It can be traumatizing for any parent to know that their child has suffered a serious injury due to someone’s negligence or recklessness. Accidents involving children often happen in places like schools, daycare centers, on busy roads, and even in hospitals. Depending on the circumstances, you can file a child injury lawsuit, and the compensation can help cover the medical care needs of your child. Besides immediate economic damages, you can also recover non-economic damages because it is almost impossible to put a price to the trauma and suffering endured by the child. No matter the situation, you have to hire a child injury attorney and get their advice on the matter.
Know your claim
What is the worth of your child injury lawsuit? It largely depends on the nature of injuries suffered by your child. Because children have developing minds, bodies, and personalities, injuries can cause a severe impact on their well-being and trigger emotional damage. Your lawyer can help evaluate if you can sue for nominal damages. In some cases, it is also possible to seek a settlement because the injury has left the child with permanent disabilities, which is most likely to prevent them from having a normal life or earning like a normal adult.
You need evidence
Just stating that your child was injured because of the other party’s negligence is not enough. You have to share evidence, and that could be tough without an attorney. A skilled child injury attorney knows how to find evidence and get witness statements, and if needed, they may even call medical experts or accident reconstruction specialists to testify in court. Important evidence can go missing if you don’t act immediately.
The insurance company will not help
This is probably one of the biggest reasons why you need an attorney. The claims adjuster from the insurance company will do their best to evade responsibility, and they may try to get you to sign forms that give them access to the child’s medical history. You may also end up giving a statement that hurts your claim. If you don’t know what it takes to negotiate with the insurance company, hiring a lawyer is always a wise step.
If you are wondering whether you can afford an attorney for your child injury lawsuit, consider that lawyers don’t charge an upfront fee for PI cases. You pay a share of the settlement only when you win.