Ensuring your child is safe and receives the medical treatment they may need is likely your first priority after your child has been injured in any capacity. However, it’s also important to consider meeting with a personal injury attorney to discuss potential legal options as soon as possible.
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Depending on how your child sustained their injuries, they may be eligible for financial compensation. You could pursue said compensation on their behalf by filing an insurance claim or lawsuit. If they’re eligible, they may receive compensation to cover the cost of medical bills and other losses associated with your child’s injuries.
Seeing an attorney shortly after your child get hurt is essential for the following reasons:
There May Be Deadlines
Even when someone is technically eligible to receive financial compensation because they were injured as a result of another party’s actions or carelessness, that doesn’t guarantee they will secure what they’re owed. Various factors can influence whether an injured party receives proper compensation.
For example, if you need to file an insurance claim to seek compensation for your child’s injuries, the insurance company may be slow to respond, so while there may not be a hard “deadline” to submit your claim, time is of the essence. Similarly, if you need to file a lawsuit to pursue damages in court, the statute of limitations will determine how much time you have to do so.
Don’t delay when contacting a lawyer about legal options after a child’s injuries. If you wait too long to take action, you may waive your child’s right to compensation.
The Insurance Company May Try to Take Advantage of You
You might assume you can handle a claim yourself when seeking compensation from an insurance company after your child is injured. Technically, this is true. There is no legal requirement that you enlist the help of legal counsel when filing an insurance claim.
However, it’s vital to be aware of a key fact: The insurance company is a business. All businesses prioritize making money while striving to avoid losses.
An insurance claims adjuster might try to take advantage of you if you work with them directly. There are various ways they can potentially justify limiting the amount of compensation the insurance company offers. If you work with the insurance company directly, odds are good a claims adjuster will be listening to everything you say with the goal of identifying statements they may use against you during settlement negotiations.
That doesn’t need to happen. If you hire a lawyer to represent you and your child, you’ll have an expert on your side to handle all correspondence and negotiations with the insurance company. The sooner you speak with a lawyer, the less likely you are to make an error that could negatively affect your case.
Depending on how your child sustained their injuries, they may be eligible for financial compensation.
Preserving Evidence Is Important
You will likely need to present evidence showing how your child was injured when filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit on their behalf. Some of this evidence may be lost if you don’t preserve it shortly after your child gets hurt.
For example, maybe your child was hurt in a motor vehicle wreck. Perhaps witnesses saw the crash occur. Over time, their testimony may become less valuable, as their memories of the incident may fade. That’s why it’s important to collect witness statements as soon as possible after an accident or other such occurrence resulting in a child’s injuries.
A lawyer can review the details of your case and determine what types of evidence you may need to preserve. An attorney can also gather evidence and documentation for you whenever possible, giving you more time and freedom to focus on your child’s needs right now.
A Personal Injury Lawyer is Affordable
You might be reluctant to hire an attorney in these circumstances if you believe doing so will be too expensive. Be aware that most personal injury lawyers actually don’t charge upfront fees for their services.
Instead, they offer contingency fee agreements. This means their fee is a percentage of the compensation you receive. If you don’t receive compensation, you don’t have to pay your child’s lawyer for their legal services. Thus, hiring a lawyer doesn’t involve taking any sort of financial risk.
At Swartz & Swartz, P.C., a Boston personal injury lawyer is available to review your child’s case at no cost to you. If we decide to work together, we’ll offer the dedicated representation you and your child deserve. Learn more about what we can do for you by contacting us online today or calling us at (617) 742-1900.
Need Help?
If you or someone you know, needs help from a lawyer, contact the law offices of Swartz & Swartz, use our live chat, or send us a message using the form below and we’ll get in touch to assess your case and how we can help.
About the Author: James Swartz
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