Child Injury Lawyers in Gettysburg
Strong advocacy when your child suffers injury in an accident
Every parent expects their child will have a small cut or bruise now and then. No parent wants to learn that their child has suffered multiple fractures, has a birth disorder, was involved in a car crash, or was bitten by a dog. Injuries are difficult enough when adults are in an accident. The trauma is much worse for children. Children often can’t say how the accident happened. Treating child injuries is much different than treating adult injuries. For starters, children are still growing and the treatments need to anticipate that growth. Most of all, injuries to children can last for decades and decades.
Rest assured that at KBG Injury Law, our seasoned Gettysburg child injury lawyers understand the unique issues involved when a newborn, toddler, young child, or teenager, is severely injured. We work with your doctors to properly assess what injuries your child has, what care they will need, and how their youth and adulthood will be affected. We work aggressively to settle most accidents involving children. When necessary, we guide you and your child through the litigation process.
How can our Gettysburg child injury lawyers help?
What types of injuries do children suffer?
Children need to be treated by doctors who are trained to help children of different ages. Pediatricians and child psychologists, for example, usually work with children exclusively. Orthopedists, neurologists, and many other doctors who treat adults need to understand how diagnosing, operating on, and treating children is different. For example, a child’s ligaments, tissues, and bones are still growing. Orthopedists who treat children need to anticipate how the healing process affects these parts of the anatomy as the child grows into adulthood.
Our Gettysburg child injury lawyers advocate for any child of any age who experience injuries because of another’s negligence, including:
- Head trauma or brain injuries
- Amputation of an arm, leg, hand, foot, finger, or toe
- Damage to the spinal cord
- Burn injuries
- Dog bites
- Infections
- Back, shoulder, and neck pain
- Fractured bones
- Hearing or vision loss
- Scarring and disfigurement
We also handle birth injury cases, including cerebral palsy, HIE, brachial plexus injuries, and other medical disorders.
Children who are in any type of accident are more likely to suffer serious injures due to their small size and weight.
What types of child injuries does your Gettysburg firm handle?
Children are prone to many of the same injuries as adults. However, a major difference is one of trust. Children trust that adults will look out for them – whether it’s an adult driving a car, a doctor performing a surgery, or someone walking a dog. Our Gettysburg child injury lawyers work aggressively when your child is hurt to show how the accident occurred and who is responsible. We work to show a driver or another responsible person breached their duty to protect your child.
We represent children who suffer injuries in the following types of accidents:
Car accidents (young children)
Pennsylvania has laws that are designed to protect children traveling in cars. These laws, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation provide that parents must secure their child in their car as follows:
- Birth-2 years. The child must ride “in a rear-facing car seat until the child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits designated by the car seat manufacturer.”
- Birth-4 years. The child must “be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle.”
- 4-8 years. The child must “be restrained in an appropriate booster seat.” PennDOT recommends that you:
- “Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat's manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it's time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.”
- 8 and older. Children 8-12 should still use a booster seat until they are big enough to be secured by a seatbelt.
Motorcycle crashes
All passengers in Pennsylvania are required to wear a helmet if they are under 21 years of age. Teenagers who are eligible to drive a motorcycle should take quality motorcycle education courses and should generally ride on roads with slower speed limits.
Birth injuries
Sadly, many newborns are born with injuries or medical disorders caused by medical malpractice during the delivery. A baby that doesn’t get enough oxygen or who experiences other types of incompetent care can suffer a variety of injuries – many of which may be permanent, such as cerebral palsy.
Dog bites
Children are especially prone to suffering dog bite injuries. Dog owners too often get lulled into a false sense of safety when dogs are around kids because the dogs are “just” poodles, golden retrievers, labradoodles, cocker spaniels, or similar breeds. All breeds can bite without provocation. It’s often the breeds that owners think aren’t dangerous that cause the most and worst injuries. Any dog that is scared or provoked is likely to bite. Owners frequently ignore or overlook warning signs that their dogs are dangerous. Even a small dog can be far more powerful than a small child and inflict horrific injuries, with wounds that carry the risk of disease and infection. Dog bites can cause serious wounds, scarring, disfigurement, and even death.
Attractive nuisances
In Pennsylvania, property owners are generally liable under premises liability law if anyone other than a trespasser suffers an injury while on their property due to a dangerous condition, knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to warn about it or make it safe. Our Gettysburg child injury lawyers understand, however, that owners can be liable even when children are trespassing, if they had easy access to an item such as a swimming pool or a trampoline. This is because the owner should have anticipated a child would be attracted by the pool, trampoline, or another attractive nuisance.
Product defect claims
Makers and sellers of products can be held liable if their product is defective and the defect causes injuries or death. Products children use that may be defective include medications, cribs, toys, sleepwear, and bicycles.
Many children are also hurt during recreational activities or while engaged in other organizational activities. The supervisors of these activities may be liable if a child suffers an injury.
Our Gettysburg personal injury lawyers also fight for any child who suffers sexual abuse or intentional physical harm.
What are the unique challenges of child injury accident claims?
Our experienced Gettysburg child injury lawyers understand how frightening a personal injury case is for children. Children just want to get better, return to school, and play with their friends. Parents want to ensure their children are fully compensated for their injuries and aren’t further traumatized by the process of collecting that compensation. Our lawyers understand the unique liability and compensation issues in Gettysburg accident cases.
We advocate for your child throughout this process. We guide parents and children through the claims process. Help them navigate treatment decisions. Explain the law. And, we make sure that all compensation received for a child is properly handled, with court approval, for the child’s benefit.
Is there a child injury lawyer near me?
Our office is located at 37 West Middle Street in Gettysburg, PA. We’re a few blocks off Route 30 and steps from the Adams County Court House. We have five offices throughout South Central Pennsylvania to serve you.
Speak with a respected Gettysburg child injury lawyer today
At KBG Injury Law, we answer all your questions. We are skilled at speaking with families and children who have suffered injuries. Our lawyers have a strong track record of success negotiating settlements in personal injury cases. We persuasively try your child’s case before a jury if necessary. Our Gettysburg child injury attorneys also represent families when a child tragically dies in an accident. To discuss your child’s right to file a claim and demand compensation, call us at 717-848-3838 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. KBG Injury Law maintains offices in Gettysburg, York, Lancaster, Hanover, and Harrisburg.