Las Vegas Child Injury Attorney

When your child is injured, your main priority is making sure they get the care they need to make a full recovery. However, if they were harmed due to the careless or negligent actions of another person, you may need help from a child injury attorney in Las Vegas. At Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers, we will work to hold those responsible accountable for their actions and secure the compensation you and your child need. Let our Las Vegas child injury lawyers get to work today.

Let Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers Get To Work Today

When your child is injured, you need an attorney you can trust completely, both personally and professionally. At Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers, we take the time to develop close relationships with our clients.

• Personal injury is our focus, and we know what it takes to win these cases.
• We are client-oriented, and you will always have access to your Las Vegas injury attorney.
• We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe us nothing until we win your case.

Why Do I Need a Child Injury Lawyer?

Injuries to children often involve serious incidents that could lead to large settlements. Because of this, you can be sure the at-fault party will push back against a lawsuit. They may even blame you or your child for the injuries. Your Las Vegas child injury attorney will not let this happen. They will:

• Obtain the evidence necessary to prove the other side’s liability.
• Ensure your child is evaluated by a trusted medical team that can assess the total damages and expected future cost of care.
• Negotiate with the defendant to obtain the maximum compensation.

What Damages Can I Recover for my Child’s Injuries?

If your child has sustained an injury that was caused by the careless, negligent, or intentional actions of another person, seek legal assistance today. At Harris & Harris Injury Lawyers, our compassionate and experienced team is dedicated to securing compensation for those in your situation. This could include:

• Coverage of your child’s medical expenses. This includes current medical bills and costs of any future care your child is anticipated to need. For example, emergency care, surgeries, hospitalizations, rehabilitation, in-home care, prescription medications, and any other medical costs.
• Recovery of lost wages. Any income you have lost and will lose in the future if you are unable to work while caring for your child.
• Diminished earning capacity. Also known as lost earning potential, if you can no longer make the same level of income as before your child was injured.
• Pain and suffering damages. Compensation for the pain and discomfort your child must endure.
• Loss of enjoyment of life damages. In some cases, a child’s physical pain or disabilities are permanent. As a result, they cannot enjoy the lifestyle and activities they used to before the injury.
• Emotional distress. Compensation for any anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other mental conditions brought on by your child’s accident.

Possible punitive damages against the negligent party if there is evidence that the defendant (at-fault party) acted with an extremely reckless disregard for the safety of others. However, these damages are rarely awarded.

Common Child Injuries

The National Committee of Injury Prevention and Control describes a child injury as “unintentional or intentional damage to the body resulting from acute exposure to thermal, mechanical, electrical, or chemical energy or the absence of such essentials as heat or oxygen.”

In and around Las Vegas, it is not uncommon for a child to sustain an injury in the following ways:

Motor Vehicle Crashes

Car accidents are the leading cause of death in children aged 5 – 18. Children who survive a collision can suffer severe injuries, such as bone fractures, head or brain injuries, seat belt injuries, airbag injuries, car seat injuries, neck injuries, cuts and lacerations, PTSD, and more.

Falls

Falls cause around 8,000 children injuries each day in the U.S. Causes of falls vary by age, for example, infants when they begin to roll, take their first steps, or tip over in a baby walker. Toddlers, preschoolers, and older children are at a higher risk of falling from furniture, playground equipment, or from windows.

Suffocation

Suffocation is common in infants. It can happen when they are sleeping on soft bedding, if blankets are against their face, or if they get trapped between two objects, such as a mattress and the wall. Suffocation can also occur when children are allowed to use toys or eat unsupervised. They can easily choke on small parts from a toy or pieces of food. Often, negligent daycare providers are responsible for these injuries.

Drowning

Drownings are the most common cause of death in children aged 1 to 4. Tragically, these accidents are preventable and often happen when children are allowed near swimming pools unsupervised, even if it is only briefly. A drowning can also occur if, for example, a victim’s hair, swimsuit, or limbs gets caught in an improperly covered drain.

Swimming Pool Injuries

Swimming pool accidents can cause other child injuries besides drowning; for instance, a brain, neck, or spinal cord injury can happen from a fall near a pool or from diving into the shallow end.

Poisoning

Poisoning incidents send more than 300 children to the hospital each day. Some of the most common items that poison children include household cleaners, chemicals, and medications.

Burn Injuries

Burn injuries also send approximately 300 children to the hospital each day. They are often caused by hot liquids or steam, from water boiling on the stove, hot soups or beverages, and overly hot tap water, baths, or jacuzzis. However, child burn injuries can also occur from chemicals, kitchen appliances, curling irons or straighteners, overheated batteries, electrical toys, flammable materials, or toxic materials used in manufacturing.

Who Can Be Held Liable for My Child’s Injury?

Liable parties will vary by case, and who can be held responsible for your child’s injury will depend on its cause. However, here are examples of commonly named defendants:

• Motorists or their Employers: Injuries caused in car accidents.
• Teachers, School Employees, or Districts: Injuries caused by negligent supervision or dangerous conditions on the property.
• Property Owners: Injuries from failing to fix or warn of dangerous conditions on the property or under the attractive nuisance doctrine (trespassing children injured)
• Toy Manufacturers and Retailers: Injuries caused by defective products.
• Daycare Providers: Injuries from negligent supervision, neglect, or child abuse.
• Healthcare Professionals: Doctors, nurses, dentists, etc. can be held liable for child injuries caused by medical malpractice.
• Other Parents: Intentional injury caused by another child. Traffic accident injuries represent the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 5 and 19.

A child injury attorney will help you determine who is liable for your child’s injury. They will investigate the facts surrounding your case and collect evidence of fault.

What to Do If Your Child was Injured

The steps you take after your child is injured are critical to their health and your ability to pursue a claim on their behalf. Here is what is recommended to do:

• Call 911 if your child requires emergency medical attention. If not, still notify the police to report the incident.
• If you are on another person’s property, notify the owner and file an incident report if appropriate.
• If you can remain at the scene, take photos of what caused your child’s injury, the surrounding area, and your child’s injury.
• Ask any witnesses for their contact information.
• Seek medical care for your child immediately after leaving the scene. Some severe injuries can have delayed symptoms, and there also must be medical records to link their injuries to the incident that caused them.

Lastly, speak to a Las Vegas child injury attorney as soon as possible. They can help you determine your legal options and how to go about obtaining compensation.

Child Injury Statistics

More than 100 children are killed in Nevada each year due to preventable causes.

• The top four causes of preventable child fatalities are unintentional asphyxia, homicide, drowning accidents, and suicide.
• Traffic accident injuries represent the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 5 and 19.
• On average, more than 600 children and adolescents die every day in car accidents.
• Close to 150 children between 0 to 19 are treated every hour in U.S. emergency departments for crash-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Falls are the most common cause of non-fatal injuries in children between 0 to 19, according to CDC.
• Toy-related injuries impact approximately 217,000 children every year.
• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that in 2018, the most common types of injuries caused by unsafe toys were lacerations, followed by contusions and/or abrasions.
• The types of toys responsible for the most injuries are riding toys, such as scooters or tricycles, especially among children aged 14 and under.
• Children aged three and under are at the most significant risk of choking injuries.
• Children under 5 years old are disproportionately at risk of drowning, with boys being twice as likely to drown as girls.
• 26% of all sudden unexpected infant deaths in 2017 resulted from accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed.
• The most common sources of child poisoning include household cleaners and medications.
• Younger children are more likely to be burned by hot liquids or steam, whereas older children are more likely to be burned from direct contact with fire.
• About 1,300 children or young people are treated in emergency departments each day for nonfatal assault injuries.

Contact a Las Vegas Child Injury Lawyer Today

If you need a Las Vegas injuries to children attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case by calling us at (702) 718-5501 or toll-free at 1 (800) 393-2350.