Injuries to Minors

Young people experience a higher rate of injuries than adults. To recover compensation for their injuries, those under the age of 18 generally must have an adult, parent or guardian file a lawsuit on their behalf.

Some types of injuries are more likely to involve minors:

• Playground injuries involving falls or unsafe playground equipment. Most playgrounds are monitored by school officials, but a fall from playground equipment that could have been prevented could mean a financial burden for you and a life of suffering for your children.
  
• Burns or smoke inhalation involving lighters, matches, house fires or fireworks. Children are not as aware of the dangers of fire, which makes them more likely victims of this sort of injury. These could happen at a public fireworks display or at the private home of a neighbor who neglects to properly supervise the activities of your children on their property.
  
• Drownings, diving injuries, and other pool-related accidents. Water can deceive the inexperienced eye of a child, leading them to assume it is safe to dive into the water. These children suffer head injuries that, if left unsupervised, could lead to them losing consciousness and drowning.
  
• Whiplash, head trauma and other injuries from car and other vehicular accidents. Reckless or inattentive drivers put you and your children at risk. While you may come out of an accident with minor cuts or bruises, a child in your vehicle could be affected more by these accidents.
  
• Accidental poisonings from the ingestion of paint chips, cleaning solutions, medicines, cosmetics, personal care products, and plants. Most children don’t understand the risks of chemicals, and an attractive scent or accidental exposure to them could lead to chemical burns, disfigurement or death.
  
• School bus accidents. School buses don’t have seatbelts, and a lacking diligence on the part of a bus driver could result in an abrupt stop causing injury or death of a child.
  
• Domestic animal bites. Half of animal bites reported involve children. They are less experienced in gauging the intentions of an animal. It is up to the owner of the animal to prevent the bite, not the child.