At Rice, Murtha and Psoras, we recognize the significant difficulties that come with taking care of an injured child after a car accident. Dealing with your child’s injuries may require you to pay substantial medical expenses and take time off of work to help them recover. Though this may seem daunting, you have the ability to seek financial recovery that can assist you along the way.
Maryland allows the parents of a child who is injured in a car accident caused by another driver to file a lawsuit on the child’s behalf. the best steps to take are to call the police at the scene of the accident and get the medical attention your child needs. You have plenty of time to file your suit under the law, and you can speak with a lawyer after your child is safe.
The Maryland car accident attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras are ready and waiting to help you with your case. Call for a free review of your case by dialing (410) 694-7291.
Can You Sue if Your Child Was Hurt in a Car Accident?
If another driver was at fault for causing a car accident that left you or your loved ones injured, you have the opportunity to pursue damages through a lawsuit. Obviously, the law does not expect a child to undertake the lawsuit process. That is why Maryland allows parents of injured children to file a lawsuit on their behalf as the “next friend” of the victim.
If you succeed in your lawsuit, you can recover compensation for medical expenses, additional care measures required to deal with the injuries, and the pain and suffering that your child experiences.
Steps to Take If Your Child is Injured in a Car Accident in Maryland
When car accidents occur, it can be difficult to focus on your recovery. By following the tips outlined below, you can help get your loved ones the medical care they need while retaining the best possible chance for financial recovery down the road.
Get to Safety
Car accidents that happen on congested or popular roadways can get much worse quickly if other drivers are not aware of what is going on at the scene. If your vehicle is operable, try to pull off to the shoulder so that you and your vehicle are out of the way of traffic. If your vehicle is disabled, put your hazards on or deploy flares to indicate your location to others. If you can’t move your car from the road, do not stay with it. Do your best to get yourself and your family to safety and then continue on to the next stages.
Call 911
You should call the police to the scene of your accident, no matter who was at fault. Police officers in Maryland are required to fill out an official police report on any accident that results in physical injury or substantial property damage. You can use this police report when filing an insurance claim or for identifying responsible parties. If your child requires immediate medical attention, you can also ask the dispatcher to send an ambulance to the scene.
Get Information from Other Parties
You should collect and record both contact and insurance information from other parties involved in the accident. This includes any potential eyewitnesses in addition to the other driver. Eyewitnesses can be critical in a court case but are difficult to track down once you leave the scene of the accident. If you are incapacitated or busy dealing with your injuries, the police officer on the scene can collect this information for their report.
Go to the Hospital
No matter how severe you believe your child’s injuries may be, you should always seek medical attention immediately after the accident. Children, particularly young ones, may not be able to fully describe how they are feeling, and their injuries may linger under the surface and worsen until treated. Establishing a medical record early is a vital step towards achieving recovery.
Call Your Lawyer
Once you have dealt with the immediate medical issues and are safe, look to call one of our Baltimore car accident attorneys as soon as possible. Do not accept any settlement offers from insurance representatives until you have had a thorough legal assessment of your case.
Statute of Limitation Rules for Minors in Maryland
If the car accident that injured your child happened a while ago, you may believe that their time to recover for their injuries has passed. However, the State of Maryland offers an exception to the statute of limitations when the injured victim was a minor at the time of the accident. Normally, car accident injury victims only have three years to file their lawsuit. However, if the victim was a minor, the clock only begins to run once the victim reaches the age of maturity, which is 18. In other words, children who are car accident injury victims have until their 21st birthday to file their claim.
Just because you have more time does not mean that you should necessarily use it. Critical evidence for your claim may dry up over time, making a case harder to prove down the line. it may also be harder to find the defendant if you wait too long. Additionally, the sooner you file your claim, the earlier you may obtain the financial compensation that you are entitled to for injuries that a negligent driver caused. We urge you to speak to one of our diligent Ocean City car accident lawyers as soon as possible to discuss your case.
Get the Help Your Child Needs After Their Car Accident Injuries
Your efforts to protect your family deserve competent legal attention. That starts with a free case review with the Towson car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras. Call today at (410) 694-7291.