Are Childhood Injury Claims Common in Florida?
Personal injury claims are often thought to be adult legal actions. However, children can be harmed by the negligence of others too, and when that happens, they also have legal rights to collect compensation for their losses. Or, at least, parents may have the ability to pursue compensation on behalf of their children.
Throughout the state of Florida, there are hundreds of accidents where children are hurt by the errors and mistakes of others. If you are a parent or guardian of a child who was injured as a result of another party’s negligence, speaking with an attorney can help you better understand what your case is worth and what your legal options for obtaining compensation are. In Florida, the Tampa child injury attorneys at Fulgencio Law can meet with you and go over the details of your case.
Childhood Injury Claims in Florida
A childhood injury claim can account for all of the losses a child and the family suffered at the hands of a negligent party. These include:
- Long-term and short-term medical expenses
- Psychological therapy
- Physical therapy
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Property damages
Childhood injury accidents can take place anywhere but some of the most common places where children suffer injuries include:
- Playgrounds
- At school or near a school
- Parks
- Pools
- Amusement parks
Children can suffer harm if they slip, trip, or fall on a property with hazards and as a result, a premises liability claim may be filed. Children can be hit by cars, school buses, or other vehicles and file a personal injury claim. Negligence of staff at pools or amusement parks can lead to drowning accidents. Children while under the care of a school official who are harmed because of irresponsibility may also be able to file a claim for compensation.
Due to the many ways that a child could be hurt, there are many childhood injury claims that are filed every year in Florida and across the United States.
The process for filing a childhood injury claim varies by state and is a bit different than when an adult files a claim for themself. Florida’s childhood injury claim laws say that children under the age of 18 do not have legal standing to file a claim on their own. Parents or legal guardians, on the other hand, might be able to depending on the circumstances. When the damages that are being pursued are up to $15,000, then a parent or legal guardian can proceed with a claim and manage the entire process. However when the damages are over $15,000, parents and legal guardians need court approval to pursue a claim on behalf of their children. When the damages exceed $15,000 the courts may also put restrictions on how the funds from a claim are handled.
In addition to childhood injury claims, parents may have their own claims to file for compensation. Sometimes a parent is injured as well as their child in an accident, or the parent incurs damages as a result of their child’s accident.
Call Fulgencio Law Today
Childhood accident injury claims have different rules than injury claims for adults which can make them more complex. Parents may also have a claim to make after a childhood injury event. An attorney can help a family obtain the full amount of compensation they need after a childhood injury accident.
If you would like to have your child’s injury accident reviewed in Florida, you may call a Florida childhood injury accident attorney at Fulgencio Law at (813) 463-0123 to schedule a free consultation.
