If your child’s been injured by someone else’s negligence, it’s a devastating blow that can leave you facing obstacles that feel insurmountable. Fighting for your child’s rights and the compensation to which they are entitled, however, is the surest way to help protect your child’s best possible future, and an experienced Greenville child injury lawyer from the Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm has the skill, resources, and legal insight to help you in this endeavor.
A Greenville Child Injury Lawyer Can Help You Seek Compensation for Your Child
Your child has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, and it places a very significant hurdle for them to overcome on the long journey forward. While this is a difficult reality to accept, moving ahead is the only option that puts your child’s best interests first. Toward this end, you can seek several varieties of legal damages that can significantly aid your child in the healing process. Here are some examples:
Medical Costs
You are entitled to seek compensation for your child’s complete medical expenses, which are likely to be vast and ongoing. In fact, serious injuries are closely associated with secondary health complications. Your child’s medical costs can include:
- Emergency treatment and care
- Surgery and follow-up care
- Hospital stays
- Treatment and care from doctors, specialists, and other medical professionals
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Prescription medications
- Home healthcare
- Adaptive physical devices
- Ongoing healthcare needs
Lost Quality of Life
If the injuries your child suffers are debilitating, they can directly impact the quality of their life moving forward, and because they are only a child, the journey ahead is lengthy. There is also a legal claim to be made for any effects your child’s injuries may have on their future earning potential.
Mental Impairment
If your child’s injuries leave them with permanent mental impairment, it likely translates to a lifetime of need, which should be addressed in your claim.
Psychological and Emotional Issues
Your child can also suffer significant emotional and psychological issues as a result of being injured by someone else’s negligence, and these damages can reverberate into their future.
Pain and Suffering
The pain and suffering associated with being seriously injured by someone else’s negligence can involve more than the ramifications listed and can be one of the most difficult consequences to overcome. Your child’s injury claim should incorporate all of their damages to help ensure their most complete recovery and brightest future.
Legal Time Constraints
In order for your child to seek damages on behalf of himself or herself, they will need to reach the age of 18 prior to doing so. As your child’s parent, however, you have the legal right to file a claim pursuing compensation for the medical expenses and other accident-related costs that you incur. The statute of limitations for you to do so is three years from the date of the accident (or two years if the at-fault party is a governmental agency), and your child has until they reach the age of 19 to bring their own claim regarding pain, suffering, lost potential, and related losses. As your child’s parent, you can also bring a personal injury claim on behalf of your child for the damages they suffered, including pain and suffering. In other words, it’s complicated, and you need an experienced Greenville child injury lawyer in your corner.
Child Injury FAQ
If my child is injured by someone else’s negligence, will I be compensated?
As the parent of an injured child, you can seek compensation for the medical expenses that you experience and can seek compensation that includes pain and suffering and other losses on behalf of your injured child.
What should I do if my child was injured at daycare?
We turn to daycare facilities to help us care for our children, and if your child is injured instead, it is a tragic turn of events. Your child’s daycare owes them a duty of care that includes taking the reasonable precautions necessary to keep them safe. Consulting with an experienced child injury lawyer will help you better understand the strengths and challenges of your claim and how best to proceed.
What steps should I take if my child is injured by someone else’s negligence?
The first and most important step you should take is getting your child the medical care and attention they need as soon after the accident as possible, and if your child’s injuries are serious, your next step should be consulting with an experienced child injury attorney.
Will my case go to court?
Many parents worry about having to go to court to procure the compensation that their injured children are entitled to, and your concern is understandable. The truth is, however, that the vast majority of these claims are settled out of court. And if the insurance company refuses to negotiate in good faith regarding your child’s just compensation, you can rest easy knowing that going to court will not require your child to be traumatized. As the parent, you will be far more involved in the litigation end of things.
Do I need a Child Injury Lawyer?
While you are not required to hire a child injury lawyer, obtaining just compensation for your child is so critical to their future that it is in your best interest to do so. These cases are complicated, and the insurance company involved is certain to do everything it can to minimize your child’s settlement. Experienced child injury lawyers are well equipped to aggressively advocate for favorable claim resolutions that protect children’s rights and support their brightest futures.
Consult With an Experienced Greenville Child Injury Lawyer Today
If your child’s been injured by someone else’s negligence, it’s a very painful experience that can leave you at an utter loss. Dan Pruitt at Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm in Greenville, South Carolina, is a compassionate child injury attorney who has 25 years of impressive experience fighting for the rights of the injured, and he’s here for you, too. To learn more, please don’t wait to contact or call us at 864-280-7660 today.