When your child is injured, you are going to need access to great advice, both medical and legal. Should your child be hospitalized, your time needs to be spent at their side. However, when you can get away, do your best to seek proper legal advice to make sure you get the support you deserve.
Your child cannot sue for damages; they need you to do that on their behalf. Even a high schooler is considered to be a child in the eyes of the law, so make sure you seek legal guidance to determine your child'saccountability in the eyes of the law. While children under the age of 6 are never considered to be accountable, older children may bear some accountability for their injuries on a case by case basis.
Depending on the severity and nature of the injury, your child may not receive benefits until they turn 18. If the nature of the injury is severe enough that your child requires constant care, that funding may be made accessible to the family. Make sure that you have data regarding your child's care needs following the accident and in the future from your physician when you contact your personal injury lawyer. If you do not have a lawyer, it might also be a good idea to find one in your area. Search for the best services in your area, for example, if you live in New York you might search for a personal injury lawyer in Bronx, NY. While these needs may change as your child heals, your attorney will need data to fight for the best payout for your family.
If your child is in a professionally licensed daycare, they will likely need to file an incident report in the event of an injury. Once your child has been treated and is getting the appropriate medical care, ask for copies of any data around the injury.
Your attorney may also need to contact your daycare provider for a detailed account of the event and the nature of the injury. Keep all of this documentation, and if possible, record or take detailed notes of any conversations you have with the provider.
Should an injury occur atschool, document the injuries as soon as you see your child. Whether the injury occurred in the lunchroom, on the playground or during a sports activity, you will need data to back up any claims you need to make. Additionally, if the injury was a result of rough-housing or bullying, make sure you get names and as much data about what happened as possible.
Should the injury occur on a public playground, your legal options are varied. If the equipment is owned by an HOA in your local playground, your options for tracking down the source of the injury and the responsible parties are better than in a city park. Your protection as the person filing on behalf of the injured party will vary.
Be aware that you will needevidence of faulty equipment and evidence of the damage that led to the injury. If you're at the park and caring for your child, you won't be in a good position to take pictures, so either be willing to go back and get photos, or have someone else take pictures to make sure you get the data you need to protect your financial future and provide compensation for your child in the event of a long-lasting injury.
During this time, make sure that you get contact information for anyone who saw the accident. Good Samaritans who see an event can serve as witnesses as your attorney works on behalf of you and your child. If they can take pictures or videos of the scene of the accident, all the better. A Good Samaritan can truly provide you with the protection you need to support your claim. They can also free you up to focus on your child. Collect and give out business cards to anyone who saw the accident and is willing to support your statement.
Caring for your family is critical to your daily life, and protecting your children from injury is a huge part of that responsibility. However, we can't watch our kids all the time. If you find out that your child has been injured at daycare, in school, or on a public playground, focus on their physical, mental, and emotional health. If you can gather data surrounding the incident, do so. Make sure you contact an attorney on behalf of your child to provide the financial support your child will need in the future.
Katie earned a BA in English from WWU and loves to write. She also adores hiking in redwood forests and photography. She feels happiest around a campfire surrounded by friends and family.