When you have a child, their care and safety become your top concern. Parents will do anything in their power to keep their kids safe, but sometimes that is just not possible. Accidents occur, and some of them are unavoidable. However, most accidents are avoidable and only happen because of someone’s careless, reckless, or malicious behavior. When one of those preventable accidents harms your child, your family may be entitled to substantial compensation.
Financial compensation is essential because childhood injuries can be costly. They frequently lead to lifelong physical, cognitive, or mental challenges, which can impact a child’s ability to meet developmental milestones and eventually support themselves. A personal injury lawsuit may be the best way to secure the child’s financial future. A Goodlettsville child injury lawyer at Ponce Law can help you explore all of your potential legal remedies.
Kids are accident-prone, which leaves them vulnerable to injuries. They often lack control over their bodies, do not look where they are going, and fail to appreciate risks, which makes them more likely to hurt themselves during daily activities. Trips and falls are two of the leading causes of childhood injuries, but generally, the injuries from these accidents are minor.
Accidents that are more likely to lead to severe injuries include:
Defective products can also lead to severe injuries and range from things like hazardous toys to dangerous drugs.
Not every childhood injury is the result of negligence—some are the result of intentional misbehavior. Adults or other children may physically or sexually assault children, resulting in physical and emotional trauma. When intentional wrongdoing causes the injuries, the victim may be entitled to punitive damages.
Determining what type of claim to bring and who to pursue depends on the facts of a specific case. Available remedies will depend on the nature of the duty towards the victim, the person’s behavior, and any potential injuries. Contact an experienced lawyer in Goodlettsville to discuss your child injury lawsuit.
Many Goodlettsville child injury claims focus on a responsible person’s failure to supervise a child in their care properly. Not every accident that occurs on someone else’s watch is the result of negligence. Instead, the person had to fail to meet the standard of care for watching a child.
Even when properly supervised, a child can get injured. To show that a person was at fault, it is essential to show that proper supervision would have prevented the accident or injury. Hazardous activities, a child with a history of violence harming your child, or negligent safety protocols are all failures to supervise a child properly.
Suppose your child is injured while in someone else’s care; it is vital to document all of the injuries and seek immediate medical care. A childcare provider may not understand the extent of the injuries. Since they self-report when a child is injured, self-interest could keep them from fully and honestly assessing the extent of the injuries. Having a doctor check out your child helps them get prompt diagnosis and treatment, as well as preserving a history of the injuries in case you need to file a claim.
When a product does not work—safely—as described, and the defect causes injuries, you may have a product liability claim. While children can be injured by the same defective products as adults, defective toys are a major culprit in childhood injuries. Plus, in this unique type of personal injury lawsuit, you do not have to prove negligence on the toy manufacturer’s part. If a defect in design or manufacture leads to an injury, they will be responsible.
It is essential to look at age guidelines on the toy’s packaging and any warnings about small parts. Toys that are appropriate and safe for older children can be hazardous to small children, mainly because of choking risks. A Goodlettsville attorney who handles child injuries can examine the facts and let you know if you have a case.
You cannot turn back the clock after a childhood injury, but you can take steps to get your child the best care moving forward. A Goodlettsville child injury lawyer at Ponce Law can help you explore all of your legal options. Schedule a consultation and see for yourself why the Tennessean’s Best of Music City Awards has repeatedly voted us as Nashville’s Best Law Firm.