An Atlanta car accident leaves various victims in their wake. The implications of car accidents also vary depending on each person. Unfortunately, children often suffer injuries or die in these auto crashes. Notably, accidents involving children differ from other collision types. That’s why you need an experienced Atlanta car accident lawyer after such a crash.
An excellent car accident lawyer can explain whether you can recover compensation for your child’s wounds. Furthermore, they’d know how long you have to file a claim. They can also tell if you contributed to your child’s hurt. There are many other benefits of having a lawyer. Therefore, you shouldn’t hesitate to hire one after your child’s accident injuries.
What Do I Do After a Car Accident Involving My Child?
Very few parents can remain composed after seeing their kids get hurt. However, after a car accident, your composure benefits your child. This is because you can make better decisions when collected. So, after an accident involving your kids, these steps can help.
Check on Your Kids
The first thing to do after an accident is to check your kids. Here, you’d be checking that they aren’t in fatal danger. If possible, examine all your kids individually. You can also ask them to explain how they feel. Suppose you’re too hurt to conduct this check. Then, you can try asking for help from passers-by.
Stay Calm
Panic never helps accident victims. You can make terrible decisions in panic mode. Therefore, remaining calm is the best move. Furthermore, your children look up to you, especially in dangerous situations. If you stay calm, they’ll follow your lead. So, stay calm, avoiding confrontation until help arrives.
Call 911
Next, you have to call the police and other emergency services. If you need an ambulance, it’ll help to state this in the call too. When the police come, narrate how the accident happened to them. Furthermore, it would be best to follow up the investigation. The police report can help you identify the fault party.
Get Medical Attention
Medical treatment is crucial for all accident victims. However, it’s more vital for injured children. Children are too young to continue with life without adequate medical treatment. Therefore, it’ll be best to allow them to undergo therapeutic treatment. The medical treatment and records would even become crucial during a personal injury claim.
Can I File a Compensation Claim for My Injured Child?
Georgia is a fault-accident state. So, the responsible driver bears the losses of accidents. This would include different recoverable damages from the crash. For example, you can recover medical bills and vehicle repair costs. Therefore, you can file an accident claim for your child’s injuries. In addition, the law allows parents to file lawsuits on behalf of their kids.
If you and your child were injured, you could claim your medical expenses. The fault driver will also pay for any other losses the child suffers. Notably, though, you’ll still have to deal with insurance companies. They wouldn’t mind that a child suffered an injury. Instead, they’ll employ various tactics to escape liability.
Extended Statute of Limitations for Injured Children
Atlanta accident victims don’t have forever to file compensation claims. Instead, they must initiate timely lawsuits. The Georgia Statute of Limitations thus prescribes how long you have to file an injury claim. Consequently, you have only two years to start an accident lawsuit. If you claim later than this period, the courts will deny your claim.
Fortunately, though, this statute doesn’t apply strictly to children. Instead, the statutory period starts counting when the child attains majority. This would ONLY be the case where you don’t file the claim representing your child. Here, your injured child must go to court personally within two years from their eighteenth birthday.
Restrain Your Kids While Driving
It would help if you properly restrained your kids while driving in Atlanta. Restraints wouldn’t prevent accidents. However, they can protect your children during collisions. For example, in 2017 alone, about 325 children under five years survived accidents in America because they were properly buckled. Therefore, it’ll be best to use those seatbelts for your kids.
Atlanta Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You!
Was your child in the car when you had an accident? Did they suffer an injury or other loss? If they did, then they may be eligible for compensation. However, they’ll still need the best Atlanta accident lawyers to get the maximum settlement.
At The Weinstein Firm, our lawyers have experience representing various accident victims. Therefore, we can handle child compensation claims. We’ve also recovered millions of dollars for our clients. So, we can promise the best results based on our excellent track record. Thus, it’ll be best to call us today for a free consultation.
