Injuries to Children
Parenting is one of the most important roles that exists. As a parent, you are always on the alert to ensure your child is kept safe in all circumstances, paying as much attention to their needs and surroundings to keep them out of danger. However, accidents do happen, and injuries to children can be devastating for families. The impact on your child may cause ongoing struggles for years, possibly even affecting them for the rest of their lives. In addition, you might suffer from your own trauma surrounding the event, wishing you could go back in time and change it while harbouring anger, sadness, and guilt.
At Bergeron Clifford, our lawyers are here to provide strength and confidence for you and your child in difficult times following an injury. Depending on the nature of the injury and when it occurred, your child may not be able to live the life you dreamt for them without the right medical care and resources. We will work with your case to ensure your child is awarded fair compensation so that they can get the appropriate resources to help build a future,that is similarly enriching and fulfilling to the one you had hoped for them.
The Challenges of Child Injuries
Due to their fragile nature, children can get injured in various ways. This is sometimes because of someone else’s negligence, leading to complications that can affect the child’s mental and emotional development, growth, and otherwise. Such injuries can include but are not limited to:
All of these possibilities could impact your child both physically and mentally. An accurate diagnosis will put them on the road to recovery. However, more severe problems like brain trauma or spinal cord injuries can have significant effects with distressing outcomes. For expectant mothers, there is also the possibility of birth injuries or defects caused by poor medical practices.
Physical Effects
Children are constantly growing. As a result, many can heal relatively quickly from broken bones or other serious injuries. However, this isn’t always the case. A severe fracture could lead to misaligned bones that might grow improperly, requiring multiple corrective surgeries. Soft tissue problems could impact muscle growth and delay their progress, causing intense pain. Your child could be left with a large scar or disfigurement that serves as a constant reminder of the traumatic event that altered the course of their life. Pain is difficult to deal with at any age, but even more so for kids who could develop a triggered fear of a similar event happening again. This may stop your child from participating in activities they once loved.
Emotional Effects
Youth is a crucial time when children develop emotions and attachments that they will carry into adulthood. These patterns should be healthy, but a catastrophic injury can derail their sense of security, make them question the world around them, become untrusting of doctors, or cause them to feel upset or ashamed. They may develop anxiety or depression as a result. They could struggle to form relationships or even return to their routine, feeling pessimistic about life. Acting out, overwhelming reactions, and even frustration can be common symptoms of more serious emotional effects that may require medical care.
Educational Effects
Education is an integral part of a child’s life. Learning social and practical skills can help them fully develop into the person they are meant to be. The extent of a child’s injury could cause them to struggle when it comes to learning new concepts, which is especially true in the case of brain injuries. Conversely, they may have to miss a significant amount of school on the road to recovery, leaving them unable to catch up to their peers. They could even lose their passion for learning entirely, and as a parent, you are left with few avenues on how to keep them motivated and engaged.
Hiring a Child Injury Lawyer
These kinds of cases are unique in the legal system. As children under the age of 18 are unable to sue in their own name, a litigation guardian must be appointed for the proceedings to serve as their representation. In addition, any settlement of a claim will have to be approved by the courts, which means it will be up to the system to ensure fair compensation for their injuries. This can contribute to rehabilitation costs, specialists, or modifications needed that ensure your child can live a happy life despite all that has happened to them.
Our children are our world, and if something has happened to yours, we know considering a lawsuit is likely one of the last things you want to be focusing on. At Bergeron Clifford, we understand that you want your little one to be well. We want that for them too, and our child injury lawyers can help walk you through the steps of this challenging process. To learn more about how we can help your family, please contact us.
Contact Bergeron | Clifford LLP
Let us help your child and your family. If your child suffered an injury in Eastern Ontario, contact us at 866-384-5886 or fill out our online form. We can meet you at our Kingston, Ottawa, Whitby, Carleton Place, Perth, or other local offices, or meet wherever is most convenient for you.
Living with spinal cord injuries may be challenging.
Recovering from, or adapting to, a serious injury can take time. However, given enough time and proper care, many injured people are able to return to a life very much like the one they knew before suffering the injury.
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