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Our Fort Myers child injury lawyers can help you understand what to do in the aftermath of your child’s motor vehicle accident. Our team at Viles & Beckman has over 40 years of combined experience that we’ll use to build a strong case to protect your child’s rights.
Determine if You Have a Valid Motor Vehicle Child Injury Case
If your child was hurt in a car accident, it’s important to assess whether you may have grounds for a legal claim. Consulting with a child injury lawyer can help you evaluate the specifics of what happened. Our experienced attorneys offer free initial consultations to review the details of the incident.
During the consultation, our Fort Myers child injury lawyer will determine the following to see if you have a valid case:
- There was apparent negligence by another involved driver that contributed to the accident.
- Your child suffered objectively verifiable injuries as a direct result of the crash.
- The at-fault party was potentially liable through negligent actions.
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How Do You Recover Compensation After Your Child Was Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident?
If your child sustained injuries due to another driver’s negligence in a motor vehicle accident, it’s important to understand your options to recover financial compensation. Whether your child was a passenger in a backseat or a teen driver, Florida law allows parents and guardians to pursue damages on their child’s behalf.
The first step is to consult with a Fort Myers child injury attorney who is experienced with motor vehicle accident cases. We can help you file within Florida Statute § 95.051(i), which establishes a two-year statute of limitations from the date of loss. However, if your child is under the age of majority, the clock can be “tolled” or paused for up to seven years.
With an attorney’s guidance, you can work to build a strong claim through documentation like medical records, bills, and witnesses. We will negotiate with at-fault insurers on your behalf or file a lawsuit if needed. Compensation recovered can help cover your child’s ongoing medical expenses and recovery, as well as the pain and suffering they endured.
What Losses Can an Injured Child Recover After a Motor Vehicle Accident in Fort Myers?
If a negligent driver causes a car accident that leaves a child seriously injured in Fort Myers, the law allows the pursuit of financial compensation to aid in their recovery and future care. An experienced child injury attorney in Fort Myers can help recover damages to address the following:
- Medical costs: This may include costs for acute and long-term treatment related to their injuries, which could involve multiple surgeries, ongoing therapy, rehabilitation, and more.
- Lost wages: You can sue for lost wages after a car accident to recover compensation if your child is unable to work as an adult due to permanent disabilities stemming from the accident, limiting their career potential.
- Pain and suffering: Funds to account for the physical and emotional distress endured during treatment and rehabilitation from potentially debilitating injuries.
- Loss of future earning capacity: Covers reduced lifetime career prospects if the child sustains injury-related physical or cognitive limitations.
- Disfigurement: Compensates for permanent scarring or disabilities impacting the quality of life sustained in the collision.
- Living expenses: Necessary costs for someone requiring lifetime in-home nursing or daily living assistance due to their injuries.
- Wrongful death: Benefits if the at-fault crash tragically proves fatal for the child.
The damages your child can recover will depend on the severity of injuries along with what age range they are in. The only way to know the exact damages your child is eligible for is to meet with our child injury attorneys in Fort Myers for a free consultation.
Click To ContactHow Does Your Child’s Age Affect Their Motor Vehicle Accident Settlement?
Depending on your child’s age at the time of the motor vehicle accident, your child’s car accident settlement amount could differ. Our Fort Myers child injury attorneys at Viles & Beckman put together a generic guide to how your child’s settlement amount could differ depending on their age group:
Babies and Toddlers
When your very young child is involved in a car accident, the goal is to cover the extraordinarily high lifetime medical costs they may face if injuries at this critical developmental stage cause permanent physical or cognitive delays. You must carefully document all expenses, from ongoing therapies and specialist appointments to any in-home nursing requirements. As the damage award is intended for your child’s entire lifetime, life care plans are analyzed to ensure adequate resources.
Young Children
In addition to pursuing compensation for all relevant medical bills and future needs, cases involving your preschool-aged child’s settlement negotiations also consider damages like loss of parental services during their upbringing. Awards may account for costs such as future childcare, housekeeping help if disabilities arise, and other assistance facilitating your ability to raise your injured child adequately.
Pre-teens
While your pre-adolescent child is still developing physically and mentally, settlement discussions analyze projections for what their lifetime wages may have been prior to injuries from an accident. Compensation also aims to cover any obligations you now face to assist an impaired child through school and basic life activities. Thorough economic valuations are essential at this stage.
Teenagers
When your teen child is injured in a car accident, settlement negotiations focus on both compensation for lost wages as a minor as well as projections of how injuries may affect their future income capacity and career pursuits as an adult. Damages also consider factors like the cost of any additional education needs if physical or cognitive deficits require alternative learning environments or career paths. We pay particular attention to thoroughly account for all aspects of how the accident has impacted your teen’s transition to independent adulthood.
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Learn More About What to Do When Your Child Is Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident
At Viles & Beckman, we care about you and your child; that’s why we do everything we can to help you recover the compensation your child qualifies for. When you work with our Fort Myers child injury lawyers, you have over 40 years of combined experience fighting on your behalf.
Contact us to learn more about what to do when your child is injured in a motor vehicle accident.
Call or text (239) 334-3933 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
