Colorado Family Who Lost Baby To Alleged Car Seat Flaw Gets Help From Lawmakers
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - A Littleton family wants something done about a flaw in the design of the front seats of many cars. It's a flaw they say that killed their toddler.
Taylor Warner was just 16-months-old when her family's Honda Odyssey minivan was hit from behind. The crash caused her father's seat back to break and collapse on top of her. She died of her injuries.
Taylor's mother, Liz Warner, can't talk about it without crying.
"It was all because of some stupid car that we thought was the safest thing we could get for our family to protect them," she said.
Crash tests show seats can fail in a rear-end collision. A CBS investigation found more than 100 people -– mostly children -- have been hurt or killed from the problem. Colorado U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette is now involved.
"Sure, you might say it's only 100 people who have been injured or killed, but that's a 100 people who have been injured or killed," DeGette said.
Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is working with Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to demand answers.
"Because the auto industry has refused to fix these seat backs we have tragedies like this that happen all across America, month after month, year after year," Markey said.
This week the two senators are sending a letter to Honda and 18 other automakers demanding answers. Markey says something must be done.
"We've had warnings on seat backs killing children in the back seats -- NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has done nothing," Markey said.
For the Warners, doing nothing is not acceptable.
"We have to honor Taylor's memory and we have to make it known that this problem is out there and that she's not dying in vain," father Andy Warner said.
Additional Resources
LINK: More From The CBS News investigation
Suzanne McCarroll is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. Her stories can regularly be seen on CBS4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @SuzanneCBS4.
