Sacramento Child Injury Accident Lawyer
No parent ever wants to receive a call and hear that his or her child has been hurt while in someone else’s care. Unfortunately, it happens all the time. In the immediate moments following a child’s accident, parents are naturally only concerned with helping their child receive the necessary medical treatment. Once immediate action has been taken, the parent then has time to start thinking about who was to blame, and who should be held liable for the injuries. It is important for parents to contact a Sacramento child injury accident lawyer for help securing the damages they deserve.
Who is at Fault After a Child Accident?Children act more impulsively and do not have the same level of experience as the average adult. As such, they rely on the adults around them to keep them safe. When those adults are negligent and it results in injury, the adults can be held liable for paying compensation. Potential liable parties after a child accident include:
- Toy manufacturers
- Property owners
- School officials
- Pet owners
- Healthcare professionals
- School officials
- Motorists
- Playground and park equipment manufacturers
- Other parents
Clearly, there are a number of potentially liable parties after a child becomes injured. A child injury accident attorney in Sacramento can help determine which party was liable after these types of accidents.
Legal Differences in Child Injury CasesChildren injured by the action or inaction of an adult are eligible to receive the same types of compensation an adult would in a personal injury claim. This includes damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental trauma, loss of future wages, and funeral expenses. However, there are significant legal differences in cases that involve a child victim.
One of those differences is the fact that a child under the age of 18 is not considered to have the mental capacity to file a claim on his or her own. A parent or other legal guardian must do so on the child’s behalf, or the child can wait until after turning legal age to file a claim. If you are unsure of when to file a claim, your Sacramento child injury accident lawyer can help.
Also, children are not assigned the same percentage of fault as an adult might be. For example, while an adult may know to not use a dangerous product, such as a chainsaw that is clearly broken, a child may not be able to recognize that fact when they are playing on defective playground equipment that ends up hurting them. The same is true when children are classified as trespassers. While an adult trespasser will be assigned a certain amount of blame, children are not typically considered liable for being on someone else’s property.
Our California Child Injury Accident Lawyers can Help With Your CaseIf you have been injured in an accident, a child injury accident attorney in Sacramento is here to help. At Brod Law Firm, we know how to fight for the rights of your child and help you receive the compensation you need to recover from your losses. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free case evaluation and to learn more about how we can help.