Texas Child Car Seat Laws

Have you or your child been injured in a car accident in Houston, Texas? Zehl & Associates can help when you call 888-603-3636. We offer a free consultation with a Houston car accident lawyer who will listen, explain your options, and guide you toward recovery.

Every state requires child car seats, but the rules differ. In Texas, parents simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Even with precautions, accidents can still cause serious injuries. A skilled Houston car accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your child’s crash-related injuries and protect your family’s future.

Table of Contents

• How Zehl & Associates Can Help After a Car Accident Involving a Child in Houston, TX
• Texas Car Seat Laws
• Liability for Child Injuries From Car Accidents
• Contact Our Houston, TX, Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation

How Zehl & Associates Can Help After a Car Accident Involving a Child in Houston, TX

When your child is injured in a car accident, nothing matters more than making sure they receive the best possible care and that their future is secure. At Zehl & Associates, we understand how devastating it is to see your child in pain — and how important it is to have a legal team that fights as fiercely for their recovery as you would.

Our Undefeated Houston Car Accident Lawyers have recovered Billions for families across Texas and the United States, including some of the largest personal injury verdicts and settlements in history. We use that same experience, compassion, and relentless drive to protect what matters most: your child’s health, your family’s financial security, and your peace of mind.

When you choose Zehl & Associates, you choose a team that:

• Connects Your Child with the Best Medical Specialists: We ensure your child receives top-quality medical treatment and care from leading doctors and rehabilitation experts — with no upfront cost to you.
• Prepares Every Case for Trial: From day one, we treat your case as if it’s going to court, which puts maximum pressure on insurers to pay full compensation.
• Delivers Record-Setting Results: Our attorneys have consistently recovered the largest verdicts and settlements in Texas and across the U.S., often breaking corporate records in the process.
• Fights for the Maximum Recovery: We refuse to accept any settlement that doesn’t fully compensate your family for every injury, loss, and long-term need — including future medical care and your child’s ongoing support.
• Provides Unwavering Support: We treat our clients like family and are here for you every step of the way — assisting with medical bills, coordinating care, and ensuring you never have to face this process alone.

Trucking companies, insurers, and corporations know exactly who we are — and that they have two choices when facing us: offer full compensation or face us in court, where we have never lost a case.

If your child was injured in a car accident in Houston or anywhere in Texas, contact our Undefeated Houston Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation. We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and fight to ensure your family’s future is secure.

Texas Car Seat Laws

The Texas car seat statute is very short. Essentially, its only requirement is that drivers secure any child under eight years old in a “child passenger safety seat system.” The driver must use the safety seat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The driver is excused from this requirement if the child is taller than four feet, nine inches. In other words, a driver must provide and use a car seat for children until they are eight years old or four feet, nine inches tall, whichever occurs first.

The law is difficult to enforce. Although manufacturers might provide size ranges, most parents do not keep the instruction manual. Moreover, even those who keep the manual usually do not carry it in their vehicles.

Thus, police officers will often rely more on best practices recommendations. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics makes the following suggestions based on the child’s maturity:

Rear-Facing Car Seats

Rear-facing car seats recline and face toward the back of the vehicle. The child sits with a five-point harness holding them. In a crash, the child will slide instead of whipping forward. The seat supports the child’s head and neck, reducing the risk of a concussion injury or whiplash.

According to best practices, the child should ride in a rear-facing seat from birth until they outgrow the seat. Most seats are designed to hold children up to two years old.

Forward-Facing Car Seats

Once the child outgrows the rear-facing seat, their parents can move them to a forward-facing seat. The child sits upright in a seat that provides an integral backrest and headrest. It also has a five-point harness that goes over the child’s shoulders, around their waist, and between their legs. Secured in this way, the child is less likely to be ejected.

Best practices suggest that the child remain in the forward-facing car seat from the time they outgrow their rear-facing car seat until they turn four years old.

Booster Seats

Texas requires drivers to secure children in car seat systems until they turn eight years old. They will spend the final stage of this time in a booster seat. The booster seat lifts the child high enough to use the automobile’s seat belt. Specifically, it positions the child so the seat belt crosses their chest and hips rather than their neck and abdomen.

If the child grows taller than four feet, nine inches, Texas allows them to use the seat belt without a booster seat, even if they have not yet reached their eighth birthday.

Liability for Child Injuries From Car Accidents

Negligent drivers are responsible for the injuries they cause. This principle applies to children injured in car accidents. Thus, a driver who rear-ends your vehicle due to distracted driving will be liable for your injuries as well as those of your child passengers.

However, unlike many states, Texas provides a possible defense for the at-fault driver. According to the state’s modified comparative fault law, the at-fault party driver can reduce their liability by shifting some of the fault to the victim.  

In this case, Texas law allows at-fault drivers to push some blame for a child’s injuries onto parents who fail to secure their children in car seats.

Contact Our Houston, TX, Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation

Car accidents involving children in Houston, Texas, can be devastating, leaving families with unexpected medical bills, long-term treatment needs, and emotional challenges. When an accident causes your child’s injuries, you deserve answers and support. 

At Zehl & Associates, our Houston car accident lawyers are ready to review your case, explain your rights, and fight for justice. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.