether you have a valid case. Defective car seats cause injuries through three primary mechanisms: design defects, manufacturing defects, and failure to warn.
Design Defects
Design defects occur when the car seat’s fundamental design is unsafe. You don’t need to prove the manufacturer was negligent—only that the design creates an unreasonable risk of injury. For example, if a car seat’s base design causes it to detach during moderate impacts, that’s a design defect. This might also include a harness system that doesn’t properly restrain a child. It could also involve a base that detaches too easily during impact. Materials that fail to absorb crash forces also constitute design defects.
Manufacturing Defects
Manufacturing defects happen when a car seat is built incorrectly, even though the design itself is sound. These manufacturing defect claims focus on how the car seat was made. Even if the design is sound, if this particular car seat was built incorrectly, you have a claim. A harness strap might be sewn improperly. Foam padding might be missing. Plastic components might be cracked.
Failure to Warn
Failure to warn occurs when manufacturers know about potential dangers but don’t adequately inform parents about proper installation, age-appropriate use, or known risks. This includes missing instructions, unclear warnings, or failure to disclose known defects.
Recalls
Recall-related injuries deserve special attention. When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issues a recall, the manufacturer has acknowledged a defect. If your child was injured by a recalled car seat, you have strong evidence of a defect. You can pursue claims against the manufacturer directly under strict liability principles. You may also have claims against retailers who sold the defective product. In some cases, you can pursue claims against distributors or other parties in the supply chain.
Oklahoma law holds manufacturers strictly liable for defective products. This means you don’t have to prove negligence—only that the product was defective and caused your child’s injuries.
What Compensation Is Available
Families who successfully pursue defective car seat claims can recover several categories of damages. Understanding what compensation is available helps you recognize the full value of your case.
Economic damages cover quantifiable financial losses.
- Medical expenses include emergency room treatment, hospitalization, surgery, ongoing therapy, medications, and future medical care your child may need. If your child suffered a permanent injury, future medical expenses can be substantial.
- Lost wages apply if a parent had to miss work to care for an injured child. In cases where a child’s injury affects their earning capacity as an adult, you can recover damages for lost earning potential.
Non-economic damages compensate for pain, suffering, and life changes that don’t have a specific dollar amount.
- Pain and suffering damages reflect the physical pain and emotional trauma your child experienced.
- Permanent disability damages apply when your child suffers lasting effects from the injury.
- Disfigurement damages address visible scars or other permanent changes to appearance.
- Loss of enjoyment of life damages recognize that your child may no longer be able to participate in activities they enjoyed before the injury.
In cases involving gross negligence or intentional misconduct, punitive damages may be available. Punitive damages punish the manufacturer for particularly egregious conduct. They also deter similar behavior in the future.
Wrongful death damages apply when a child dies from injuries caused by a defective car seat. These damages compensate the family for the loss of the child’s companionship, guidance, and financial support they would have provided.
The Defective Car Seat Claim Process
Understanding what to expect throughout your case helps reduce anxiety. It also allows you to focus on your child’s recovery. The defective car seat claim process typically follows these stages:
Free Consultation
Your case begins with a free consultation where you meet with a Tulsa defective car seat lawyer. You’ll discuss what happened, your child’s injuries, and any information you have about the car seat. During this meeting, we evaluate whether you have a valid claim and explain your legal options. There’s no obligation, and everything you share is confidential.
Investigation Phase
Next comes the investigation phase. Our lawyers will obtain the defective car seat and have it examined by product safety experts. We gather medical records documenting your child’s injuries, accident reports, photographs, and any recall notices. We interview witnesses and research whether other children have been injured by the same car seat model. This investigation builds the foundation for your case.
Expert Analysis
Expert analysis is important in product liability cases. We work with engineers and product safety specialists who examine the car seat. They provide detailed reports explaining how and why it failed. These experts can testify about design defects, manufacturing defects, or inadequate warnings. Their analysis transforms technical information into evidence that a jury can understand.
Demand and Negotiation
Once we have sufficient evidence, we enter the demand and negotiation phase. We send a detailed demand letter to the manufacturer explaining the defect, your child’s injuries, and the compensation we’re seeking. Many cases settle during this phase when manufacturers recognize the strength of the evidence against them. We negotiate aggressively to maximize your recovery.
Litigation
If the manufacturer refuses to offer fair compensation, we proceed to litigation. This means filing a lawsuit and preparing your case for trial. We handle all court filings, discovery (exchanging information with the other side), depositions, and trial preparation. Throughout this process, we keep you informed and involved in major decisions.
Settlement or Verdict
Finally, your case concludes with either a settlement agreement or a jury verdict. If we settle, you receive compensation without going to trial. If we go to trial, a jury hears the evidence and decides whether the manufacturer is liable. The jury also determines how much compensation you deserve. Either way, Abel Law Firm has recovered substantial settlement compensation for families harmed by defective products.
Car Seat Recalls and Your Rights
Car seat recalls are an important indicator of defects. When manufacturers or regulators identify a safety problem, they issue recalls to notify consumers and prevent further injuries. Understanding recalls helps you protect your child and strengthens your legal case.
When a recall is issued, manufacturers have legal obligations to notify consumers and provide remedies. This might include sending replacement parts, offering a full refund, or instructing you to stop using the product. Manufacturers must make reasonable efforts to reach consumers who registered their products. If you received a recall notice but didn’t act on it, that doesn’t eliminate your legal rights—it actually strengthens your case because it proves the manufacturer knew about the defect.
If your child was injured by a recalled car seat, you have strong evidence of a defect. The recall itself demonstrates that the manufacturer acknowledged the product is unsafe. This makes your case significantly stronger. Even if your car seat wasn’t officially recalled, you may still have a valid claim if you can prove it was defective. Documentation is important. Keep the defective car seat, take photographs of the defect, save any recall notices, and preserve medical records. Don’t attempt to repair the car seat or discard it, as these actions could destroy evidence needed for your case.
You can check for car seat recalls on the NHTSA website. Enter your car seat’s model number and manufacturer to see if any recalls have been issued. If you purchased the car seat recently, check the documentation that came with it. Many car seats have recall information printed on the packaging or in the instruction manual. If you’re unsure whether your car seat has been recalled, contact the manufacturer directly with the model number and serial number.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a defective car seat claim?
Oklahoma law provides a two-year statute of limitations for product liability claims. This means you have two years from the date of your child’s injury to file a lawsuit. However, waiting until the last moment is risky. Evidence can be lost, witnesses’ memories fade, and the manufacturer might destroy records. Additionally, some insurance policies have shorter notice requirements. Contact Abel Law Firm immediately after your child’s injury to protect your rights and preserve evidence.
What evidence do I need for a defective car seat case?
Strong evidence is important for a successful defective car seat claim. You’ll need medical records documenting your child’s injuries, diagnoses, and treatment. The defective car seat itself is important evidence—don’t discard it or attempt repairs. Photographs of the defect from multiple angles help demonstrate the problem. Purchase receipts and registration documents establish when and where you bought the seat. Any recall notices, warning letters, or communications from the manufacturer are valuable.
Witness statements from people who saw the accident or the defect help corroborate your account. Expert reports analyzing the defect and explaining how it caused the injury are often necessary. Abel Law Firm handles the investigation and evidence-gathering process, so you don’t have to figure this out alone.
How much does it cost to hire a defective car seat lawyer?
Abel Law Firm works on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. We handle all costs and expenses upfront, including expert fees, investigation costs, and court filing fees. You never face a bill from our firm. This arrangement ensures that families can access quality legal representation regardless of their financial situation. Your free initial consultation comes with no obligation, and we’ll honestly assess whether you have a viable case.
Can I sue the car seat manufacturer directly?
Yes. Under Oklahoma product liability law, you can hold manufacturers strictly liable for defective products. This means you don’t have to prove the manufacturer was negligent or careless—only that the car seat was defective and caused your child’s injuries. Manufacturers have a responsibility to design safe products, manufacture them correctly, and warn consumers about known dangers. When they fail in these responsibilities, they’re liable for the harm their products cause. Abel Law Firm has extensive experience pursuing claims against major manufacturers and knows how to build compelling cases that hold them accountable.
Contact Abel Law Firm for Your Free Consultation
Your child’s safety and recovery are our priorities. If your child was injured by a defective car seat in Tulsa, don’t wait to seek legal help. The statute of limitations gives you only two years to file a claim, and evidence can disappear quickly. Abel Law Firm is ready to fight for your family with our Tulsa defective car seat attorneys.
Call (918) 777-7046 today to schedule your free consultation. We’re available 24/7 to answer your questions and discuss your case. Our Tulsa office is located at 5525 E 51st St, Suite 540, Tulsa, OK 74135. You can also reach our firm by text or through our website contact form. Remember, you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Let Abel Law Firm help your family get the justice and compensation you deserve.
