One of the leading causes of child injuries and childhood fatalities in the United States is unintentional accidents. Millions of children are injured, and thousands die each year in preventable accidents. Negligent drivers and caretakers are frequent contributors to these incidents.
If a negligent party is responsible for your child’s injuries, you and your child may be owed compensation. At Morelli Law Firm, our Long Beach child injury lawyers represent the rights of children and their parents. Let us represent you and your child so you can get the compensation you both deserve.
Damages Children and Parents Can Recover After a Child Injury in Long Beach
In personal injury cases, a negligent and liable party is responsible for helping the injured party heal and have a healthy life. This means covering damages like medical expenses and other potential damages. Children and their parents can qualify for coverage.
With minors, it can be difficult to calculate current and future damages, such as the impact on the child’s cognitive development. Insurance providers may ignore certain damages and make a lowball offer. However, a child injury attorney from our firm can protect you and your child from this and help you obtain the compensation you deserve. These damages could be:
- Parents’ lost earnings
- Hospital and doctor expenses
- Medical equipment
- Medication
- Physical or cognitive therapy
- Physical pain
- Loss of enjoyment of activities
- Tutoring
- Special care
- Anticipated future lost wages
An Expert Can Testify About Your Child’s Potential Future Damages
Many claimants require economic and occupation experts to testify about their child’s potential future damages, like lost wages resulting from a disability. Experts may also be needed to determine the extent of a child’s pain and emotional suffering. We can contact these experts and request their input in your case.
Types of Accidents That Commonly Result in Child Injuries
Some accidents are quite common in the United States, and they account for most preventable child injuries and deaths. For example, if your child suffered injuries in one of the following types of accidents, our firm can help you.
Car and Bus Accidents
These accidents are typically caused by a driver’s negligence or even multiple drivers’ negligence. For example, a parent may not have put their child in a required booster seat, resulting in the child being injured in a minor car crash.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Collisions
Children are disproportionally injured or killed in these accidents, which involve negligent drivers. For instance, a distracted driver may hit a child walking across a pedestrian crossing, resulting in the child getting hurt.
Suffocation and Drowning
These accidents are a leading cause of brain injuries and death in young children who require supervision at swimming pools and other facilities. Suffocation may be due to other incidents.
Fire-Related Accidents
These accidents may be due to faulty appliances that catch fire or other issues. As a result, children may suffer burns, smoke inhalation, or other injuries.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Children might slip and fall in a school playground, on the sidewalk in front of a neighbor’s house, or elsewhere. In this kind of situation, a child may be deserving of compensation.
Long Island Child Injury Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
Common Injuries Children Experience
Children and adults can suffer the same accidents but have very different injuries. For example, children may recover more quickly after back or neck injuries in car accidents, but they might not recover so quickly from head injuries. As a result, growing children may suffer developmental setbacks. These setbacks can be considered damages in a child injury claim.
Some common child injuries and setbacks are:
- Burns
- Fractures, like leg fractures
- Concussions
- More serious brain injuries/trauma
- Organ damage
- Cuts
- Social development delays
- Learning disabilities
Children Have the Right to Personal Injury Damages
Since minors have similar injury and recovery-related rights as adults, they may lawfully receive personal injury damages. If you believe your child deserves to be compensated for damages, you can make a claim for them. Your claim may involve asking for damages due to:
- Driver negligence
- Premises liability
- Medical malpractice
- Caretaker neglect
- Defective drugs
What Our Lawyers for Child Injuries Can Do for You
Minors cannot represent themselves and file claims or lawsuits, but parents or legal guardians can on their behalf. However, parents and legal guardians may find it challenging to represent a child, especially if a claim goes to court. A lawyer from our firm can represent your needs and your child’s needs in and out of court. We will:
- Investigate your child’s accident and its circumstances
- Evaluate your child’s injuries, both immediate and ongoing
- Calculate your child’s damages as well as your damages
- Gather evidence of the other party’s negligence
- Push to establish the other party’s liability
- Communicate with the other party’s insurer
- Negotiate a settlement with the insurer or, if necessary, represent you in court
You Have a Limited Time to File a Lawsuit in New York
Your child injury case may not go to trial, but a lawsuit may be necessary in your case. Your suit will be subject to a statute of limitations, so there will be a deadline for filing your case.
For a personal injury lawsuit in New York, you have three years from the incident date to file a lawsuit, per CPLR § 214.
For a wrongful death lawsuit in New York, you have two years and six months from the decedent’s death to file the case, per EPTL § 5-4.1.
Contact a Child Injury Lawyer in Long Beach to Discuss Your Legal Options
Contact Morelli Law Firm to learn more about how one of our child injury attorneys can help you and your child. If you contact us today, you give us the opportunity to meet the statute that applies in your case. You also allow us to start collecting pieces of evidence, like cell phone recordings, right away before they become obsolete.
We can provide a case evaluation and discuss your legal options free of charge. So, call us today at (212) 751-9800.