What Parents Need To Know About Minneapolis Child Injuries
If you place your child in another person’s care, whether a friend or family member, you trust that individual implicitly to provide adequate attention and supervision, protecting your child from harm.
At Keller, Woods & Thompson, P.A., we value children, and our law firm is committed to fighting for their protection. If your child has sustained a personal injury due to the negligence of another person, it is important that you seek legal representation to ensure that your child receives the treatment needed to make the fullest recovery possible.
Our Minneapolis child injury attorneys work with parents and families throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin to carefully investigate the details of the personal injury or accident and hold the responsible parties accountable. While you may be hesitant to file a claim against someone you know, it is important that you take legal steps to ensure that your child receives the very best treatment possible.
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Negligence Can Be A Factor In Many Child Injuries
While children are by their very nature rambunctious and often careless, that doesn’t excuse negligent caretakers or adults for their part in often-avoidable injuries. When proper supervision or the necessary childproofing has not been completed, injuries can result including:
- Swimming accidents — When there is a pool or body of water nearby, it becomes vital that a child is watched at every second. By just turning your back for a moment, a child can easily fall in and drown.
- Burn injuries — These happen more commonly to children than any other age demographic. From touching a hot surface to pulling boiling pans down on themselves, children can suffer burns and scars that may follow them for the rest of their lives.
- Falling objects — As children explore and play, they can easily pull down bookcases and heavy objects on themselves, resulting in broken bones, neck injuries or head trauma.
- Falls — Children are often susceptible to falling down stairs or off of unsafe heights. They must be monitored and assisted at all times.
- Electrical injuries — It is important that areas are child-proofed, protecting them from outlets, cords, and appliances that can cause serious electrical burns or electrocution to curious children.
- Illness — Young children are more susceptible to illness and can get very sick. Areas where they play and eat should be sanitized, and it’s important that food is cooked and stored properly to avoid foodborne illnesses that could be life-threatening.
- Dog bites — Children are some of the most at-risk parties to dog bites and the injuries that follow these encounters.
If your child has sustained a personal injury, we strongly encourage you to contact a Minneapolis child injury lawyer.
Important Details of Child Injury Claims
If your child has been injured while in the care of someone else, it’s important to seek representation so that you can be reimbursed for medical bills; loss of wages while taking time off of work to care for your child, and even travel expenses going to and from the doctor’s office. Here are a few things to know about child injury claims in Minnesota and Wisconsin:
- As a minor, a child cannot file a claim for themselves. A parent or legal guardian must file a child injury claim on the child’s behalf.
- A child injury claim has a longer statute of limitations than other personal injury claims. A claim for a child injury must be filed within two years of the child’s 18th birthday.
- The child will be held to a standard of reasonableness. If the child is over 7 years old, the judge will decide if the child was responsible for their injuries.
- A judge must approve the settlement amount. The child, parent or guardian, and personal injury lawyer must appear in court for a judge to review the medical records, bills, insurance and other facts in the case.
- Claims for medical bills to treat injuries will be awarded to the parent. Since the parent is responsible for the medical bills of the child, they may be reimbursed for medical bills that are associated with treating their child’s injuries.
- Damage awards are appointed to the child and, therefore, will not be paid until the child is at least 18 years old. In some cases, damage awards may be distributed to the parents, but a guardian ad litem will be appointed to the case to make sure the award is used for the child’s benefit.
Get The Help You Need After Your Child’s Injury
There is much more involved when it comes to Minneapolis child injury claims. For more information about the process and representation if your child has been injured, please contact one of our personal injury attorneys at Keller, Woods & Thompson, P.A. Call us at 763-447-4076 to schedule your consultation today.
