Galveston Child Injury Lawyer

Even if you are as dedicated and attentive as any parent could possibly be, there is no way to eliminate the risk that your young child might wind up in an accident caused by another irresponsible adult. In a situation like this, your child cannot represent themselves in court and demand civil compensation for their own losses. It will typically fall to you as their parent or guardian to take legal action on their behalf.

Needless to say, civil lawsuits and settlement demands pursued in the name of severely injured minors can be both legally and emotionally complex. Guidance from an experienced personal injury attorney can be especially important to getting the best possible result from a child injury claim. With a compassionate Galveston child injury lawyer by your side, you could more effectively protect your child’s best interests, both now and well into the future.

Are Adults Always Legally Liable for Injuring Children?

While adults should ideally always be extra careful around young children to minimize their risk of accidentally injuring them, a child getting hurt in an accident involving another adult does not automatically make that adult liable for the child’s damages. Most of the time, whoever is filing suit on the child’s behalf must establish that the defendant adult was legally negligent in order to make them pay for ensuing damages. Being negligent means they directly caused the child’s injury by acting in an unreasonably reckless or careless way.

Negligence-based child injuries most often happen from car accidents, pedestrian injuries, slip and falls, defective premises claims, among others.

That said, there are some situations where an adult may be liable for an injury suffered by a young child when they would not be liable for an injury suffered by an adult. A Galveston child injury attorney can further explain how this might work. A prime example of this is the “attractive nuisance” doctrine, which allows adults with things like swimming pools on their property to be held liable for failing to prevent curious children from trespassing on their land and getting hurt.

Filing Deadlines for Child Injury Claims

Even if another person is 100 percent to blame for an accident sustained by a minor child, Texas state law still places strict time limits on how long after that accident a civil claim can begin.

With relatively few exceptions, parents and guardians demanding civil restitution on their injured child’s behalf have a maximum of two years after first discovering their child was hurt to file suit against that person.

If no one files suit in the child’s name within that two-year period, the child may be able to take legal action themselves for up to two years after their 18th birthday, when they become old enough to represent themselves in court. However, while this may be helpful in situations involving permanent and debilitating injuries, it is generally best to get in touch with a child injury lawyer in Galveston as soon as possible after an injury to make sure relevant evidence is still readily available.

Contact a Galveston Child Injury Attorney for Help

Just about every parent knows the feeling of wanting to protect their child from anything that could possibly cause them harm. Unfortunately, accidents still happen and they sometimes end up affecting young children who do not deserve to suffer because of a grown-up’s irresponsible actions.

If your family is dealing with a situation like this, you have help available from a Galveston child injury lawyer who can fight tenaciously to make sure you get the money you need for your child’s losses. Call today to schedule a free and private meeting.