As a parent, you’ll do anything to protect your children. When you’re in the car, you tend to exercise a little bit more care and caution when your kids are in tow. Unfortunately, accidents still happen. When those accidents affect your children, they can be incredibly scary.
It’s important to speak with an attorney if you’ve been in a Los Angeles car accident involving children. Since kids are still growing, they’re vulnerable to injuries that can change the course of their lives forever. You have the right to recover compensation for those injuries if someone else is responsible for the accident. Hiring an attorney will help to ensure that your family recovers every dollar you deserve.
Why Should I Hire an Attorney If My Child Was Injured in a Car Accident?
You can certainly pursue compensation for your child’s injuries on your own. However, personal injury claims can be challenging. If you misunderstand the law or violate a procedural rule, your claim could be jeopardized. At the same time, your child needs you by their side right now. You need to focus on helping them recover from their car accident injuries. You can spend time with your child and pursue compensation when you hire an attorney to handle your legal case.
Here’s why you should call our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers after your car accident:
- You may not know who to blame for your child’s injuries
- You may not realize that more than one person is responsible for your accident
- It can be difficult to know what your child’s injuries and damages are worth
- Insurance companies will try to take advantage of your emotions and minimize your payout, and
- Others involved in the accident will try to blame you.
Call our Los Angeles law firm today to schedule a free consultation. We’ll review your case and help you understand your legal options.
Won’t Hiring An Attorney Reduce My Compensation?
Some parents are afraid to hire an attorney after a car accident because they’re afraid of the cost. However, studies have shown that plaintiffs recover more compensation after an accident when represented by a lawyer.
Why? Attorneys understand how insurance companies operate. We know that they’ll go to great lengths to limit or deny you the money you and your family deserve. We also know how to prevent these manipulative tactics from working. Simply having an attorney on your side will significantly increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.
At Citywide Law Group, our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. You pay us nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf. You don’t have to worry about up-front costs or fees. You just need to focus on taking care of your injured child. When we do win, we will receive a percentage of your financial award.
Kids Are Entitled to Compensation After a Car Accident
A child cannot file his or her own lawsuit after a Los Angeles car accident. However, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t entitled to compensation for their injuries. As a parent, you have the right to file a lawsuit and demand money on your child’s behalf.
Alternatively, a child can wait until they are 18 to initiate a lawsuit of their own. The statute of limitations, which typically restricts personal injury claims to 2 years after an accident, can be extended when children are involved.
Severe Injuries Can Limit Your Child’s Ability to Work
Children are incredibly fragile. The impact of a crash can cause serious and often life-changing injuries. Permanent injuries may affect your child’s ability to work in the future. Your child has the right to be compensated for the negative impact their car accident injury has and will have on their life. This includes a reduced capacity to work and provide for themselves.
Valuing Reduced Earning Capacity Can Be Tough
How much is your child’s claim for reduced earning capacity worth? This question can be incredibly difficult to answer on your own. You’ll probably need the input and insight of medical, vocational, and other experts. These professionals will be able to assess your child’s injury and project how it may affect their ability to work and enjoy life.
It can be difficult to get access the professionals needed to support your case. At Citywide Law Group, our attorneys have spent years cultivating relationships with some of the most reputable experts in the greater Los Angeles area. When we handle your case, we will work closely with these individuals. Their insight will not only help us determine what your child’s case is worth, but also strengthen our demands for compensation. Claims backed by reputable experts tend to be the most successful.
Considering Your Child’s Special Skills and Talents
Did you know that your child’s personal injury claim may be more valuable if their ability to perform a special skill or talent was compromised in the accident? Imagine that your child was an extraordinary piano player. Teachers and professionals in the area believed that your child would grow up to have a prosperous and financially-rewarding career. Your child was on track to be a piano star.
However, they suffered a spinal injury in the accident and their hands were badly crushed. Doctors believe that these injuries will prevent your child from playing the piano with the same level of skill ever again. As a result, your child’s future looks much different.
The lawsuit you file can demand compensation for the difference between what your child would have earned as a famed pianist, compared to what they are projected to earn after the injury. It’s important to have an attorney handle these complex legal arguments and negotiations. Your child is much more likely to get the money they deserve when you let a legal professional handle these challenging situations.
Your Child May Need To Testify or Provide a Statement
It’s very possible that your child will be deposed, called to testify, or asked to provide a statement after the car accident. The answers provided by your child can have a huge impact on your personal injury case.
It’s important to make sure that your child is fully prepared to handle the questions they’ll receive. Working with an attorney will not only help your case, but also protect your child during this difficult time.
At Citywide Law Group, our attorneys will sit down with your child and explain what’s going on. We’ll walk them through the process and help them understand their role in the case. We will be with them every step of the way to support them, make them feel comfortable, and protect them from any tactics insurance companies or at-fault parties may try to use.
Insurance Companies Will Try to Blame You For The Accident
Be prepared to be blamed for your child’s injuries. Others involved in the accident – and their insurance companies – will try to shift as much of the blame as possible to you. If they’re successful, you may not be able to recover the money you and your family deserve. An attorney can protect you from these often baseless claims.
Our personal injury lawyers will carefully review your case and figure out what caused your accident. Determining the cause is the first step in identifying who is to blame. With this information in hand, we’ll have the evidence we need to prove that others are responsible for your child’s injuries.
What If I Share Fault For the Car Accident?
Many factors can contribute to a car accident in Los Angeles. It’s possible that more than one person shares some of the blame. In California, sharing fault is not a bar to recovery. You can still get some of the money you deserve as long as someone else is also to blame. However, your financial award will be reduced by the degree to which you share responsibility for your child’s injuries.
You can share responsibility for your child’s injuries even if you didn’t contribute to the accident itself. If you failed to take certain precautions, such as properly buckling your child into a car seat, your financial award can be reduced. You have an obligation to mitigate your child’s injuries. Failure to do so can affect your personal injury case.
Hiring an attorney can help to limit the blame that is actually attributed to you after an accident.
Need Help? Call Our Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers Today
Has your child been injured in a Los Angeles car accident? Contact Citywide Law Group for immediate legal assistance. Our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers understand how frightening an accident involving children can be. We will do everything we can to help your family get through this difficult time.
Our goal is to make sure that you and your child are fairly compensated for all of your injuries. Your first consultation is free, so do not hesitate to call us for help today.
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