Motorists recognize Houston roadways as notoriously dangerous. Accidents happen every day, but what happens if your child is hurt in the crash?

While you may know how to pursue your own personal injury claim after a car accident, things are a lot more complicated if a Houston car crash injures your child. First off, you need an experienced car accident attorney from the Krist Law Firm P.C. With our experience and track record, we can pursue the compensation necessary for their recovery and future needs.

Contact us at (281) 283-8500 or use our online form if a car accident harmed your child. Initial consultations are free, and there’s never a charge unless you recover compensation.

Houston Accidents Involving Children

As serious as an accident is for adults, children face even more harm. In 2018, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death for children under 12, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Accidents injured more than 97,000 children younger than 12, the CDC reported.

Because of their size and vulnerability, children’s car accident injuries may be more serious. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies indicate some of the most common injuries of children in car wrecks include:

  • Head – concussions, traumatic brain injuries, fractures
  • Chest – rib fractures, lung punctures, internal bleeding
  • Skin – cuts and scrapes
  • Bones – hand, feet, arms, pelvis
  • Neck – whiplash
  • Spine – spinal cord, nerve damage
  • Mental – post-traumatic distress syndrome, depression

Properly restraining children with seatbelts or safety seats help reduce the chance of severe injury and death. But even with such measures, car accidents can cause severe harm to children.

Additionally, there are critical differences in injuries to children. For example, treatment for a broken bone in a child may take multiple surgeries because the child is still growing. Your compensation claim should consider such factors.

Pursuing a Claim for a Minor

No one under the age of 18 can pursue a personal injury claim in Texas. When a car accident injures your child, you must decide whether to seek compensation for the child’s injuries. If someone’s negligence led to your child’s injuries, you could pursue damages.

Under Texas law, you have two years from the date of the accident to pursue the claim. Should you decide not to seek compensation on your child’s behalf, the child can pursue it up to two years after reaching the age of 18. Keep in mind, though, that it could be harder to prove the claim as time passes.

Damages your child may be entitled to include:

When a child receives a settlement for injuries in a car accident, the parents must use it to care for the child. Depending on the settlement’s size, the money may be placed into a court registry account or a court-approved annuity account.

Let Us Help When Your Child is Hurt

The health and welfare of your child take top priority in your life. If an accident harms your child, your focus turns to physical recovery, but there’s also an issue of compensation. The Houston car accident attorneys at The Krist Law Firm P.C. can pursue your child’s claim allowing you to concentrate on your child’s care. Let us aggressively fight for everything your child deserves.

There’s never a charge unless you recover compensation. Contact us by calling (281) 283-8500 or use our online form to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

The post What if Your Child Is Injured in a Car Crash? appeared first on Krist Law Firm.