When Children Are Involved In A Vehicle Accident
As a parent, you may find yourself constantly chauffeuring your children from place to place. Read on and find out more if you have been in an accident with a careless driver and your children were involved.
Medical Attention Is Very Important
Think twice before turning down a ride to the closest emergency room. Getting seen, regardless of how minor any injuries might be, is the beginning of the evidence trail that will lead to being paid for you and your children's injuries.
At home, continue to monitor everyone's health for at least a week post-accident. Some types of car accident injuries get worse or show up several days after the accident. For instance, whiplash is a soft-tissue injury that may only become apparent several hours or days after the accident. Brain injuries are another very serious but slow-to-show injury to be aware of. Check your children several times a day for any signs of problems. Follow up with your child's pediatrician after an accident since they know your child and know how injuries uniquely manifest in children.
Start a Claim
If the other driver is at fault, you should not have to pay for any associated expenses. First, phone your own insurer and report the accident as soon as you can. In some cases, your insurer will start a claim and bill the other driver's insurer for any damages they pay. Be sure to let them know about any injuries, even your children's injuries. Then, obtain a copy of the police or accident report. These reports are usually ready a few days after an accident. If the other driver's insurer phones you, don't talk to them for any reason. Put them off and seek legal advice.
Speak to a Personal Injury Attorney
As a parent, you are empowered to pursue a claim against the other driver and their insurer on behalf of your children if they are under the age of 18. That can mean a lot of paperwork if you have several injured children involved. The best thing to do is to speak to a personal injury lawyer. They can take over dealing with this matter while you focus on your injuries and your children. They will contact the other insurer and demand to be paid money for damages. These damages include medical expenses for each person hurt in the accident, both past, present, and future. Damages also include lost wages and pain and suffering.
To find out more about dealing with a car accident that injures your children, speak to a personal injury lawyer.
Contact a local firm like Siben & Siben LLP for more information.