There is a saying; “once a parent, always a parent”, meaning that no matter what age our children are, as a parent, we still worry about their safety and happiness. We buy the proper age-related toys, we buy proper car seats—we do whatever we can to keep our children safe. And while most children go through childhood just fine—maybe the odd cut or scrape here and there—the sad truth is sometimes accidents do happen to children—frequently at no fault of their own.
How often do we hear about toys or childhood equipment being recalled? There is a good reason for this—as part of due diligence, the recall often occurs due to a child being injured, or perhaps due to a death which occurred as a result of a defect in manufacturing or dangerous equipment which caused an injury to happen.
Other causes of childhood injuries can include faulty or defective playground equipment, improper adult supervision at school or camp, accidents at daycares, schools or during school activities, school bus accidents, caregiver neglect, swimming, skiing or sports-related accidents.
When it comes to winter sports, although it is often hockey injuries that get the most press, according to a report posted on the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) website (www.cihi.ca), boys aged 10 to 19 are the ones who are hurt the most while playing sports; “Half of all hospitalizations during 2010–2011 for hockey injuries (542 out of 1,114) and close to one-third of all those for skiing and snowboarding (689 out of 2,329) were for people age 10 to 19. When looking at all winter activities in this age group, boys accounted for 81% of those hurt. Children younger than 10 were hospitalized most often for injuries related to skiing and snowboarding (87 cases) and tobogganing (56 cases). Of the activities studied, snowmobiling was the only one not over-represented by younger Canadians in terms of hospitalizations: two-thirds (752 out of 1,126) of serious snowmobile injuries occurred in adults age 20 to 49.” Source: www.cihi.ca.
Catastrophic brain or spinal cord injuries can be traumatic for the victim as well as their families. Such injuries most often require a lifetime of support and rehabilitation provided by a multi-disciplinary team who specializes in pediatric medicine. When and if the child is able to return to school, classroom assistants and tutors may be necessary. Caregivers may be needed at home, as well as costly renovations.
The full extent of the disability and long-term consequences to the brain and spinal cord may not yet be known as a child’s body is not yet fully developed. This is why it is important that parents seek proper legal council to ensure that the child receives the best specialized care available immediately following the accident and on an ongoing basis if needed. At Horowitz Injury Law, we have almost 35 years of experience and a proven track record of success in advancing personal injury claims for child accident cases.
If your child has sustained injuries, they may be eligible for compensation from the at-fault party. Court approval is required for any settlement when a child is a victim of a serious injury. Implementation of a Structured Settlement must be considered to provide a monthly (non-taxable) income to cover the future costs of caring for the child. We also determine costs such as loss of income for parents who must become caregivers.
As parents, we understand that your number one priority is looking after your injured child. At Horowitz Injury Law, our top priority is ensuring your child receives the appropriate medical treatment and compensation to cover his or her needs now, and in the future. Call us today for a free consultation to assess whether your child has a potential claim. Phone 416-925-4100.
