What Happens When Our Young Children Get Hurt? Tennessee Personal Injury Lawyers Explain

Like adults, young children can be harmed by the negligent acts of another. This is not limited solely to car accidents or medical malpractice, but also to other acts that might not affect adults equally. This is because children can be more active and adventurous as they are growing up, particularly in their early years of school. Coupled with the fact that most children are still trying to physically develop and are not effectively coordinated yet, this makes them more susceptible to injuries.

Notwithstanding, children are afforded the same rights as adults in protecting their rights after an accident. This means that they can have a parent or natural guardian commence an action in their name. But there are certain difficulties in representing children, which is why you will need to retain an experienced Tennessee personal injury attorney who is capable of not only representing you and your child, but also being your child’s new friend throughout the course of this litigation.

Some of the difficulties include learning what actually happened during the events causing the child’s injury. Stories may be inconsistent not because the child is lying, but because children are prone to persuasion and still have developing memories. Other difficulties include effectively communicating with the child and asking questions that the child will know how to answer, but without directing or leading the child to answer in a certain way.

As you may have guessed, there are many different causes of child injuries. This could be caused at home, daycare, or at school. Some of the most common situations our compassionate Tennessee personal injury attorneys have handled are the following:

Defective and dangerous toys (i.e., small pieces or lead paint);
Defective child products (i.e., bottles, cribs, car seats, swings);
Car accidents;
Dog bites or animal attacks;
School or park playground equipment accidents;
Negligent supervision at daycare, school, parks, playgrounds, or swimming pools; and
Child abuse.
As a result of any of these different causes of child injuries, or the myriad of other potential hazards for a young child, a wide-range of injuries could result. This includes the common cuts, scrapes, and bruises we are all accustom to our young children picking up, but also more serious injuries such as the following:

Traumatic brain injuries;
Head injuries such as concussions;
Spinal cord injuries;
Significant scarring;
Severe burn injuries;
Blindness;
Paralysis;
Animal bites;
Amputation;
Loss of teeth;
Fractured bones; and
Death.
The question we receive most often is “who will be held liable for my young child’s injuries?” Unfortunately, the answer is a wide one that is very fact-dependant. For instance, if the product the child was either playing with (i.e. toy) or using (i.e. car seat) was defective, there is a whole chain of manufacturers, distributors, and retailers that could possibly be liable. If your child was injured at school or day care, it could be liable for negligent supervision or upkeep of the playground equipment, the school classroom, the bus, or other area(s) where your child was injured. Thus, you will need a resourceful Tennessee personal injury lawyer to retain the proper experts and conduct a thorough and exhaustive investigation of the premises and circumstances leading up to your child’s injuries.

Here at Bailey and Greer, PLLC our Tennessee personal injury attorneys understand how to effectively pursue your claims. Our legal team has a proven track record of compassionately representing our clients injured in Tennessee personal injury cases which is included in our testimonials page and our successful case results. Please contact us today to receive your free case evaluation by dialing locally to 901-680-9777 or toll-free to 888-470-9143.