Financial Recovery and Accidents Involving Minors
No parent wants to think about their child being injured by the negligence of another. Unfortunately, accidents involving minors happen all the time. Think auto accidents, slip and falls, swimming pool accidents, dog bites, and more. if your child has been injured in an accident that was someone else's fault, you may be able to bring a legal claim on behalf of your child. Read on to learn more.
Injuries involving minors
If your child is injured as a result of third party's negligence, a parent may act as guardian for the injured child and bring a claim. Injuries to children that may give rise to legal claims are many and can include:
- auto accidents
- pedestrian and bicycle accidents
- dog bite
- premises liability
- products liability
- sports-related injuries
- burns
This list is not exhaustive. Discuss your situation with an experienced personal injury attorney to determine if you may have a case. In some child injury cases, a claim may arise due to inadequate adult supervision. Children can also be injured in the same ways adults suffer injuries -- through auto accidents, pool safety issues, and more.
Financial recovery in minor injury cases
An injured minor can seek financial compensation for their injury, disability, pain and suffering, loss of income in the future (when they become an adult), and future damages that they are entitled to receive when they become an adult. The injured child's parents can recover medical bills, lost income, and other bills incurred on behalf of the injured minor while they are a minor. Once the injured person becomes an adult, all bills incurred after that date belong to the injured person.
Timeline for financial recovery
A child's legal guardian should not delay in bringing an injury claim on behalf of the minor. In California injury claims, including those involving a child, there is a statute of limitations that says an accident victim cannot file a lawsuit after a certain amount of time has passed. Therefore, in cases where a child has been more seriously injured, it is critical that the parent or guardian determine, as quickly as possible, if the injury was due to the negligence of another person, business, or government entity. If so, you may have the right to pursue a claim on behalf of your injured child.
For more information, including a free consultation about your potential case, contact the experienced injury attorneys at Ghozland Law Firm today.