The worst tragedy that can occur during a car accident is when a child is in the car with you and they become injured. Because children are still developing, they can be much more susceptible to injuries resulting from a car accident. There are steps you can take to make your child safer during an accident, but you will also need to take legal action if your child was injured due to the negligence of another driver.
Special Risks That Children Face
One of the added risks that children face during an accident is that they can be injured by airbags. An airbag is designed to protect a full-sized adult. You are able to turn off an airbag to protect your children, but this might not be available in some vehicles.
Children need to be placed in child safety seats rather than simply wearing a seatbelt. However, some child safety seats end up being defective and your child will still be at greater risk than an adult even if they are in a child safety seat.
How to Seek Compensation for Your Child's Injuries
After your child has become injured, you will need to take your child to the hospital immediately so they can be treated. Some injuries might not be immediately apparent. For example, your child might have suffered a head injury. Kids sometimes don't think to tell their parents about the injuries that they have suffered.
Once your child has been treated, you may begin the process of taking legal action against the party responsible for the accident. If the insurance provider believes that their policyholder is at fault for the accident, they might make a settlement offer quickly. However, the settlement offer they make will often be worth much less than what you should be entitled to. Instead, you should have your settlement negotiations handled by a personal injury lawyer.
Settlement Negotiations
The first step is to wait until your child has fully recovered so you can know the full extent of the damages. After your attorney has helped you fully calculate all the damages your child has suffered, they will then help you compose a demand letter that can be sent to the insurance provider. This will allow you to begin negotiations from a strong position.
The insurance provider will likely make a counter-offer. However, if your attorney is able to present solid evidence, they will be able to negotiate a larger settlement. Reach out to an auto accident attorney to see if you have a case.
