Child Injury Lawyers in Austin
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Kids love to play, but sometimes play can turn rough, causing injuries. Kids can also be injured while playing sports, swimming, biking, or exploring; these injuries may be unintentional, but they can still cause your child significant pain. Every year, about 9.2 million children visit the emergency room for treatment of unintentional injuries.
When your child gets injured, you are naturally concerned about their wellbeing and worried about their recovery; chances are you will want to hold someone responsible. If your child, grandchild, or the child of a loved one has been injured, call Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 for a 100% free consultation with an Austin injury lawyer today. One of our attorneys can help you seek compensation for your child’s injuries.
Common causes of child injuries
Parents and babysitters are always told to keep a close watch on their children; however, even the child of the most attentive parent or guardian can be injured. Children can be hurt at any time, but they are especially prone to injury through unintentional circumstances, such as falls. In fact, falls are the leading cause of injuries in children, especially young children.
Young children have poor balance, and are not able to easily prevent themselves from falling down. Children most commonly fall from:
- Stairs
- Beds without railings
- Windows
- Elevated landings
- Baby walkers
- Slippery bathtubs
- Cluttered pathways
It is important to take precautions that can prevent falls. You might want to install a gate at the top of your stairway so your child cannot accidentally fall down, or install bed rails on both sides of your child’s bed so they cannot fall off. Supervising your child while they are in the bathtub or shower—especially if they are young—can also prevent some of these accidental injuries.
Children are also commonly injured when they are struck by or against an object, or from animal bites or insect stings. Other common causes of injuries in children include:
- Playground equipment
- Ingesting household products
- Swimming-related accidents
- Sports injuries
- Fireworks
- Household fires
- School bus injuries
- Gunshot injuries
- Dog bites
- Falls
- Motor vehicle accidents
Motor vehicle and other traffic-related accidents are more likely to result in serious injuries to children, maybe even death. To prevent serious injuries that can be caused by motor vehicle accidents, always take the proper precautions, such as installing properly fitted children’s car seats and making sure seatbelts are securely fastened.
Common injuries children suffer
After a fall or other unintentional accident, children can suffer from a variety of injuries. They may suffer from:
- Head injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
Sometimes, injuries in children may not present symptoms immediately after an accident. When they do complain about being hurt or seem to be injured, take your child to the doctor as soon as possible to determine whether your child has been seriously injured. It is especially important you take your child to the doctor if they are experiencing:
- Difficulty breathing
- Bleeding
- Swelling
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Memory loss
If your child experiences these symptoms, they may be seriously injured. Call your doctor or take your child to the emergency room so that they can be evaluated. Your doctor will perform a physical exam on your child, which primarily looks for injuries such as bruising or broken bones, but your doctor may also order x-rays or MRIs for your child to determine if they suffer from any internal injuries.
It is important you make sure your child follows your doctor’s treatment plan so that your child recovers from their injuries. The treatment plan may require your child take medication, go to physical therapy, or follow up with other doctors. Your child may also suffer from emotional injuries after the accident, but you may not know they are suffering these injuries as a result of the accident, as they are not visible to the naked eye like most physical injuries. Signs of emotional injuries include:
- Shock, denial, or disbelief
- Confusion
- Difficulty concentrating
- Anger or mood swings
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Guilt
- Insomnia
- Nightmares
- Fatigue
If you notice your child is showing any of these symptoms, contact your doctor. He or she may recommend you take your child to a psychologist, who will evaluate your child and determine what emotional injuries they may be suffering from. You may also take your child to see a psychiatrist, who can prescribe medicine to help relieve some of your child’s emotional injuries.
What to do if your child is injured
If your child is injured, you will be scared and worried about them, hoping they will be okay. You might be wondering what to do next, and understandably want to hold someone responsible for your child’s trauma.
Seek Medical Attention
Take your child to the doctor as soon as possible after the accident to determine whether they suffer from any of the above-mentioned, or other, injuries. When you take your child to the doctor, make sure the doctor records how the accident happened and what injuries your child suffers from, as these records may be useful to an Austin injury attorney should you choose to pursue a personal injury claim.
Report the Accident
If your child is injured because of a dangerous condition or at a public place, you may want to report the accident to your local authorities or to the manager of the place where your child was injured. Make sure your report is documented in writing; reporting the accident will make someone in charge aware of the hazard so that they can remedy it and prevent a similar accident from happening to another child. This documentation will also be helpful to the personal injury lawyer near you whom you hire to handle your case against those responsible.
Document the Accident
Document the accident for your own records; it cannot be emphasized enough that documenting the accident as thoroughly as possible will help child injury attorneys in Austin build your case should you choose to pursue a personal injury claim. One way to document the accident is by taking photos. Some things to photograph include:
- Location of the accident
- What caused the accident – e.g., dangerous object, slippery floor, broken equipment, etc.
- Injuries your child suffered
You may also document the incident by writing information down on paper or in your cell phone. You might want to write down:
- How the accident happened
- What time the accident happened
- What you were doing when the accident happened
- What your child was doing just before the accident
- Any witnesses to the accident and their contact information, if unknown personally
filing a personal injury claim for your child
Children have the same rights as adults when it comes to filing for compensation for a personal injury claim. This means children can seek and recover economic, noneconomic, or punitive damages just as adults can.
Economic damages are damages that can be given a monetary value; these include medical bills for treatment or surgery, ambulance bills, and other calculable expenses. Depending on the severity of the injury and the age of the child, a child may be able to claim economic damages for future lost earnings, but this might be difficult to calculate and obtain.
Noneconomic damages are monetary amounts that are awarded due to emotional injuries your child suffers from the accident. These awards can be extraordinary, with some being as high as seven figures. These damages aim at correcting the anxiety, depression, or other emotional injuries your child suffers as a result of the accident.
You may be able to seek punitive damages depending on the circumstances of the accident. Punitive damages aim at punishing someone for their behavior by making them pay money for what happened. These are rarely awarded, and you should contact an attorney to determine whether to pursue these damages in your child’s case.
Contact a personal injury lawyer near you
When an accident happens and your child is injured, it is scary for both you and your child. You may have questions about how you can seek compensation for your child’s injuries, and whom you can hold responsible. A personal injury attorney near you can help answer these and any other questions you may have about pursuing a claim on behalf of your child.
An Austin injury attorney at Zinda Law Group can review your case and help you determine the best course of action to take. They can guide you through the legal process, and help you get the compensation your child deserves.
CALL ZINDA LAW GROUP FOR A FREE CONSULTATION WITH OUR CHILD INJURY ATTORNEYS TODAY
Zinda Law Group has handled countless childhood injury cases, so we understand the monetary and physical stress you may be under when caring for your injured child while trying to seek compensation for their injuries. That is why we have a No Win, No Fee Guarantee; you will not have to pay us anything for pursuing your personal injury claim unless we win a favorable verdict, judgment, or settlement in your case.
If you or a loved one’s child has been injured, call Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 for a 100% free consultation today. Our attorneys can guide you through the legal process and help you seek the compensation you deserve.
Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.
