Children are much smaller than adults, and they don’t have the physical strength that adults have either. Those two characteristics make children far more exposed and vulnerable to severe injuries than adults. In the event of severe injuries to a child or the tragedy of a wrongful death, families suddenly suffer overwhelming medical bills coupled with financial and emotional distress.
We Help Rebuild Young Lives
It’s utterly disheartening to see your child suffer through a severe injury, especially when that injury was caused as a result of the carelessness and negligence of somebody else. Should that injury be permanent or a fatality occur, the grief and anxiety brought on through no fault of you or your child can be beyond belief. Our law firm has a special interest in injuries to children. When we’re retained on a child injury case, we work tirelessly to obtain the compensation necessary to build a promising future for the child.
Some Causes of Child Injuries
Child injuries and fatalities can occur in a wide variety of ways. They might range from motor vehicle accidents to dangerously defective products. Here are some other common causes of child injuries and fatalities:
- Bicycle, skateboard and scooter accidents.
- Pedestrian accidents.
- School bus accidents.
- Dog attacks.
- Playground accidents.
- Trampoline injuries.
Why Quick Action is Important
In Pennsylvania, the law doesn’t give a child legal competence to file a personal injury case until such time as he or she has reached their 18th birthday. Then, two years after that are allowed under the statute of limitations. Although those extra two years might give an injury victim a better opportunity to appreciate the full nature and extent of their injuries, it’s probably a bad decision to wait for so long, especially if the victim was five-years-old when the accident happened. First, evidence can disappear or be tampered with. The recollections of eyewitnesses or post-occurrence witnesses can get fuzzy too. Some of them might die or just vanish into thin air. Next, the person who caused the accident and injury could die or vanish too. Sitting on your child’s rights is no way to protect them, especially when Pennsylvania law allows you to invoke them on his or her behalf. You can do that by retaining our experienced and effective personal injury attorneys to represent both your child’s best interests and your best interests as parents.
Compensation for Child Injury Damages
Although a personal injury settlement or award can’t reverse any permanent injuries that your child suffered, compensation for past and future damages can be pursued. Many different types of compensation for damages can be sought in a Pennsylvania child injury case, especially if any permanent disability resulted. Here are some of those damages:
- Medical Costs: Both existing and future medical costs can be included in any settlement or verdict. These costs can include significant expenses like surgeries, rehab and therapy, medicines or medical devices.
- Costs of Disability: Such damages can include lost earning capacity and the cost of full-time care.
- Pain and Suffering: These can include mental anguish, emotional distress and humiliation. Your anguish and distress as a parent might be compensable too.
- Diminished Quality of Life: A permanent disability is certain to diminish your child’s quality of life. The inability to lead a normal life is indeed compensable.
- Wrongful Death Damages: If your child lost his or her life in an accident that was caused by somebody else, damages under Pennsylvania’s Wrongful Death Act can be pursued.
- Punitive Damages: When properly sought, some Pennsylvania judges will allow the parents of an injured or deceased minor to seek punitive damages, especially in drunk driving accidents.
If your child was injured in an accident, or if you lost a child as a result of one, don’t sit on his or her rights and simply let time pass. The sooner that you consult with and retain quality and effective legal help, like Hancock Injury Attorneys, the sooner that a solid case can be built so that anybody responsible for your child’s injuries or death can be held responsible.