Get medical care and seek legal help after a car accident involving a child. Immediate medical evaluation after a car accident not only benefits the child’s health but can also support a legal case later.
Get Medical Care Even if Injuries Are Not Obvious
The priority is to get medical care for the child. If the child is seriously hurt, then the child obviously requires immediate medical care. An ambulance may have transported your child to the hospital or you may have taken your child to the emergency room after the wreck.
But even if your child did not appear seriously injured, you should still take the child for a medical evaluation. Children do not always report pain and injuries accurately, so a doctor should evaluate the child for injuries.
Some types of injuries that children may suffer in car accidents include:
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Internal damage
- Concussion
- Soft tissue injuries
Make sure your child attends all doctor appointments and physical therapy sessions. Not only will this lead to better health outcomes, it can help establish a connection between the accident and the child’s injuries, which may be important in a legal case later.
Consult With a Personal Injury Lawyer About Your Child’s Case
Talk to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. You can call Max Meyers Law at 425-399-7000 for a free consultation about your case.
Your lawyer can help you gather proof of who caused the accident as well as proof of your child’s damages. A lawyer can also deal with the insurance company for you by communicating with insurance adjusters on your behalf and avoiding lowball settlement offers.
How Car Accidents With Minor Children Are Different Than Adult Cases
Car accident cases are different when the injured party is a child, so we recommend getting legal help if your child suffered serious injuries.
First, the recoverable damages in a child’s injury case will be somewhat different from those of an adult. For example, while an adult’s lost wages may be based on previous earnings, a child may not have a wage history; and even if they do, it is early in their working career and may not accurately reflect future earnings.
Further, if the injuries cause a permanent disability, the disability will affect the child for a longer period than an adult who suffers a disability later in life.
These and other factors will affect the value of the minor’s damages, so discuss them with your lawyer.
Some other differences between a child’s injury claim and an adult’s injury claim include:
- The statute of limitations tolls for minors until their 18th birthday.
- Washington State requires that a court approve a settlement for injuries to an unemancipated minor child.
Work with Max Meyers Law to navigate these and other issues. Call 425-399-7000.
Gather Evidence of Fault and Damages
Keep evidence of how the car accident happened, who is at fault for the wreck, and your child’s injuries and other damages.
Some examples of evidence and documents to save for a potential child injury claim include:
- Police report or accident report
- Eyewitness contact information (your lawyer can contact eyewitnesses to secure a testimony)
- Photographs of the vehicle(s) and your child’s injuries
- Video surveillance (footage from cameras in the area that captured the accident)
- Doctor and hospital bills
- Invoices or receipts of accident-related expenses
- Wage records (pay stubs and tax forms, if your child works)
Start an accident file to keep everything is in one place. Save documents related to the accident and share them with your lawyer. Ask your lawyer what other documents and evidence you should save.
Keep an Injury Journal for Your Child
If your child is old enough, have him keep a journal of how his injuries affect his life. If your child is still young, keep the journal for him.
Some things to write down in the journal include:
- The child’s pain and suffering (pain levels)
- How injuries limit your child’s functional capacity
- How injuries affect your child’s enjoyment of life
- Record of medical care sought and received
Discuss the injury journal with your lawyer for more information about what to record in the journal.
Call Max Meyers After a Car Accident Involving a Minor Child
Max Meyers Law focuses on motor vehicle accident cases in Washington State. We understand how stressful it is when your child suffers an injury in a crash, and we are here to help you and your family.
Let us handle the legal aspects of your case while you help your child get medical care and recover from injuries. We offer free consultations to discuss your case, and we do not charge attorney fees unless you recover compensation in a personal injury case.
Call us today at 425-399-7000 for a free consultation.
