According to the New Jersey Department of Human Services, after children reach the age of 1, the most common cause of death and disability in children is an accidental injury. Parents may do everything they can and take as many safety precautions as possible, but there are some accidents and resulting injuries that they may not able to protect their children from. Lawrenceville Children Injuries Attorneys know that there may be nothing more painful than seeing your child suffering from injuries, especially when those injuries are serious and were due to someone else’s fault.
Causes of Children’s Injuries
See below for some common causes of children injuries related to someone else’s negligence.
- Negligent supervision – Children can suffer serious injuries when they are not being properly supervised and they are too young to understand and appreciate certain dangers. Parents are not with their children every minute of the day which means that they must entrust other people to keep their children safe such as child care centers, other parents when children are invited to a friend’s house, school, nanny or babysitter, and lifeguards or swimming instructors.
- Car Accidents, Bicycle Accidents, and Pedestrian Accidents – Whether a child is a passenger of a vehicle or is struck by a car as a pedestrian or on a bicycle, car accidents are a very common cause of injuries in children and those injuries may include traumatic brain injury, broken bones, neck and back injuries, internal bleeding, organ damage, and sometimes death.
- Negligent coaching – Children sustain injuries playing sports, but sometimes those injuries may be due to a coach’s negligence such as permitting or encouraging tackling when it is actually a flag football program, or allowing the players to play tackle football without wearing proper protections such as helmet and pads. Injuries also may result when coaches encourage dangerous conduct such as telling a pitcher to intentionally throw the ball at a batter.
- Dangerous property conditions – Property owners owe a duty of care to keep guests on their property, including children, safe from injuries. Dangerous conditions may include an unlocked/unsecured swimming pool, broken stairs or railings, fire hazards, or a dangerous dog not properly confined or muzzled. A duty of care may even be owed to trespassing children in some circumstances.
- Child abuse – Children are injured when a family member, family friend, caretaker, schoolteacher, or even a stranger abuses them. Abuse includes physical, sexual, and verbal abuse resulting in physical injuries and emotional trauma.
- Dangerous and Defective Products – Children are injured by dangerous and defective products such as top heavy dressers that easily tip over, ingesting medication they were able to access due to a defective child lock, or toys with small parts that present choking hazards.
Children injuries can be devastating and traumatic for both injured children and their parents. If someone else’s negligent, reckless, or intentional conduct resulted in injuries to your child, contact a Lawrenceville Children Injuries Attorney at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. to review your claim and discuss available recovery options.