Child’s Play?
When you think of a personal injury lawsuit, awards for lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses may spring to mind, but what happens when a child is injured and there is no lost income due to unemployment and someone else pays the medical expenses?
The law still protects injured children. An injured child may be entitled to compensation for the pain, suffering, trauma and overall inconvenience and aggravation of an accident.
The amount of this compensation depends heavily on three factors: 1 – the cause of the injury, 2 – the child’s age, and 3 – the severity of the injury.
Children under the age of seven cannot be held legally accountable for their injury. Children between seven and 14 are presumed incapable of contributing to the injury, although this assumption can be overcome in court.
Injuries to children due to the negligence of an adult are serious cases in that childhood injuries can affect the victim for the duration of his or her life – whether that is due to a physical ailment or emotional trauma.
More so than adults, children need advocates. That’s what parents are for. And when the parents need help, that’s what we’re for.