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A parent typically prioritizes their child’s safety and health over everything else. An accident that causes a child’s severe injuries can result in extreme turmoil for an entire family and result in financial distress.
Injuries sustained in childhood accidents can have a lifelong impact on a child’s health, including cognitive disabilities, limited mobility, stunted growth, disfigurement, and emotional distress. These outcomes can be costly to treat and rehabilitate in the long term, so it may be wise to consider contacting a Chattanooga child injury lawyer to discuss your eligibility to recover damages.
Most child injury claims are made on the basis of negligence. As minors usually do not have the means or knowledge to pursue action independently, their parents or guardians may file claims on their behalf.
To prove a claim on the basis of negligence, the plaintiff must establish the following elements under state law:
An attorney in Chattanooga who has experience proving fault in child injury cases could create compelling arguments that address each of these factors.
Most children will experience unavoidable injuries while growing up, such as broken bones or minor lacerations. However, other forms of more severe harm that are inflicted on children are entirely avoidable, and an injured child’s family could hold the at-fault party responsible with the help of a Chattanooga attorney.
Children can become injured if they consume lead paint chips or put items that contain lead into their mouths, potentially resulting in neurological damage or lifelong cognitive disabilities. Lead exposure may be attributed to a landlord who fails to properly maintain the premises in which a child lives or a manufacturer who negligently produced children’s toys that contain unsafe levels of lead.
Injuries that children incur in motor vehicle accidents are similar to those that adults can suffer, and can include spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, broken limbs, and smoke inhalation. In these cases, the responsible party could be a negligent driver, a vehicle or car seat manufacturer, or the agency responsible for maintaining the roads on which the accident occurred.
Medical malpractice injuries, especially birth injuries, can cause lifelong problems for a child, and they may not always be readily apparent. Some of the most common birth injuries include skull damage from forceps or vacuum extraction, birth asphyxia from a doctor’s failure to properly deliver a baby experiencing umbilical cord issues or uterine rupture, preventable preterm birth, or traumatic birth injuries that result in brain damage or broken bones.
Hiring a Chattanooga child injury lawyer can increase your chances of a successful claim for damages. An experienced legal professional could determine the physical, emotional, and financial impact an accident has had on your family and address any accident-related expenses you may incur in the future. Call today to speak with a compassionate attorney and learn more about your next steps.