Washington Child Injury Lawyer

Key Takeaways:

• Child injury cases and personal injury cases each have their own distinctions, primarily due to Washington’s laws regarding statute of limitations – a child’s timeline differs.
• Children suffer serious injuries in many ways, including negligent supervision, car accidents, dog bites, playground falls, drowning, exposure to poisons, and choking.
• Serious injuries children often sustain include broken bones, cuts and lacerations, and traumatic brain injuries.
• If you can demonstrate your child’s Washington-based school district was negligent and led to your child’s injury, you likely can sue for damages.
• You can sue for compensation to cover your child’s injury by taking several important steps.
• Hiring a skilled Washington child injury attorney is a step you can take to protect your child and get the compensation you need to pay for medical bills and other injury-related losses.

Our offices represent children harmed by the negligence, thoughtlessness, and intentional acts of others. Children are vulnerable and, unfortunately, can be harmed in many ways, including sports injuries, automobile and motor vehicle collisions, medical negligence, bicycle accidents, daycare and camp injuries, sexual abuse, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes, boating crashes, jet ski crashes, and swimming pool injuries.

McPartland Law Offices’ mission is to help your family recover from the physical and emotional damage your child has suffered by making the offending party pay for their irresponsible, risky, and hazardous behavior.

How Do Child Injury Cases Differ From Personal Injury Cases?

Many aspects of child injury injury cases are the same as adult injury cases. For both, you need to prove:

• Negligence
• Causation
• Damages

Where it differs, with some exceptions, is in the statute of limitations. Washington State allows a three-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. This three-year timeframe begins on the date of the injury or accident. A parent can file on behalf of their young children within this three-year period. However, generally though not always, children can also file a claim on their own behalf once they turn 18. They have three years from when they turn 18 to file a claim. You may want to speak with an attorney to see if the timeline will be different for your child’s injuries and whether they would benefit from filing later. Serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, are not always immediately apparent. Over time, the medical bills may add up to more than you anticipated.

Injured children also require special proceedings. Resolving their claims requires the involvement of a Guardian ad Litem and the court. Failure to follow procedure can compromise the minor’s settlement or even render it void.

McPartland Law Offices has experience representing injured children and navigating the complex legal landscape on their behalf. We file lawsuits against those responsible, we aggressively fight for the injured child and their family, and we work hard to make our communities safer for our children. If your child has been injured, talk to McPartland Law Offices to understand your options.

How Are Children Injured?

Children are much more likely than adults to be injured from certain activities.

• Roughly 50 children are injured or killed every week in the United States as a result of vehicles backing up.
• Children account for more than 70 percent of dog bite victims, and many serious or fatal dog bite incidents involving children below the age of five are related to newborn babies.
• Playground injuries result in some 200,000 children being sent to the emergency room every year in the United States. Of those 200,000 incidents, approximately almost half are classified as “severe” (bone fractures, internal injuries, concussions, etc.).
• More than 90 percent of child poison exposure happens in and around the home.

With numbers and situations like these, it is easy to understand how, every minute, a child in the United States can be significantly injured due to another person’s negligence or indifference. Although children can be resilient and show a remarkable ability to recover from injuries, many injuries are severe, with little hope for a full recovery. Injuries like these can require lifelong care by trained professionals. The expense of these trained professionals should be paid for by the person or persons who caused the harm.

Common Causes of Injuries to Children in Washington

A child’s body is still forming and growing, making it more fragile and vulnerable to injury. Children can suffer harm in a number of ways. Here are a few of the most common ways children sustain injuries.

Negligent Supervision

Parents place their children into the care of trusted entities and individuals, such as school, daycare, camp, and other parents (e.g., on play dates or at a babysitter’s home). Common scenarios involving potential negligence leading to injury include:

• Insufficient staff to care for the number of children present
• Caregiver neglect due to focusing on phones or engaging in other distractions
• Dangerous materials, such as chemicals, matches, lighters, or firearms left in reach of children
• Age-inappropriate foods being served, leading to choking
• Improper supervision of children on playgrounds
• Poorly maintained playground equipment
• Improper sleeping accommodations leading to suffocation

Poisoning

Dangerous substances such as cleaners, poisons, medications, vitamins, and other substances can cause severe illness or death to a child.

Drowning

Leaving children unsupervised around pools, bathtubs, sinks, and other places where water collects can lead to drowning. Young children can drown in as little as two inches of water. Children like to splash or otherwise play in the water and must be supervised around it.

Car Accidents

Children are highly vulnerable to injury if not properly restrained in an age-appropriate car seat, booster, or seat belt. If an adult does not properly seat a child and gets into a crash, they could suffer severe injury. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not only illegal, but if children are in the car, this can harm them if a crash occurs.

Broken bones are another school or daycare injury that commonly occurs. Sadly, wrongful death can occur because of any of the above scenarios.

Can I Sue for My Child’s Injury at School in Washington State?

If your child is injured at school, you can sue if you can demonstrate the following:

• A duty of care was owed to your child
• That duty was breached
• Negligence resulted in injury and damages to the child

Washington schools have a responsibility to identify hazards that can be reasonably anticipated and then take precautions or corrections to prevent harm.

What Type of Compensation is Available?

According to the State of Washington’s law, your compensation could include both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic

You can sue for economic damages for your child’s injury. This includes actual dollar losses, including but not limited to:

• Medical expenses
• Medical devices and equipment
• Medications
• Lost wages or lost potential opportunities
• Domestic service costs
• Funeral and burial expenses

Essentially, any additional money you paid out to aid in your child’s treatment and recovery from injury is likely to count as economic damages.

Non-Economic

You can also pursue non-economic damages, which are damages due to the injury that are difficult to calculate monetarily, including:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• PTSD
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of society and companionship
• Loss of consortium
• Pre-death terror/fright

Why Clients Choose McPartland Law Offices

At McPartland Law, our mission is to be relentless and creative in our pursuit of justice for injury victims. Founded in 2012, McPartland Law prioritizes our clients and works hard to develop a strong relationship with every client who comes in the door.

Our personal injury lawyers are known for their willingness to fight tirelessly for clients and are not afraid to take on a challenging case. Our personal injury attorneys have a years of success obtaining compensation for our clients.

Client Testimonials

“My family and I had the opportunity to work with Bryce and his team during a very difficult time in our lives. The service and representation that McPartland Law Offices provided was absolutely exceptional. I was thoroughly impressed by their professionalism, knowledge, and ability to help us understand everything throughout the entire process. To say they left no stone unturned would be an understatement. I will be forever grateful for the compassion and dedication consistently demonstrated by Bryce and his team. I highly recommend McPartland Law Offices.” — Claudia V.

“I had a great experience and my lawyer and office staff treated me well and listened to everything I had to say. They did everything possible to get me what I deserve from insurance company. I never had any doubt in them. They are very good at communicating with me and I recommend them 100%. Thank you for making me feel valuable” – Aurora P.

“McPartland Law will take care of business! They listen, care, and will keep you updated throughout the process. Bryce has been great, and away from work, he is a big part of the Grant County community. Big supporter of all sports programs for local schools.” — Greg G.

Frequently Asked Questions about Child Injury

Our attorneys are often asked about child injury cases. Here, we answer commonly asked questions.

What Should I Do If My Child is Seriously Injured?

If your child is injured due to negligence or neglect, the first thing to do is seek medical attention to help your child. Next, document the incident and contact an attorney for a legal consultation.

How Can a Child Injury Lawyer in Washington Help if My Child Has Been Injured Due to Negligence?

Having a knowledgeable and experienced Washington child injury lawyer can help you in many ways.

• Assessing the situation
• Determining if you have a personal injury lawsuit
• Gathering evidence
• Speaking to eyewitnesses
• Evaluating damages and the value of your case
• Negotiating with insurance companies and other attorneys
• Representing you and your child in court

Statute of Limitations for a Child Injury in Washington

In most cases, you have three years from the date of the incident or three years after your child turns 18 to file a case. However, consult an attorney to evaluate your options and actions.

Was Your Child Injured Due to Someone Else’s Negligence? Let Us Help.

Your child has legal rights for any injuries they suffer. Child injury claims can be complex, and as a result, parents may not be sure what to do to ensure their child’s future well-being.

Every year, McPartland Law helps families whose children have been injured by another person’s negligence and fights on their behalf to hold the negligent party accountable for their actions.

Child injury cases require special handling, and our law firm has developed a reputation for how our legal team approaches these cases. Contact us today to receive a free consultation at 509-495-1247 or by filling out our online contact form.