Child Injury Lawyers in Austin

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.