Waukegan Child Injury Lawyer

While no parent ever wants to imagine their child could get injured through the negligence of another adult, it is unfortunately very common. However, as a parent or guardian, you have the right to take legal action on your child’s behalf and demand compensation for the harm their injury has and will continue to cause.

To achieve the best possible resolution in this unique type of civil claim, consider reaching out to a Waukegan child injury lawyer as soon as possible. Without a skilled personal injury attorney on your side, you may find yourself slowed by both state law and the opposition, causing your family to miss out on much-needed civil compensation.

Who May File Suit Over an Injury to a Child?

Just as an adult could be held liable for causing physical harm to another adult through a reckless, careless, or illegal act, an adult could be held civilly liable for causing injury to a minor through negligence. However, because children cannot legally represent themselves in court, the burden of filing suit over a minor’s injury typically falls on their parent(s), legal guardian(s), or sometimes a court-appointed guardian ad litem to represent the child’s best interests.

Notably, a parent or guardian who intends to sue on their child’s behalf must formally file their claim within two years of the child’s initial injury, with virtually no exceptions. There are also strictly enforced rules about how parents or guardians may manage and use the money recovered on their child’s behalf before they are old enough to take possession of the funds themselves. If your child has suffered an injury in Waukegan, your attorney could further explain these rules and restrictions during a private initial meeting.

Recovering for Short-Term and Long-Term Losses

It may not always be possible to completely restore an injured child to their pre-injury condition with money obtained through a civil lawsuit or settlement demand. Despite this, civil restitution is almost always crucial for minimizing the long-term economic and non-economic impacts of the harm caused by a traumatic injury. Compensation could be recovered for:

• Medical expenses for injury-related care, including expected future costs of rehabilitative treatment and assistive equipment
• Lost future working and earning potential
• Lost wages and other expenses faced by parents who have to care for their disabled child
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma and distress
• Loss of quality of life

A child injury lawyer in Waukegan could provide custom-tailored guidance regarding what losses should be factored into your claim and the best course of action for seeking compensation for you and your child.

Contact a Waukegan Attorney To Seek Compensation on Behalf of Your Child

Every adult should know better than to act irresponsibly or in ways that might put nearby children at risk of accidental injury. If you want to recover full and fair compensation for the damage your family has unjustly sustained, support is available from a compassionate and bilingual Waukegan child injury lawyer. Call our office today to set up a consultation.