Has your child been injured in an avoidable accident in Harrisburg, PA? Contact Marzzacco Niven & Associates for immediate legal assistance. Your family may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, loss of future income, and pain and suffering. Our Harrisburg child injury lawyers can help you maximize your financial recovery.
At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, we’ve been fierce advocates for injury victims and families across Pennsylvania for decades. Our attorneys have more than 120 years of experience and have won tens of millions of dollars for clients just like you.
Contact our law office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at (717) 231-1640 to find out how we can help you after your child’s devastating accident. We’re here to help you whenever you need us – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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How Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help If Your Child Has Been in an Accident in Harrisburg
Children are resilient, but they’re also still developing and growing. This means that injuries – catastrophic ones – can fundamentally change a child’s life forever. When a child is injured through no fault of their own, then a responsible adult must be held accountable.
That’s how our Harrisburg personal injury lawyers can help.
Our attorneys will aggressively pursue monetary damages from anyone who caused your child to get hurt and suffer. We’ll stand up to hospitals, insurance companies, property owners, and anyone else who might be responsible.
Focus on your child’s recovery while our law firm:
- Investigates the circumstances surrounding your child’s injuries
- Determines why your child got hurt and how it could have been avoided
- Identifies liable parties
- Brings in experts to help us properly value the damages in your child’s personal injury claim
- Defends against efforts to blame your child for their injuries
- Negotiates with insurance carriers and at-fault parties to get the best results
- Argues your case before a jury in Dauphin County if insurance companies refuse to negotiate fairly and offer a reasonable settlement
Give your child every opportunity to get the money they’ll need to compensate for their catastrophic injuries. Call Marzzacco Niven & Associates and get our award-winning, caring personal injury lawyers in your corner today. As always, your first consultation is 100% free.
Child Injury Statistics
Avoidable injuries among children have decreased in recent years. However, unintentional trauma is still the leading cause of death for young children and teenagers.
According to the CDC, about 20 children die from accident-related injuries every single day.
In 2019, more than 7,000 children were killed due to avoidable injuries. Thousands more sustained injuries with the potential to change the course of their lives forever.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Child Injuries in Harrisburg?
Children can get hurt in any type of accident in Harrisburg, PA.
However, research shows that these are the leading causes of injuries in young children:
- Falls: It’s estimated that more than 8,000 kids visit the emergency room for fall-related injuries every day. That’s more than 2.9 million fall injuries annually.
- Struck by an object: Kids can be struck by falling objects or hazards while playing sports, for example.
- Car accidents: Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury for older children and teens – especially once they reach driving age. Young children are more susceptible to injuries in an auto accident if they’re not riding in a developmentally-appropriate car seat or booster.
- Dog bites: Children account for more than half of all dog bite injuries across the nation.
Other common causes of child injuries include:
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injury
- Slip and fall accidents
- Defective toys and products
- Assault
- Sexual assault
- Negligent security
- Swimming pool accidents
- Amusement park accidents
- School accidents
- Daycare accidents
- Sport accidents
- Recreational vehicle accidents
Our personal injury attorneys in Harrisburg will work hard to uncover every possible cause of your child’s accident and injuries. The more we know about why the accident happened, the better prepared we’ll be to seek full compensation from all liable parties.
Who Could Be Liable For My Child’s Injuries After an Accident in Harrisburg?
Under Pennsylvania law, anyone who contributes to a child’s injuries can be held financially accountable.
Depending on the type of accident your child was in or how they got hurt, potentially liable parties could include:
- Drivers of cars, trucks, motorcycles, or other motor vehicle
- Property owners
- Schools
- School administrators, teachers, and staff
- Coaches
- Clergy
- Hospitals
- Doctors and other medical professionals
- Businesses
- Landlords
If an adult has agreed to supervise a child or care for them, or if a duty of care existed under the circumstances, then they can be liable for resulting harm.
Additionally, adults may be liable if a child is injured because of an attractive nuisance on their premises. An attractive nuisance is something that might draw a child’s attention. And, if unsupervised, the child could get seriously injured.
Common examples are swimming pools, hot tubs, holes, trampolines, and other hazards.
What Happens If Someone Tries to Blame My Child For Their Accident or Injuries?
Pennsylvania has a modified comparative negligence system in place. There’s a 51 percent bar to recovery, which means a victim (even a child) can’t recover compensation if they’re assigned more than half of the blame for their injuries.
Keep in mind that a child must have the capacity to appreciate the potential consequences of their actions.
When a child is assigned some of the blame, the damages in their personal injury case will be adjusted to reflect that.
Damages will be reduced in direct proportion to fault. If a child is assigned 10 percent blame, then their financial recovery will be reduced by 10 percent.
Don’t assume that insurance companies won’t try to blame the victim simply because they’re a child. Insurance companies care about one thing: money. Childhood injury cases can be worth a lot, so they will certainly try to find ways to deny or undervalue claims.
Our Harrisburg child injury lawyers will stand up and fight for your child. We’ll be ready for these tactics and prepared to defend your child at every turn.
How Much is My Child Injury Case Worth?
Putting a financial value to a personal injury case is difficult enough when adults are involved. When a child is a victim, things get even more complicated.
A child has their whole life in front of them. Therefore, the potential future costs of an accident or injury can be huge.
While every child’s injury case will be different, here are some important things to take into consideration:
- How old was the child when they were injured?
- What types of injuries did the child sustain?
- What kind of medical care and treatment will be required?
- Is the child expected to make a full physical recovery?
- Will the child experience any difficulties working or supporting themselves financially?
- Did the child have any extraordinary talents or skills that were affected by the accident?
The more serious the child’s injuries and the greater the impact of the accident on their life, the more their case is likely to be worth.
What Damages Are Available to Child Injury Victims in Harrisburg?
Children can potentially recover any of the damages that are available to adults in personal injury cases in Pennsylvania.
This can include economic and non-economic awards for:
- Current medical care and treatment
- Future medical bills
- Reduced earning capacity
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Depression and anxiety
- Embarrassment
- Nursing care
- Medical equipment
- Necessary modifications to the home or vehicle to accommodate a disability
If a child is hurt intentionally or because someone displayed a reckless disregard for their safety, then punitive damages might also be available.
What is the Statute of Limitations For Child Injury Lawsuits in Pennsylvania?
Typically, the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits in Pennsylvania is just two years. If a parent or guardian files on a child’s behalf or if an accident is fatal, it must be done within two years of the child’s accident or wrongful death.
However, the statute of limitations can be tolled until the child is 18 years old. Then the child will have until they turn 20 to file a lawsuit for themselves.
Don’t let the deadline that applies to your child’s injury case pass by. If a claim isn’t filed on time, then the child will not be able to recover critical compensation for their pain, injuries, and suffering.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Harrisburg Child Injury Lawyer
Has your child suffered a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or another catastrophic injury in a Harrisburg accident? Contact the Harrisburg child injury lawyers at Marzzacco Niven & Associates for help.
We understand how devastating an injury can be for a child. When an injury is the result of an adult’s negligence, it’s important to hold that adult accountable. Our law firm is here to fight on your child’s behalf.
Call our law office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to get started. We offer a free consultation and are standing by to help you 24 hours a day.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Harrisburg, PA
Marzzacco Niven & Associates
945 E Park Dr Suite 103, Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 231-1640
Our personal injury law firm in Harrisburg, PA also provides:
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