Injuries are usually a normal part of growing up, as active children play and take tumbles and falls. However, some injuries are not so innocent. If your child suffers an injury due to the negligence of another, you may need to take action to receive compensation.
Childhood personal injuries are a specialized area of personal injury practice dealing specifically with injuries that children suffer. These range from bicycle accidents and dog bites to other types of injuries that may be the result of negligence. If you suspect someone else’s negligence played a role in your child’s injury, here is some information you need to know:
Determining negligence
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, says that injuries are the leading cause of death in children ages 19 and under and that most of these injuries are preventable. Some injuries are the result of negligence. For example, an injury from a car accident may be due to another driver’s inattention behind the wheel. Negligence can also be a factor in a wide variety of childhood injuries such as swimming pool accidents, bicycle accidents and dog bites. A personal injury attorney can help you determine whether negligence played a role in your child’s injury.
Child personal injury cases
Since a child cannot bring a personal injury suit in his or her own name, this falls to the parents. In Connecticut, child personal injury cases are different than personal injuries cases for adult injuries. That is because they often involve both personal injury and probate court proceedings. Children cannot receive settlements awarded to them in a personal injury case until they are of legal adult age. That means parents have to open a restricted account to hold the money until the child turns 18.
The complexities of child injuries require a qualified attorney who handles these types of cases. Do not wait to contact an attorney, because if negligence was a factor in your child’s injury, you should seek the compensation your child deserves within the statute of limitations.