As a parent, it can be devastating when your child is hurt in an accident. It can be even worse when that accident could have been prevented. When your child has been seriously hurt in an accident, they have legal rights.
The best person to have in your child’s corner is a Walterboro child injury lawyer. At Shelly Leeke Law Firm, we fight to ensure that you and your child receive the just compensation you deserve.
Common Causes of Child Injuries
One of the most common causes of child injuries is falling. There are nearly 8,000 children who visit the emergency room for injuries caused by a fall each day. This totals up to 2.8 million children annually.
Another common cause of child injuries is motor vehicle accidents. Motor vehicle accidents can cause serious damage to adults. With children whose bones are still developing, the damage from an accident can be fatal.
Other common causes of child injuries involve drowning, poisoning, and suffocation. When left unattended, children can experience fatal injuries from drowning or poisoning when exposed to substances like household cleaners and medications. Suffocation accidents can happen when babies are not properly placed on their backs or children choke on toys or small objects.
For a free legal consultation with a child injury lawyer serving Walterboro, call 1-844-736-8342
Dangers of Child Injuries
Child injuries can have lifelong consequences for children and their families. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every hour, one child dies from an injury. Every four seconds, a child is transferred to the emergency department for treatment for an injury.
Children can suffer instant death from preventable accidents that they’ve been involved in.
If they happen to survive, they are at risk of suffering from permanent injuries for the rest of their lives.
Walterboro Child Injury Lawyer Near Me 1-844-736-8342
Your Child’s Legal Rights After an Injury
Children are just like any other personal injury victim. They deserve to be compensated after being injured by another person’s carelessness. But the process for filing a claim will be more complex. Because children are minors, they cannot take legal action against another party.
This is where you, the parent or the legal guardian, come in. You have the right to file a claim on your child’s behalf. That means that, legally, you have to be on top of your game and do what is in your child’s best interest.
This may be the first time you’ve ever filed a child injury claim. You may not be familiar with how to navigate the legal process. Working with a child injury attorney in Walterboro, SC, can give your child the best chances of seeking compensation.
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Important Factors in a Child Injury Claim
With your child’s injury claim, there are two factors that you must consider:
- Negligence. You must be able to prove the other party’s negligence and how it directly affected your child.
- Damages. You must be able to prove the damages that your child has experienced because of the other party’s negligence.
Negligence is harder to prove than it sounds. For negligence to be established, the other party’s actions must be met through several elements. It’s also difficult to determine the accurate compensation your child will need. If your child’s injuries are permanent, they may need enough compensation for lifelong medical assistance. There is also a possibility that your child’s injuries can become more serious as time goes on.
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How a Child Injury Lawyer in Walterboro, SC, Can Help
Child injury attorneys are the best legal representatives for your child. They are skilled enough in handling child injury claims and can prepare you and your child for the best outcome.
A Walterboro child injury attorney can help you determine the liable parties of your child’s accident. You may discover that several parties should be held liable for your child’s accident. Child injury lawyers can help establish the negligence of several parties.
Your child injury lawyer can also estimate your child’s damages. Your child may be entitled to several different damages. Medical bills, pain, suffering, and emotional distress are some of the damages that can be included in your child’s claim.
A child injury lawyer in Walterboro, SC, can calculate your child’s present and future damages. If there’s a possibility that your child’s injuries can become permanent, your attorney can factor that into your claim.
Seeking Compensation on Behalf of Your Injured Child
In a child injury claim, you are not the only one worried about the child’s best interests. The judge will consider whether the resolution of the claim is in the child’s best interest. That includes whether the claim will be resolved through a settlement or a trial verdict.
If your child’s injury claim is resolved through a settlement, your child’s compensation will be stored in a special account until the child is 18. The compensation will then be released. With settlement agreements, insurance adjusters will offer low-ball settlements – even to injured children. Insurance adjusters want to avoid paying out as many claims as possible.
A Walterboro child injury lawyer can negotiate for the best settlement. Your lawyer can ensure that your child receives the best settlement agreement instead of what insurance companies deem “fair.”
Legal Protection for Your Child
Child injury lawyers are familiar with the tactics that insurance companies use. Some insurance adjusters will even go so far as to ask your child about the nature of their accident. Your child injury attorney in Walterboro, SC, can answer all questions related to your child’s accident and protect your child from insurance adjusters.
Contact a Child Injury Attorney from the Shelly Leeke Law Firm Today
When another person’s negligence has hurt your child, speak with a child injury attorney from the Shelly Leeke Law Firm. Our Walterboro child injury lawyer understands the pain that your family is going through. Schedule a free initial consultation by calling our office or submitting our contact form today.
You have only three years from the date of the injury to file a claim for compensation.
Call or text 1-844-736-8342 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form