Columbia Child Injuries Lawyer
Children under 18 are not allowed to file personal injury claims themselves, though their parents can do so on their behalf. A child injury lawsuit enables the injured child to recover all of the same types of damages as an adult. If your child was injured, or lost his or her life, due to another party’s negligence actions, you can hold them accountable by filing a personal injury lawsuit. The Columbia child injury lawyers at Simmons Law Firm can help you through these difficult times.
Compensation in a Child Injury Lawsuit
- Medical bills;
- Future medical expenses;
- Pain and suffering;
- Loss of joy of life;
- Emotional distress, including PTSD; and
- Lost earning capacity.
Lost Earning Capacity Due to Disability
Lost earning capacity is usually limited to a large degree in child injury claims. Lost earning capacity due to permanent disability is difficult to prove when the injured party is a child, because there is no telling what that child’s occupation would have been. And, the younger the child is, the harder it is to prove what the child might have picked up as an occupation. Older children, particularly those who have already been accepted to college, stand a greater chance at receiving a larger amount for lost earning capacity than younger children.
Dangerous Incidents in Which You Can Hold Another Party Responsible For Your Child’s Injuries
- Traffic Collisions—Car collisions—or being struck by a car while walking or riding a bike—is one of the leading causes of serious injury and death among children. The at-fault driver can be held liable for your and your child’s damages.
- Product Liability—Toys, food, furniture, and other household items cause thousands of serious injuries every week. Manufacturers can be held liable.
- Dog Attacks—Dog owners can be held liable for bites and attacks in which a child becomes injured.
- Injuries at School—Schools are responsible for your child’s safety. Examples of negligence include injuries while playing a sport, playground injuries, school bus accidents, and slip and falls.
- Injuries Caused by Other Children—Bullying and violence are a growing problem in many American school systems. Violence alone results in 90,000 ER visits each year, according to CBS.
- Trespassing Injuries—Children are not treated as adults when they trespass and become injured in the process. An adult would likely not be able to win a claim in this scenario. However, if a child is injured while trespassing because of an “attractive nuisance,” the property owner may be held accountable. An attractive nuisance is a danger—such as a swimming pool, according to the South Carolina Department of Insurance—that would likely attract a child and was not properly safeguarded with a fence or other preventative measure.
- Other Examples—Swimming pool accidents, slip and fall, medical malpractice, amusement park injuries, play structure injuries, and unintentional poisoning.
Call a Columbia Child Injury Attorney Today
Seeing your child become seriously injured is every parent’s worst nightmare. Knowing that the injury was entirely preventable had the other party shown enough care and concern for your child’s well-being makes the incident all the more difficult to swallow. Here at The Simmons Law Firm, our Columbia child injury attorneys can help you hold that party fully accountable for their actions or inaction. Call 803-779-4600 today to schedule a free consultation.
