If you are a parent, your child being seriously injured or killed is one of your worst nightmares. Perhaps it happened because of a moment of inattention from a driver, or poisoning from an unsafe product. Regardless of the cause, a child can take weeks or months to recover from a personal injury, and in a worst-case it can alter the lives of your child and your family forever.
The most personal injuries suffered by children are:
- Falls that can cause sprains, broken bones, and head injuries such as concussions.
- Car accidents, ranging from the child being in a car when the collision takes place to a child being hit by a car while crossing the road.
- Poisonings, most often from children placing something toxic in their mouth.
- Burns and scalds, from overheated water to contact with something hot, such as a stove element or oil from a frying pan.
- Animal attacks, particularly dogs, causing bites, bruises, and cuts.
When Do I Need a Lawyer After my Child Has Been Injured?
In most cases, liability after the personal injury of a child is dependant on the circumstances of the injury. For example, if a child burns himself touching an element on a stove, there is little compensation to be had, although your personal insurance policy may provide some coverage.
However, if your child has suffered a serious injury, it can cause additional caregiver expenses resulting in a loss of income. If the injury happened due to a defective product, a car accident, or an animal attack, compensation for the injury and additional expenses can be due.
Further, if the injury happened at school, the school bears a duty of care to ensure that all reasonable measures are taken to prevent harm coming to their students. A failure to prevent that harm is just cause to seek compensation.
The best way to know what compensation is due, and how to get it, is to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. A qualified personal injury lawyer can determine if you and your family are due compensation after the injury of your child, where that compensation will most likely come from, ensure that you are receiving the correct amount of compensation if insurance is involved, that a settlement offer is reasonable after a lawsuit has begun, and, if it becomes necessary, represent you and your family in court to get the justice you deserve.
What Should I Do After My Child Has Been Injured?
For best results after your child has suffered a personal injury, there are a number of steps you should take as soon as possible:
- Seek immediate medical aid, and ensure that your child’s injuries and treatment are documented.
- Document the incident causing your child’s injury – this includes finding witnesses, discovering the identity of the owner of the animal in the case of a dog attack or the owner of a car in the case of a car accident, and taking pictures of the location.
- If the injury happened at a school, record all pertinent contact information for the school and the school board.
- If you have insurance covering loss of income due to caregiving after your child’s accident, file a claim as soon as possible.
- Document how the life of you, your child, and your family has been impacted after the injury. This includes any pain and suffering due to your child’s injuries, no matter how small, as well as any impairment to your family’s daily routine, from work to recreation.
Why Lerners after a Child Injury?
If your child has suffered a personal injury, Lerners Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Our qualified lawyers have the experience with personal injury claims and law you need to help you and your loved ones navigate the legal landscape, figure out where you should be going for compensation, and help you get what you need and deserve. And if you cannot come to us – if you are in the hospital helping your child recover or at home and unable to travel – we will come to you, as well as provide a free initial consultation.