When Your Child Has Been Injured, It’s Your Job to Act

As a parent, you do everything you can to protect your child. In the best-case scenario, that means that your child avoids injury. However, you can’t preclude every possible risk to your child. Some of the most common child injuries include:

  • Being a passenger in a car accident
  • Being struck by a car
  • Being involved in a school bus accident
  • Being injured at daycare or school
  • Being the victim of medical malpractice, at birth or later
  • Injuries due to poorly maintained premises

Some of the places you may most want to believe are safe for a child are fraught with dangers: understaffed classrooms, playgrounds with poorly maintained equipment or surfaces, careless medical professionals, and more. Second-guessing your decisions and blaming yourself after your child is injured won’t help him or her. However, you must take responsibility for ensuring that the child has the resources necessary to fully recover or to adapt for lasting injuries. Talking with a child injury lawyer can be your best first step.

Determining Liability When a Child is Injured

Given the wide range of potential injuries to a child and the various circumstances under which such injuries can occur, it may be difficult to determine who is responsible. In some cases, there may be more than one responsible party. For example, if a daycare center takes your child on a field trip on a chartered bus and the bus is in an accident, the daycare center may be liable, the bus company may be liable, or the two entities may share responsibility.

For a free legal consultation, call (212) 540-2981

Time Limits for Filing Child Injury Claims

The general statute of limitations for personal injury claims in New York is three years. However, time limits may be different for some types of cases when minors are involved. There may also be special notice requirements in certain cases, such as when the responsible party is a governmental entity.

Getting advice from an experienced child injury lawyer as soon as possible after the injury will help ensure that you don’t miss critical deadlines due to lack of legal experience or difficulty identifying possible responsible parties.

Damages in a Child Injury Case

Damages in a child injury case depend on the specifics of the case, the nature of the injury and the extent and duration of any disabilities or limitations. Some of the most common include:

  • Medical expenses
  • Costs of rehabilitation
  • Compensation for special non-medical care required

If the injury creates a long-term disability or will impact the child’s ability to be self-supporting in adulthood, the damages may be much more extensive. A child injury lawyer can be the best source of information about what type of damages you may pursue in a personal injury case on behalf of a child, as well as any compensation that may be due directly to the parent or parents.

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Experienced Child Injury Lawyers

Our attorneys have helped many families recover for injuries to children, including:

  • A $6.6 million award for a six-year-old seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident
  • A $50 million settlement for a child who suffered brain damage after negligent administration and monitoring of anesthesia

Don’t leave your child’s future to chance. Talk to an experienced child injury lawyer as soon as possible. Just call our office at (212) 540-2981 or fill out the contact form on the right-hand side of this page.

Call or text (212) 540-2981 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form

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