Things to Know About the Personal Injury Cases Involving Minors

Has your child been injured as a result of other’s actions or negligence? If yes, it would have been heartbreaking, and it is important to hold the person responsible for your little one’s injury. Note that children are more vulnerable to injuries when compared to elders. Plus, they will not be skilled enough to handle such situations. So, it is the responsibility of parents to provide medical attention to their kids as well as to fight for their rights. For this, you must consult a credible personal injury lawyer who is specialized in similar cases that involve children. On a related note, the rules and regulations for children under 18 years of age are somewhat different from that of adults. Hence, it will be easier for a personal injury attorney who consistently deals with minor-related cases to argueon your behalf when compared to a regular personal injury lawyer. Some of the important facts that you must know in this context are given below.

Injuries to children

A child has the right to obtain compensation for the damages such as pain, permanent injury, suffering, disabilities, etc. Besides, parents can claim for associated medical bills and treatment expenses paid on behalf of their child. If you intend to settle such cases out of court, you will have to get approval from the judge in most cases. Note that this is a straightforward and simple procedure. However, make sure that the opposite party does offer maximum compensation that your child is entitled to before taking this step.

Accidents Caused by Children

Just like children are susceptible to injuries, they are likely to make accidents as well. It is to be noted that the legal liabilities for the personal injury cases caused by minors are based on the same notion of carelessness and care as that of the accidents caused by adults. However, standards of care that are expected from a minor are not the same as that of adults. After all, children will not be able to understand things in the same way that adults do. On a related note, children below the age of 7 years are never held responsible for any accidents they cause since they are too little to understand their mistakes. In this case, the parents or the legal guardians of the child will be held liable for the incident. After all, it is their responsibility to look after their kids.

When it comes to teenagers, they are pretty much expected to follow the same standard as that of adults. Even though teenagers will not have much money to provide monetary compensation to the victim, there are many other ways to obtain compensation from them. In case a minor caused a road accident, the automobile insurance of the minor itself or their parents can be used to provide financial coverage to the victims. If a vehicle is not involved in the incident, the conduct of a minor can be covered using a renters or homeowner insurance policy. Additionally, if a minor caused a catastrophic accident and he/she does not have any insurance, a lawsuit can be filed against them. In such cases, the minor will have to pay the compensation as they become 18 years old.