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The personal injury attorneys at Neale & Fhima possess more than four decades of proven experience litigating serious car accidents. We have obtained more than $50 million in compensation for our injured clients. Each of our personal injury attorneys is a passionate advocate for our clients, and we never stop until we win. If you or a loved one was hurt in a car accident in the Orange County area, please call the attorneys at Neale & Fhima today.

When you are in a car accident that is caused by another person, you are possibly facing serious injuries that are painful and upsetting. But if your child is injured in the car accident as well, this is a nightmare that no one wants to face.

While the majority of children in car accidents suffer only minor injuries, approximately 13% of children are seriously hurt in these accidents. The CDC reports that 663 children 12 and younger were killed in car accidents in 2015, and more than 121,000 were hurt in 2014. When children are seriously injured in a car accident, according to NHTSA, the injury outcome for them can be worse than for similar injuries sustained by adults. In fact, neurological damage in a child after head trauma can persist for years and may not even become evident until years after the accident.

If your child has been hurt in an Orange County, California, car accident, it is very important to understand the types of injuries they could have, who will pay and how much. The auto insurance policy for the other driver is often the first choice for financial compensation. But if the policy limits are too low to cover all of the damages, a personal injury lawsuit could be in order if the responsible party has financial assets.

The injured victim may have the option of filing a personal injury lawsuit for an injury that occurred as a child until two years after their 18th birthday. Nonetheless, it is always better to know about serious accident injuries as soon as possible so that they can be medically treated to obtain the best possible result.

Types of Car Accident Injuries Suffered by Children

The NHTSA reports that the most common types of injuries for children in car accidents are:

  • Head injuries, including concussions, contusions, lacerations, and skull fractures
  • Thoracic injuries, such as rib factures and lung contusions or bleeds
  • Abdominal injuries, including upper and lower bowel perforations
  • Arm, leg and collar bone fractures
  • Pelvic and foot fractures

Of particular concern are head injuries in children. It is very important for parents to know that a head injury in a child may not present obvious symptoms for weeks, months or possibly years after the accident. The reason is that some frontal lobe higher functions, such as high-level reasoning and social and interpersonal skills, do not fully develop until the child is in the teen years.

It is not unusual that early childhood brain damage is not clear until the child gets to high school.Brain injuries to the part of the brain that deals with reading and writing when the child is a toddler may not become obvious until they are in grade school.

California’s Statute of Limitations

Because some child injuries in a car accident may not show symptoms for a long time after the event, it is important to have the child evaluated by a medical professional as soon as possible. Keep in mind that the state of California has a two-year statute of limitations on filing a personal injury lawsuit. That means you have only two years from the date of the injury to go to court and file the lawsuit for your child’s injuries. Therefore, it is incredibly important to be aware of any injuries your child has suffered as soon as possible after the car accident.

Shared Fault Laws in California

It is important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney in California after your child is injured in a car accident. One of the reasons for this is that California follows a pure comparative negligence standard. It means that the amount of compensation you are entitled to for your child’s injuries is reduced by the amount that is equal to your level of fault in the accident. It is common for a defendant to get a good attorney and try to argue that you are partially responsible for the accident, and the award that you receive for your child’s injuries could be greatly reduced.

Contact an Orange County Personal Injury Attorney Today

You are facing a potential nightmare if your child has been hurt in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence. To receive the compensation you deserve for your child’s injuries, contact Neale & Fhima today for a free consultation.

Attorney Aaron Fhima

Aaron Fhima, California attorneyAaron Fhima is a trial attorney who has secured numerous settlements and verdicts against large corporations and some of the largest auto manufacturers in the world. Representing consumers and injury victims throughout the state of California, Aaron’s practice areas include personal injury, and lemon law litigation. Aaron has a long record of success taking on large defense firms; and he doesn’t hesitate to take cases to trial when necessary to enforce his clients’ rights. [ Attorney Bio ]

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