When you become a parent certain instincts come to the surface. That urge to protect your child from every little potential threat is strong. You might even want to bubble wrap everything in the house.
Sometimes parents can go overboard on safety, but when it comes to caution along Central Valley roads and highways, it’s very much necessary. When you drive with the kids along for the ride you try to be on alert for bad drivers. Despite driving with extra care, there’s always a chance you can land in an unavoidable accident thanks to someone else’s carelessness.
With children in the backseat, the immediate concern is their safety. Each year, car accidents prove to be the deadliest threat to children under 14 years old.
In 2017 in the United States, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 1,147 children lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents. They also noted a sad fact for our state. California ranked as the second most deadly state for children. The state documented 102 child fatalities in a year. Texas ranked first with 127 deaths and Florida ranked a distant third with 72 deaths.
Common Car Accident Injuries for Children
Violent collisions can severely injure an adult body but experts find that those collisions are almost always more devastating to a young life. The common injuries even differ between age groups. Infants (under the age of one) are at more risk for concussion. Toddlers (one to three years old) are more likely to be left with cuts and head fractures.
According to data from the NHTSA, the most common injuries to children during an accident are:
- Head Injuries/Concussions – The most common injury for children and the most dangerous due to a child’s developing brain at this stage. 70% of infant injuries in an accident are head injuries, 51% for toddlers.
- Chest Injuries or Thoracic Injuries – These injuries cover damage to the heart and lungs, ribs, and breathing passageways. Infants are most vulnerable to these injuries.
- Abdominal injuries- Small-bowel injuries and large-bowel injuries were more common among children 4 to 7 years old accounting for 30 percent of their abdominal injuries.
- Pelvic fractures – Higher risk among infants.
- Psychological Injuries- Lasting Trauma trying to cope with what happened.
Seek Treatment For Your Children Immediately
Right after an impact, when adrenaline is running high, adults can sometimes fail to notice all of their injuries. The immediate shock of being in a collision might mask the pain.
Your child may have the same trouble noticing the injuries they have suffered. A child may cry but may not be able to communicate further about where they hurt. Get professional medical treatment on the scene and follow up with your doctor. Internal bleeding can be impossible for a parent to spot but can be deadly if it goes unnoticed.
These careful medical evaluations will hopefully spot all of the injuries your child requires treatment for. The documentation will also make clear what the driver who caused the accident needs to be held responsible for.
Contact a Local Car Accident Lawyer
A vehicle accident can leave devastation behind for the families involved. The recovery can be especially difficult and complicated when children are left with injuries. They have their entire lives in front of them and the driver responsible for an accident should be held accountable for immediate and future medical bills. Parents and children need an attorney experienced in California law fighting to get them everything they’ll need to make a full recovery.
After an accident involving a serious injury, contact an experienced Central Valley car accident lawyer such as Martin Gasparian for a free consultation and case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to every case. He believes that every client should work directly with their lawyer, get honest advice, and personalized attention to detail their case deserves.
