Car accidents are the leading cause of death to children in the United States. In fact, motor vehicle accidents and child passenger safety is one the leading public health problems that America faces.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car accidents are the leading cause of death among children in the United States. In fact, in 2008 alone, an average of four children age fourteen and younger were killed each day in a motor vehicle crash.
Dealing with serious and catastrophic injuries resulting from a car accident is bad enough for an adult, when the person injured is a small child, it’s much worse. There’s probably nothing more difficult than watching your own son or daughter lay helpless in a hospital bed knowing that they were the victim of another driver’s negligence or recklessness.
A tragic car accident can destroy a child’s life. The injuries can range from broken bones to spinal cord injuries, paralysis, traumatic brain injury and even death. Some survivors are forced to live in a vegetative state, while others have to endure permanent learning disabilities and a stalled cognitive development. A child with serious brain damage may grow up, while their mind remains that of a 7- year-old child.
Not only do young car accident victims suffer from physical injuries, they suffer from emotional and psychological damage as well. For example, the emotional pain and suffering from an amputation injury can
permanently destroy a child’s self- esteem and emotional wellbeing.
One important aspect about child injuries incurred from motor vehicle accidents is that the consequences can last over the course of a lifetime. This is why it is essential to get a professional personal injury involved in all child injury cases. An insurance company might be all too quick to offer a low-ball settlement without taking into consideration how much time and money the injuries will cost over the years. An attorney will be able to better judge what kind of foreseeable expenses the family and victim will encounter in the upcoming years due to the child’s injuries.
Child injury cases are unique in themselves, because not only do they affect the family unit as a whole, but the children can suffer particular consequences that adult victims don’t normally experience. Child car accident victims can experience debilitating, catastrophic injuries that last a lifetime.
Although no amount of money can ever erase the accident, monetary damages can help the family cope with the situation – and it can help ensure that the child receives the highest quality care. If your child was injured or killed in a car accident, contact a personal injury attorney right away. They can advocate on behalf of you and your child in order to maximize your child’s chances of getting the compensation they deserve and to bring the negligent party to justice.
