Severe injuries are always traumatic. When one happens to your child, it can feel even more painful and upsetting. As you comfort your young one during this trying time, schedule a meeting with a Washington D.C. child injury lawyer. Your family could receive damages that pay for the child’s healthcare needs moving forward.
An attorney with experience representing child harm cases understands that the injury your little one sustained can have a lifelong impact. Even if the injury will heal in time, it can cause the child to experience post-traumatic stress symptoms as they get older and understand more about why the injury occurred. Get in touch with Roger Gelb to discuss your options for compensation.
When a child becomes injured due to the intentional actions or negligence of another, their families should file personal injury claims with attorney assistance. Sadly, some injuries are so severe they result in fatalities and require wrongful death-related legal action. Among the most common child injuries represented by D.C. legal professionals include:
Broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, puncture wounds, neck injuries, mouth and teeth trauma, and burns are among the different problems these accidents can cause.
Every case is different, with liability falling on one if not multiple parties. For example, say a child breaks a bone while playing a school-sponsored sport. While the parents waived their legal rights by allowing the child to participate in the sport and potentially face injuries, they can file claims if the coach knowingly allowed or encouraged dangerous play. The school could also face liability charges from the parents’ attorney if administrators were aware of the coach’s conduct but did nothing about it.
While these and other intentional actions factor into child harm cases, just as many cases are negligence-based. For example, say a neighbor recently installed a pool but did not erect mandated fencing to avoid attractive nuisance issues. A child might see the pool and want to swim in it, unaware of the dangers involved due to their youth and inexperience. If the child drowned because the pool was not fenced in, the property owner becomes liable for attractive nuisance-related negligence and wrongful death.
Washington D.C. uses contributory negligence to establish fault in personal injury cases. Comparative negligence rules allow plaintiffs to collect damages despite being somewhat at fault for their injuries; however, contributory negligence prevents damage collections even when plaintiffs were hardly to blame. However, since children have developing brains and cannot fully reason or think responsibly, the legal professional could argue that contributory negligence does not apply. If the defendant owed the child duty of care and failed to provide it, they are generally liable.
As a parent, protecting your child is everything. If your child was harmed for reasons beyond your control, make an appointment with our firm. One of our Washington D.C. child injury lawyers will take on your case and fight to win the damages your family deserves. Call Gelb & Gelb, P.C. today to discuss the case in detail.