Children are a gift, and they deserve a safe environment in which to grow. If your child sustains an injury through the fault of someone else, it’s your responsibility to get the care they need. Seek the greatest medical improvement and any funds necessary to provide for the future. An experienced, aggressive yet compassionate California child injury lawyer will pursue the compensation that you and your child deserve.
For a child injury anywhere in California, you’ll want to contact Maison Law to discuss your legal options. We are expert California child injury lawyers. It won’t cost you a single penny for a consultation, and if you retain us to represent you and your child, no up–front fees or charges are due. That’s because we take these cases on a contingency fee basis.
Common Causes of Childhood Injuries
Children might suffer injuries in many different ways. If another person or legal entity breaches a duty of care and injures your child, this may trigger a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Here are some of the ways that injury to a child might occur in an accident:
Vehicle Accidents
The most common cause of child injuries is motor vehicle accidents. What distinguishes a child from an adult in a crash is that the child has no opportunity to try to avoid a crash or prevent injury to himself or herself.
School Bus Accidents
Every day, hundreds of thousands of California children take school buses to and from school. Not to mention school-sponsored activities like field trips or sports competitions. Both bus companies and their drivers owe each student on a school bus a duty of care to be free from negligence. A breach of that duty can cause a school bus accident with major injuries to more than one child.
Crosswalk Accidents
Whether it’s a marked or an unmarked crosswalk, drivers have a duty to yield or even stop for anybody in that crosswalk. Drivers who are in a hurry or distracted don’t always do so and cause tragic crosswalk accidents.
Bicycle Accidents
Claims and lawsuits against the person or legal entity who caused the accident are valid. This is the right of the family of a child injured in a bicycle accident. Negligent parties could include:
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The driver of a motor vehicle
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The employer if the driver was on the clock
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A governmental entity, or even an owner or occupier of private property.
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Dog Bites
The majority of dog bite victims are children. They are particularly vulnerable to serious bites on the head, face, neck, hands, and arms. California is a strict liability dog bite state. It doesn’t matter whether a dog’s owner knew that his or her dog is capable of attacking people. There are very few defenses to this law.
Injuries While Playing at the Home of Somebody Else
Every owner or occupier of a residence has a duty to keep the property in a safe condition. Including being free of defects that might cause injury to somebody, including a child who is playing there. That’s the fundamental rule behind premises liability law.
California’s Personal Injury Statute of Limitations for Minors
A statute of limitations in a personal injury case operates as a deadline. The filing of the personal injury lawsuit must occur by this date. The general rule is that it’s two years from the date of the accident. Though an exception to that rule exists when a minor receives an injury. The two-year time limit doesn’t start running until the child’s 18th birthday. Then, he or she has until their 20th birthday to file. Be advised that a different set of rules might apply against a governmental entity. You’ll serve yourself and your child well by consulting with us as soon as you can after the accident.
Don’t give any information to the insurer of the party who caused your child’s accident and injuries. California law doesn’t require you to do that. If your child receives injury through the carelessness of somebody anywhere in California, get immediate attention at an emergency room. Follow all medical instructions and then call us for a free consultation and case review. We will hear your account and answer any questions you may have. After that, we can talk about your legal options. It won’t cost you a single penny to retain us either.
