The average settlement for a child in a Fort Lauderdale car accident is unclear. Such settlements are only sometimes available to the public. Therefore, you must find out for certain the value of the average settlement.
With that said, a child victim may be entitled to fair compensation. Their losses may be similar to adults who suffer injuries in a car accident.
Losses that a Child May Receive Compensation For
Children and infants may receive coverage for any losses from a car accident. The following types of losses may apply to a child victim.
Pain and Suffering
Trauma from a car accident can affect children in serious ways. Pain and suffering may cover:
- Physical pain from injuries
- Psychological pain
- Emotional pain
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of their ability to interact normally with friends and family
A child may suffer anxiety, depression, and other lasting symptoms because of a car accident. Pain and suffering may cover these and other types of damage.
Healthcare Costs
In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among children aged 5 and older. If a child suffers any sort of injury in a car accident, their healthcare costs may include:
- Ambulance services
- Imaging services
- Diagnostic doctor’s visits
- Emergency treatment
- Surgery
- Follow-up treatment
- Rehabilitative services
Depending on the nature of the injury, healthcare costs could be lifelong. Liable parties may be responsible for such medical expenses.
Counseling and Other Psychological Treatment
A child victim may experience lasting emotional and psychological trauma from a car accident. To address anxiety and other conditions that can come from such accidents, your child may need:
- Ongoing psychological therapy
- Specific targeted therapies
- Medication
A settlement or judgment may cover the cost of psychological care for a child victim.
Compensation for Parents of Kids in Car Accidents
If your child was injured in a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation, even if you suffered no physical injuries. For instance, you are the one who has to cover the child’s hospital bills, so it is based on your expenditures that you can seek reimbursement from the liable party.
You and the child’s other parent or guardian can also ask for compensation based on:
- Income lost when you stayed home from work to care for your child
- Income you expect to lose in the future, if your child suffered permanent injuries and will need round-the-clock care
- Nurses, babysitters, and other caretakers you hired to look after your child during times you were unavailable
How Our Firm Can Help a Child Car Accident Victim
No accident victim should have to deal with the aftermath of a collision. This is particularly true for children injured in a car accident.
Hiring a lawyer from our firm allows child victims and their families to focus on their recovery. They can focus on returning to normalcy while our team handles the following duties.
Determining Who Caused the Child’s Injuries
Finding out who caused an accident is a key to securing a settlement for a child in a car accident. We can determine:
- What circumstances caused the collision
- Who or what created those circumstances
- Who is legally liable for the accident
- Whether anyone who did not directly cause the accident is also liable
Florida Statutes § 768.81 notes that you can obtain compensation even if you are partially at fault for your accident. This is true of accidents involving children as well.
A lawyer from our team will determine how much each defendant owes your child for their losses.
Securing Documentation for Your Case
Our team gathers evidence and documentation to support clients’ cases. We can:
- Visit the scene of the collision
- Speak with witnesses
- Speak with doctors
- Speak with experts in the fields of medicine, crash reconstruction, and other relevant studies
- Photograph and video your injuries
- Photograph and video property damage
- Obtain psychological assessments for non-physical trauma
We will take any other steps we can that strengthen your case.
Completing Your Case
A positive outcome for your case requires us to obtain compensation. We can do this through a settlement or judgment.
A settlement is generally our first option. This may be the simplest, quickest resolution. If we need to take your case to trial, we can pursue that path. Our team can defend your rights throughout the legal or insurance process.
Our Firm Charges Nothing Up Front
Victims, and children especially, should not have to worry about the cost of hiring a lawyer. That’s why our firm offers contingency fee arrangements to every client.
Contingency fees mean that:
- You do not pay our firm anything up front.
- You pay no out-of-pocket legal expenses.
- We pay the upfront cost of all investigations, interviews, research, and other case-related requirements.
- You do not pay us anything unless we win your case.
We will receive a percentage of any settlement or judgment that we secure for you. If we do not obtain compensation for you, you pay us nothing.
Why You Should Not Wait to Call Us
Florida generally places time limits on lawsuits stemming from car accidents. Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a) governs the limit on personal injury cases, while Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d) dictates how long you have to bring a wrongful death case.
We are familiar with these and other deadlines that may apply to your case. Do not wait to call us, as such deadlines may impact your ability to seek compensation.
Actions to Take After a Car Accident Injury
No parent ever wants to utter the words “my child was in a car accident.” Our team understands how frightening and overwhelming this time is for you and your family. We, therefore, want to do everything possible to help you.
In the past, we have secured child and infant injury settlements for clients throughout Florida. For your own peace of mind, we recommend that parents of child accident victims take the following steps as soon as possible after the collision:
- Get medical help: This may involve calling 911 if your child is seriously injured or in a lot of pain or waiting and scheduling an appointment with your child’s regular doctor if their injuries are not urgent. Either way, getting medical help creates a record connecting your child’s injuries to the car accident.
- Talk to the other driver: If someone else hit your car, it is good to talk to them and get their contact and insurance information before leaving the scene. This makes it easier to get compensation from them down the line.
- Talk to the police: Any accident that leads to an injury must be reported to the police, per Florida Statutes § 316.027. Unless you or your child are gravely injured, you must stay on the scene and tell the police what you can about the accident. Be wary of using language that could implicate you in the accident.
- Seek legal counsel: Once you are certain your child is out of danger, you can think about your legal options for fighting for justice and compensation. The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can explain those options to you.
- Save all relevant materials: For example, if you took pictures of the accident scene or received a bill for your child’s medical treatment, keep those materials and show them to us. We may be able to use them as we build a case against the liable party.
We would be happy to tell you more about your rights and obligations under the law. We believe that no parent should have to fight for a child or infant injury settlement on their own.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Today
We provide case updates, our attorneys’ phone numbers, and responses to your questions and concerns. We go the extra mile for you and your child following a car accident.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today for a free consultation. You worry about getting better. We take care of everything else.
We Can Help.
