We offer free initial consultations for prospective clients. You can explore your legal options and next steps with our team member today.
Determining Fault After Your Child’s Injuries
Determining fault after a child’s injury can be challenging, especially if the child visited several locations throughout the day. For example, if they were in school before going to another site for after-school care, it could be challenging to determine when and where an injury occurred.
Determining if they were supervised or unsupervised when they were injured could also be an issue. When you speak with our lawyers about your situation, we will collect all your information and look into the incident.
As we seek to determine fault, we find there are a few common entities that generally appear in child personal injury lawsuits:
- Schools
- Churches
- Municipalities
- Shopping malls
- Child-focused party businesses
Additionally, we may find that part of the fault for the accident lies with another person. We may seek compensation from any of the following persons as part of your claim:
- Teachers
- Daycare personnel
- Security staff
- Other children
- Other parents
How a Long Island Child Injury Lawyer Helps You
When you retain one of our attorneys, we provide services to help your family grapple with this difficult situation. Below are just some of the services our lawyers and staff provide to support you during the legal process.
Open Communications and Constant Updates
We communicate openly with our clients concerning all aspects of their cases. We are available via phone or email at any time to our clients. You can send us any messages you have received from interested parties.
Our attorneys will speak on your behalf at all meetings and settlement negotiations. Plus, our attorneys will argue your case at trial if it comes to that.
Cutting Through the Legal Jargon for You
Our lawyers will explain the case to your family in terms that make sense. You are struggling through a difficult time, and we do not intend to make it more challenging. You are welcome to ask questions, and our lawyers will explain your next steps and the best legal course of action. We will also advise you throughout the case.
If you are ever confused, feel free to ask what you should do. Our legal counsel is here to give you the advice and guidance you need when you do not know how to proceed.
Available Compensation for a Child’s Injuries
Parents may seek compensation when their child is injured through no fault of their own. Our lawyers carefully calculate these damages to ensure that your family can seek the appropriate settlement or judgment for your child’s future and avoid any lingering debt.
Common personal injury damages include:
Current and Possible Future Medical Costs
Medical costs can mount quickly after a child is injured. A medical expert can calculate these costs, or the parents can submit medical documentation to our lawyers. Because the child’s medical expenses may continue long into the future, our lawyers prefer to create a schedule of care that clearly demonstrates to the court what the child may need to recover.
Lost Earning Potential
Unfortunately, a severe accident could cause a child to lose great potential. For example, if your child is a skilled athlete who can no longer play because of an accident, you may be eligible to recover income they might have made with this unique talent.
Share your story with our attorneys so that we can determine how your child would have benefited financially from their skills.
Your and Your Child’s Emotional Anguish
Children are often hit particularly hard when their lives are irreparably changed by an accident, and families may be equally distraught. Seeking damages for emotional anguish ensures that all psychological symptoms are accounted for and treatable.
Pain and Suffering from the Accident
A child might suffer more than an adult after a severe accident because they do not know how to manage their feelings. The pain and suffering damages account for the physical pain they feel every day.
Loss of Consortium
An unfortunate outcome for any child includes a loss of friendships and connections. This dramatic change in a child’s life could leave them scarred for life, and the family has every right to seek compensation given the situation.
New York State imposes a three-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims under CPLR § 214. Therefore, seeking legal counsel soon after the accident helps prevent delays that could make the case hard to prove or prompt the court to dismiss it.
Wrongful Death Cases
No one wants to consider losing a child, but some incidents could leave a grieving family with no other options. If you must file a wrongful death lawsuit and are the child’s parents or guardians, you are eligible to do so. Friends and family members are rightly devastated, but they cannot take legal action.
When filing a wrongful death action, you may seek damages that go above and beyond a traditional personal injury lawsuit, including:
- Funeral expenses, including burial costs, cremation, etc.
- Final expenses
- Administrative costs
- Loss of consortium
While the family deserves time to grieve, New York State imposes a two-year statute of limitations on all wrongful death actions under EPTL § 5-4.1.
Call Morelli Law Firm for a Free Consultation
We are ready to review your legal options if your child has been hurt in an accident on Long Island. You can retain a Long Island child injury lawyer with Morelli Law Firm, who will focus on your case while you help your child recover from a traumatic experience.
Call (212) 751-9800 for a free consultation today.
