There is no database that keeps track of personal injury settlements. Most of these cases are resolved through insurance negotiations anyway—so most of their values are confidential. So, there is no average settlement for children injured in car accidents. These cases’ values depend on their circumstances.
What Factors Could Increase Your Case’s Value?
The following could play a crucial role when calculating your case’s value:
The Severity of Your Child’s Injuries
Injuries that require long-term medical care, physical therapy, and doctors’ visits will cost more than those that are short-term. Some examples of injuries that could increase your case’s value include:
- Nerve damage
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Torn ligaments
- Strains and sprains
- Spinal cord trauma
If your child needs mobility aids, surgery, or medications, these losses can also be included as part of your claim.
Your Child’s Mental Health
Being in a car accident can cause your child to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. This can hurt their performance in school or negatively affect their development. Your case could include the cost of mental health counseling and other related services.
The Length of Your Child’s Recovery Period
The longer it takes for your child to heal, the more you can request in damages. Be sure to keep track of their time missed from school, doctor’s appointments, and other relevant information. You don’t want the insurance company to contest the nature of your child’s condition.
The Cost of Your Financial Damages
As with any car accident, your financial losses will add to the value of your claim. While many of your injury-related losses are compensable, the following financial (or economic) damages that could increase your claim’s value include:
- Medical bills. These expenses account for your child’s healthcare costs.
- Lost wages. You could recoup damages for your time missed from work due to the accident.
- Loss of future earning capacity. You could be compensated if you have to take a lower-earning job because of your child’s condition.
- Property damage expenses. If your car needs repairs following the collision, you could seek compensation for this expense.
Other economic losses could be included in your case.
Your Child’s Quality of Life
Because children have smaller physical frames than adults, even a minor collision could lead to lifelong complications. If your child is no longer able to live a “normal” life due to their impairments, you deserve compensation for this hardship.
Your Working Ability
Taking care of your child can consume most of the days following an accident. As such, you might have missed time from work. We can account for any lost wages, bonuses, tips, and commissions when determining your case’s value. We can even take into account lost promotions and employee benefits.
Your Role in the Accident
If you partially contributed to the collision, this could reduce your overall settlement, per Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001. We will determine your role in the collision and based our estimates on these findings.
What Non-Economic Losses Could You Pursue?
We already listed the types of economic losses you could include in your case. However, you could be eligible to recover non-economic losses, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Impaired quality of life
- Loss of consortium
Other damages may pertain to your situation.
How Long do You Have to Pursue a Car Accident Case Involving a Child?
It really depends on who is filing. For the most part, parents have two years to file lawsuits on behalf of their children, per Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003.
However, if the child wants to file a lawsuit and they are under 18, they could be granted additional time to do so.
How Our Child Injury Lawyers Could Help You
Since we opened our doors in 1988, we have served tens of thousands of victims of injury across Texas. With locations in Dallas, McAllen, Tyler, Lubbock, El Paso, Wichita Falls, Odessa, and Houston, we can meet wherever it’s convenient for you.
We can build your case by:
- Interviewing witnesses and field consultants
- Calculating your damages
- Managing the statute of limitations
- Gathering supporting evidence, like traffic camera footage
- Filing your claim or lawsuit
- Addressing your case’s challenges
- Managing all emails, phone calls, and other communications
- Talking to the insurance company
- Connecting you with aftercare resources
- Advocating for your rights
We also work on a contingency-fee basis, so you never pay up front for our help. In fact, you don’t even pay our attorney’s fees unless we win a settlement. We want to deliver quality legal care to those who need it—regardless of their financial standing.
Call in the Strong Arm Today
Are you interested in learning more about settlements for children in car accidents? Contact Houston car accident lawyer or call our team today for free at (877) 239-4878. While these cases do not come with predetermined average values, you could still recover compensation that meets your needs.
Dallas car accident lawyer
Houston car accident lawyer
Austin car accident lawyer
