Have you ever been in a situation where you had to consider what to do when your little one was in an accident due to someone else’s negligence? There is no doubt that such situations can turn out to be traumatic experiences. As a parent, if your child has recently been involved in an accident resulting in severe injuries causing a major impact on their life quality and wellbeing, then the moment has come to consider hiring a personal injury attorney to file a lawsuit.
Where minor accidents or injuries are considered normal during childhood, if the incident has occurred due to a third party’s negligence, then you are eligible to claim compensation on your child’s behalf.
Usually, accident claims with children fall under personal injury claims, and they might take several forms. The most common ones are mentioned below:
- Sports injuries in PE classes or any sports training
- Road traffic accidents
- Accidents at public playgrounds or parks
- Injuries at school caused by another child
- Falls and trips as a result of pavement defects
- Fall, slip, or trip accidents at school, for instance, on the playground, in the cafeteria, or in the classroom
What is the first thing you need to do as a parent? Seeing your child suffer after an accident is going to be overwhelming, emotionally. Of course, your foremost concern will be your child’s wellbeing. However, several other things must be done on the spot to give yourself and your child the best chance of successfully bringing a personal injury claim. Follow these steps in order:
- Seek the nearest doctor for medical attention immediately. Even if you find your child okay, you need to understand that not all injuries are visible or recognized by the untrained eye. So, it is better to get your child assessed by a medical expert. Some injuries are notably harder to spot, like whiplash, especially if your child is too little or young to share how they feel.
- If the accident occurred in a public place like a playground, park, or wherever possible, take images of whatever caused the injury with the location. If there are any witnesses around, approach them and get their contact details. It might be helpful to get an official statement from them later on.
- Report the accident to the person responsible, if it happened around a sports club or school, ensuring it is recorded in their incident reports. This is normally recommended by almost every personal injury lawyer in Boston so that teachers and management are aware that an accident occurred.
- Save all receipts, bills, or invoices for payments you made for your child’s treatment. They are needed as evidence of expenses that you may cover under the claim amount.
- Lastly, but most importantly, it is worth taking legal advice immediately, even if you are not sure whether you can claim compensation. An approachable and experienced personal injury attorney will help you understand the process of making a claim, offering effective advice to help you get the best possible outcome.
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