North Dakota Child Injury Attorneys
Getting injured can be terrifying, especially for a small child. Depending on the injury, your child may need a different level of care. While some minor injuries can be treated at home, it’s important to get injuries checked out by a doctor to prevent infection and further damage to the injury. If the injury is severe enough that your child needs to be taken to the hospital, you may want to consider building a case to receive the compensation you and your child deserve for the accident.
If you believe that another party was liable for your child’s injury, you may be eligible for compensation. This can include things like car accidents, slips and falls, brain injuries, and more. If there was negligence involved in your child’s injury, you may want to gather some evidence for your case against the negligent party.
What Do I Do After My Child Has Been Injured?
A child’s injury can be traumatizing for both the child and the parent, so it’s important that you remain calm. If you’re freaking out, this may cause your child to freak out as well. If the injury is clearly severe, you’ll want to call 911 right away. You’ll then want to comfort your child and look for any injuries. Depending on the injury, you may want to perform first aid on the child. Place a cold compress on any bumps or bruises and wrap any wounds that may be bleeding.
After you’re sure that your child is safe, it’s a good idea to gather evidence of any potential negligence. Depending on the accident, you may want to take pictures of the scene of the crime and speak to anyone who witnessed the injury. This could be a car accident or even a slip and fall in a grocery store. You’ll also want to make sure that you call the police if necessary, like after a car accident, to get a police report filed. This can later be used for evidence in court.
Common Infant Injuries
Common infant injuries include birth injuries, like defects, or issues during birth, head injuries, eye injuries, mouth/tooth injuries, fractures, or dog bites. If your infant is injured during birth, it could be a sign of medical malpractice. Medical malpractice cases can be tricky, so if you think your infant was injured because of a doctor’s negligence, you’ll want to find a good lawyer who has experience with these types of cases.
Infants are also susceptible to head injuries because of how soft their head is when they’re born. An infant that hits their head should be brought to the doctor for a check-up if the hit seems to have affected the child. If the baby has sustained a fall of more than three feet, they should always visit an emergency room. If the soft spot on their head feels like it’s bulging, this is also a good indicator that they need to be taken to the doctor.
Common Childhood Injuries
Common childhood injuries include things like cuts, scalds, burns, fractures, dislocation, bruises, head injuries, swallowed objects, choking, poisoning, and objects stuck in the ears or nose. When children are young, they like to climb on things. If you have heavy furniture, it’s important to mount it to the wall to keep it from toppling over on top of your child. You’ll also want to make sure to keep small objects away from them, as children like to eat, or put small objects into their nose or ears.
Can a Child Recover Damages for their Injury?
While a child cannot recover damages from an injury, a parent or guardian may be able to. If the child’s injury is caused by someone else’s negligence, the parent or guardian may be able to sue for damages. This includes medical bills, pain and suffering, and any potential wages the parent may have lost to take care of the child. The parent may also be able to recover as a bystander for the emotional distress and pain and suffering that comes with watching your child get injured.
How Can I Protect my Child From Injury?
Injuries are the leading cause of death in children under the age of 19, so it’s important to keep them as safe as possible, as many of these injuries can be prevented. There are many ways to prevent injuries, including making sure that your house is a safe space for your children. However, while you can help to prevent injuries from occurring in your own home, it can be hard to prevent injuries out in the world.
When out in public, keep a close eye on your child to ensure they don’t get into anything that could potentially injure them. You’ll also want to make sure you’re driving with them in the correct car seat to prevent injury if an accident occurs.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
If your child has been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or because of medical malpractice, please contact one the experienced lawyers at Sand Law. We’re standing by to help you get the compensation that you deserve. For more information please contact us online or call us at 701-609-1510