Seattle Child Injury Attorneys
Every parent’s worst fear is that something bad will happen to their child. You want to protect your kids from all possible harms, but you know that is impossible. Every day you entrust your kids to schools, day care centers, religious organizations, and other places that you expect will keep them safe. But the reality is that no place is ever 100 percent safe and serious accidents can and do happen.
Children are uniquely vulnerable to injury. Many children cannot appreciate the risks of certain activities, so they end up getting hurt. They also can suffer serious injuries which cause developmental problems which only become apparent later. If your child was hurt, contact Emerald Law Group today. Our clients are injured in a variety of places, from schools to playgrounds to car accidents. One of our lawyers will discuss your case and possible compensation.
Our Firm Can Handle Any Child Accident
A child can suffer injury in all sorts of accidents, including:
- Daycare accidents. Children can suffer serious injuries due to neglect or abuse. Although the state regulates day cares, many of these businesses are not safe for young children.
- School accidents. Children can suffer injuries due to dangerous premises, such as a playground which is falling into disrepair. Children can also be assaulted in school by teachers, staff, or other students.
- Sports injuries. Contact is an inevitable part of many sports, like football. However, all sporting events should be held according to rules, and equipment and playing fields or courts must be safe to use.
- Car accidents. Children experience car accidents differently than adults. Safety devices like seat belts might actually end up injuring a child, and booster or safety seats might fail.
- Sexual abuse. Children who are sexually abused often keep silent or fear retaliation if they speak. Unfortunately, many children suffer abuse at the hands of relatives, teachers, clergy, or other authority figures.
- Dog bites. A dog’s teeth can cause serious physical injuries. But children often suffer emotional trauma with dog bites that an adult might not.
- Premises liability claims. Washington generally doesn’t require that property owners protect trespassers from injury. With children, however, the law is different. Property owners might be liable if an attractive nuisance (like a jacuzzi) drew your curious child onto the property and they were hurt.
Child injury lawsuits are unique and complicated. Children cannot sign contracts, so they cannot agree to a settlement on their own. Washington courts retain supervisory power over the settlement process to protect a child’s rights, and a judge must approve most settlements. If a case goes to trial, then other protections are built into the system for your child. Parents are often surprised that Washington doesn’t assume they have their child’s best interests at heart.
At the same time, any compensation belongs to a child, not the parents. A parent who pays for medical care might get reimbursed for those expenses. But damages for pain and suffering and similar losses typically are your child’s. An experienced attorney can help families understand how settlements are paid out when a child is the victim.
Helping Families of Injured Children
When your child is injured, your first response may be to panic and blame yourself. But if someone else’s actions caused your child’s injuries, the best thing you can do to help your child is to fully explore your legal options. If you need to speak with a Seattle child injury lawyer, contact the Emerald Law Group today to schedule a consultation.
