As a parent, there can be nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your child injured. The pain can be unbearable when the accident is caused by another person’s negligence. Tragically, thousands of children are injured or killed in preventable accidents every year.
At Injured 914, we represent children and their families who have suffered significant injuries as a result of another person’s negligence. We fight hard to get the maximum compensation allowed under New York law for our clients so that their children can receive the best medical care available.
If your child was injured on someone else’s property, contact our office at (914) 368-7168 for a free consultation.
What to Do If Your Child Is Injured on Another Person’s Property
Nobody expects their child to be harmed while at a friend’s house, at school, or at the store, but serious injuries occur every day because of a person’s failure to ensure that their property is safe. Property owners have a duty to keep their property safe. When they fail to do so, resulting in harm to a child, they must be held accountable.
Many accidents involving children can be avoided with proper safety measures. If your child was injured on someone else’s property, you might be entitled to compensation. The first thing you should do is get medical attention for your child’s injuries, then contact an experienced White Plains child injury attorney to determine your legal options.
Children at Risk for Injury and Death
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 7,000 children between the ages of 0-19 died in a single year due to unintentional injuries. Unintentional injuries are the leading causes of death for children in the United States, causing an estimated 20 deaths per day.
While motor vehicle accidents continue to cause more deaths than any other unintentional injury, a large percentage of child fatalities occur on other people’s property. In some cases, injury and death are the results of negligent supervision by a caregiver, and in others, it is due to a failure to keep a property safe from hazards.
A White Plains child injury attorney can help assess who can be held liable if your child is injured in a preventable accident.
Common Ways Children Get Injured
Injuries to children can occur almost anywhere, including another person’s home or at school. Property owners have a duty to protect children from harm while they are on their premises. Owners may even be held liable for children that are injured or killed while trespassing on their land.
Common child injuries resulting in liability:
- Accidental drownings
- Fall-related injuries
- Suffocation
- Poisoning
- Choking
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Cuts and lacerations
- Injuries related to dog bites or attacks
Caregivers, homeowners, and business owners can be held accountable for injuries that occur to children from a failure to secure potentially dangerous things like swimming pools, trampolines, guns, toxins, and more.
Who Is Liable When a Child Is Injured on Someone Else’s Property
In general, a property owner must keep their premises free from known hazards or those that could have been reasonably discovered. A property owner does not owe the same duty of care to a trespasser on the property, except to children under the attractive nuisance doctrine.
Attractive nuisances may include:
- Swimming pools
- Construction equipment or heavy machinery
- Trampolines
- Abandoned automobiles
- Power lines
- Artificial ponds
- Discarded appliances (refrigerators, freezers, etc.)
It is essential to consult a White Plains child injury attorney immediately after the accident that injured your child. You only have a limited amount of time to file a claim based on personal injury or wrongful death.
Places Where Children Get Injured
Accidents involving minors can happen nearly anywhere. It is important to remember that it is not your job to determine liability after your child is injured. An attorney can help complete an investigation into the cause of the accident to ensure that all negligent parties are held responsible for their wrongdoing.
Places where children may suffer harm:
- Another person’s home
- School
- Child care facilities
- Playgrounds
- Malls
- Churches
- Sports fields
- Skating rinks
- Amusement parks
- Retail stores
Serious injuries to children can affect their development and may result in severe disability. When another person causes the injury, a personal injury lawsuit can help you to receive compensation for your child’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. Without the help of a qualified attorney, you may not receive the compensation that you deserve.
Why You Should Hire an Attorney
By hiring an attorney for your child’s injury, you can not only hold negligent parties accountable, but you may also obtain compensation for your losses. A White Plains child injury attorney will pursue damages based on your child’s injuries and may be able to get additional compensation to cover future medical care.
Proving liability in child injury cases can be difficult without the assistance of qualified legal counsel. Accidents involving children can be extraordinarily complex. They may involve loved ones, family friends, your child’s school, or a daycare facility. An attorney can help to ease the emotional and financial burden that often accompanies these challenging matters.
Was Your Child Injured on Another Person’s Property?
If your child was injured on someone else’s property, contact our office at (914) 368-7168 for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our legal team has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of injury victims throughout New York. We will work tirelessly to get you and your family the compensation you need so that your child can fully recover.
