Has your child been hurt in an accident in St. Petersburg, FL? If so, let Graves Thomas Injury Law Group help your family pursue maximum compensation for all of your child’s injuries.
Our St. Petersburg child injury lawyers have 50 years of combined experience providing legal support to injured victims and their families. We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation and will fight to recover maximum compensation for you, too.
Contact us now at (772) 569-8155 for a complimentary case evaluation.
How Graves Thomas Injury Law Group Can Help After a Child Injury in St. Petersburg
Learning that your child has been injured in an accident in St. Petersburg, Florida, is devastating. Many parents feel helpless and wonder what to do next. This difficult time can be made even worse by the medical bills and other expenses your family is likely facing.
Thankfully, the team at Graves Thomas is here to help. Our St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers can assist you by:
- Investigating your child’s accident to learn exactly what happened
- Identifying all potential defendants and sources of compensation
- Calculating the value of your claim
- Handling all communications with the insurance company
- Working with your child’s medical providers to fully understand their injuries
- Filing a lawsuit and taking your case to court when necessary
Call our law office to schedule a free consultation with a St. Petersburg child injury attorney today.
What Kinds of Compensation Could My Child Be Entitled to for Their Injuries?
Your child is typically entitled to recover economic and non-economic damages for their injuries. Economic damages help compensate your family for your financial losses, such as:
- Medical bills
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Physical therapy
- Future reduced earning capacity (if your child suffered a catastrophic injury)
- Rehabilitation
- Medical equipment
Non-economic damages provide compensation for your child’s physical and emotional pain and trauma. Some common examples of those types of damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Diminished quality of life
- Permanent scarring
- Permanent disabilities
Additionally, you may be able to pursue punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant for extreme or reckless conduct.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Child Injuries?
Children may suffer injuries from many different types of accidents. Some of the most common accidents that cause child injuries are:
- Car accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Defective products
- Swimming pool accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Dog bites
While each situation is different, these incidents often result from preventable hazards—and in many cases, another party may be held responsible for failing to keep the child safe.
How Do I Prove a Child Injury Case?
Most of the time, someone else’s negligence is the cause of these accidents. To win your case, you must prove the four legal elements of negligence.
Those are:
- Duty of care: The defendant had a legal duty to maintain a certain standard of behavior, taking into account the circumstances of the situation.
- Breach of duty: The defendant failed to uphold the accepted standard of care, either through their actions or inactions.
- Causation: Your child’s injuries were a direct and foreseeable result of the defendant’s behavior.
- Damages: Your child suffered some actual damages as a result of the defendant’s carelessness, such as medical bills and pain & suffering.
If you can prove all four of these elements, your chances of success with your claim are high.
How Common Are Child Injuries?
Millions of children are injured every year in unintentional accidents. In fact, accidents are the leading cause of death in children aged 1-14. Florida sees more than its fair share of child injuries each year, especially involving certain types of accidents. Recent data shows that Florida ranks 5th nationally for child deaths from pedestrian accidents.
How Long Do I Have to File a Child Injury Lawsuit in Florida?
Florida law allows most accident victims two years from the date of their injury to file a lawsuit for damages. However, the legal situation changes somewhat when a child is the injured party. The statute of limitations for filing a claim can be paused for up to seven years when a minor is involved.
If you miss the filing deadline, you may be completely barred from recovering any compensation for your child’s injuries.
Contact Our St. Petersburg Child Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If your child has been hurt in an accident in St. Petersburg, FL, the experienced team at Graves Thomas is here for you. We can help you and your family sort through every detail of your legal claim. With 50 years of combined experience and hundreds of millions of dollars recovered, we have a proven track record of success.
Call us today to schedule a free consultation with a St. Petersburg child injury attorney.
