Every year, tens of thousands of children are injured or killed due to negligent accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 12,000 children die every year due to accidental injury. This alarming number impacts not only the children that lose their lives, but the families that are left behind to pick up the pieces.
Generally, a person under the age of 18 is ineligible to file a lawsuit. Due to this limitation, it is typically a minor’s legal guardian who must bring the lawsuit on behalf of them. If you are the parent or legal guardian of a child who has been killed or injured, you may be the only one who can seek justice for that child. Florida has specific procedural requirements that the attorney on the case must follow. Therefore, picking a qualified Florida attorney to represent your case can make all the difference. Common Causes of Accidents Involving Children Serious injuries can be a physically and emotionally traumatic experience for a child. Oftentimes, families of injured children are left to deal with the financial burden that generally accompanies such accidents. While there are a number of ways a child can sustain an injury, some of the common causes are as follows:
- School bus accidents
- Playground accidents
- Daycare accidents
- School premises accidents
- Assault due to lack of or no supervision
- Scalding water burns
- Drowning or injuries sustained due to an unmonitored pool
- Dog bites
- Car, bicycle, motorcycle or pedestrian accidents
- Construction accidents
Special Premises Liability Rules for Children It is important to know that there are special premises liability rules when it comes to children. Under the legal doctrine of ‘attractive nuisance’, a landowner has a duty to protect children from foreseeable harm that could be caused by man-made, inherently dangerous property conditions. This applies even if the children are trespassers. For example, a swimming pool is typically something that children are drawn to. If a house has a swimming pool that is accessible to nearby children, then the landowner has a duty to exercise reasonable care to ensure the pool will not cause harm to the children. One effective way of doing this might be to invest in a gate that surrounds the pool or a pool cover that would prevent children from jumping in and potentially drowning.
What Can You Recover? We understand that when your child suffers, you suffer. While there is no amount of money that can remedy the pain and emotional toll of a serious injury, compensation can ease the financial burdens associated with recovery and medical care. If your child has been injured due to another person’s negligence then you may be entitled to compensation including medical expenses, property damage, pain and suffering, future medical expenses/care and even psychological counseling. If your child has been killed then you may be entitled to wrongful death damages.
Who Can Help? Robert Dixon is a South Florida injury attorney who can handle every aspect of your case. We understand that dealing with your child’s injuries or death can be a very traumatic experience, which is why we are committed to proving our clients with compassionate yet competent help. If your child has been hurt or killed due to another person’s negligence or recklessness, contact us online or call us today at 1-877-499-HURT (4878) for a free, confidential consultation.