Child Injuries in Car Accidents

A parent’s worst fear is for their child to be harmed in any way. Unfortunately, dangerous auto accidents involving children happen all too often. In fact, injuries due to transportation are the leading cause of death for children under 18. Most frequently those killed were occupants in a motor vehicle. Car crashes are almost always preventable, and our children should never have to fall victim in these accidents. If your child has been hurt in a car accident in Rhode Island, you deserve the strongest legal representation on your side. Child Car Accident Lawyer David Tapalian will fight for you and your family to ensure that you recover the compensation you deserve. After your child is in a car accident, you should be focusing on helping them recover physically and mentally, not worrying about how to pay for their medical expenses.

At Tapalian Law, we will work diligently to ensure that the negligent party in your child’s car accident is held accountable. Whether it be another driver, a property manager, or even a car seat/motor vehicle manufacturer, our experienced legal experts can assess your claim and help you understand your child’s rights. We can work to remove the financial stress from your situation to ensure that your child make’s a full recovery.

Car crashes can be especially traumatic for young children. In Rhode Island Child Car Accident Attorney Tapalian’s 20 years of experience, he has seen many families with young children whose lives were changed forever, and he understands the difficult situation that you may be facing. Many children injured in car accidents experience anxiety, PTSD, and other mental ailments. Additionally, unlike grown adults, children are still growing and developing every day. The force of a car crash can seriously damage a child’s spinal chord and soft tissues, sometimes permanently.

Your child’s health should never have to be compensated by someone else’s negligence. However, your child may be unable to express the pain that they are experiencing. Following an accident, it is imperative that you consult a physician immediately. Look for visible signs of injury on your child, and also watch for changes in behavior or mood. Thorough and well documented medical treatment immediately after the accident can help your legal representatives make the strongest personal injury claim for your child’s injuries.

Rhode Island Child Car Accident Attorney Tapalian has seen too many child victims in accidents that are entirely preventable. There are several steps you can take to avoid having your child hurt in a devastating car accident:

• Young Children under 9
  • All children under 9 should use a car seat. This is the best way to ensure that children are safe, especially because small children are not big enough to touch the floor of the car. Without a booster seat, an adult seat belt can cause an injury in a crash instead of preventing it.
• Children 9-12
  • All children 9-12 should sit in the backseat of the car. Small children can be seriously injured or even killed by the impact of an airbag, and thus should not sit in the front seat until they are big enough. The safest seat in the car is behind the driver.
• Teens 13-15
  • Teens should be cautious when driving with friends, especially newly licensed drivers. You should talk you your teens about safe riding habits and how to limit distractions for the driver. Further, encouraging seat belt use and other safety habits can help keep your teen safe. Older teens with Driver’s learning permits should never drive anywhere without a parent or guardian.
• Teen Drivers 16-19
  • Rhode Island Child Car Accident Lawyer David Tapalian works with dozens of teens that were victims in car accidents. Teens are at a much higher risk of car accidents than adult drivers because they are less experienced. There are certain safety measures that you can discuss with your teen to help prevent accidents. For example, you can advise your teens against speeding, driving under the influence, and using cell phones. There are also mobile apps that you can download to improve your teen’s safety such as a speed-monitor app and an app that alerts other teens when your teen is driving so they don’t miss texts.

If your child has suffered injuries in a car accident, Rhode Island Child Car Accident Attorney David Tapalian will do whatever it takes to get you justice. As a parent, you want the best for your family to ensure that your child makes a thorough, full recovery from the car accident. With a team of incredibly experienced Rhode Island legal experts, we will guide you through the correct procedures to move forward smoothly, and can create a plan specific to your situation to strengthen your case to make sure you have the best chance of being reimbursed from the at-fault driver in your Rhode Island car accident. We understand that your situation may affect your child both physically and mentally, and that you both want to settle your case to go back to your normal life. However, there is a statute of limitations on filing a car accident claim in Rhode Island of 3 years from the accident date, and the longer you wait, the harder it is to recover your losses from the collision. Call Rhode Island Child Car Accident Lawyer Tapalian today or contact us online to set up a free consultation. If you were injured in the collision and cannot come to our office in Providence, we can even visit you in your home or at the hospital for your consultation. We also work on a contingency system so you pay nothing unless we win your case. You have nothing to lose, so contact us today!