Fort Worth Child Injury Lawyer

How Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers Helps With a Fort Worth Child Injury Claim

We investigate what happened, deal with the insurance companies, and build a claim that accounts for your child’s future, not just today’s bills. Child injury cases are different: children can’t always recognize danger, the law treats them differently, and their injuries can affect them for decades.

When you hire us, we:

• Investigate the accident and who is responsible
• Gather evidence to establish fault
• Work with doctors and other professionals to understand your child’s long-term needs
• Account for every loss your family has suffered
• Negotiate with insurers for a fair settlement
• Prepare your case for trial in case a reasonable settlement isn’t offered

What Kinds of Child Injury Cases Do We Handle?

We handle claims for children hurt by the negligence of others in Fort Worth and across Tarrant County, including:

• Car accidents and drunk driving crashes
• Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
• Bus, truck, and rideshare accidents
• Dog bites
• Slips and falls and other premises liability accidents
• Swimming pool and boating accidents
• Defective products, including toys, car seats, and furniture
• Daycare, school, and camp injuries

Common injuries include broken bones, burns, dog bite wounds and scarring, brain injuries, and spinal injuries. When the worst happens and a child dies, we help families pursue a wrongful death claim.

Who Is Responsible for My Child’s Injuries?

Whoever failed to act with reasonable care toward your child may be responsible. Depending on the facts, that can include:

• Drivers who speed, text, or fail to yield to children in crosswalks and school zones
• Daycares, schools, and camps that fail to supervise children or hire carefully
• Property owners who leave known hazards unaddressed
• Dog owners whose dogs bite or attack
• Manufacturers and sellers of defective toys, car seats, cribs, or other products
• Bus companies and other transport providers

Claims against public school districts and other government entities have special rules, including notice deadlines that can be six months or less. Tell us right away if a public entity may be involved.

What Is the Attractive Nuisance Doctrine in Texas?

Texas property owners can be liable when a dangerous artificial condition on their land attracts children who are too young to understand the risk. Normally, a property owner owes trespassers very little. The attractive nuisance doctrine is an exception for children.

To bring this kind of claim, you generally must show that:

• The owner knew or should have known children were likely to come onto the property
• The owner knew or should have known the condition posed an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to children
• Because of their age, children would not realize the danger
• The cost of removing the danger was slight compared with the risk to children

Common examples include unfenced swimming pools, hot tubs, and fountains, wells and tunnels, trampolines, construction equipment, ladders and scaffolding, and power tools. The doctrine generally applies to artificial conditions, not natural ones like a creek.

How Do We Prove Who Was at Fault?

You prove a child injury claim by showing someone owed your child a duty of care, failed to meet it, and caused the injury. Adults responsible for children, such as caregivers, teachers, and drivers in school zones, are expected to anticipate that children may act unpredictably.

Helpful evidence includes:

• Police or crash reports and incident reports from schools or businesses
• Photos and video of the scene
• Witness statements
• Medical records and doctors’ opinions
• Inspection records, safety policies, and product recall information

Insurers sometimes argue that a parent failed to supervise or that the child caused the accident. We gather the evidence to answer those arguments.

What Damages Are Available in a Fort Worth Child Injury Case?

A child injury claim can cover both the costs your family has paid and the losses your child will carry into adulthood. Depending on the case, that may include:

• Past and future medical care, therapy, and rehabilitation
• Medical expenses paid by parents
• Lost future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and mental anguish
• Disfigurement and scarring
• Physical impairment and reduced quality of life

Because children have so many years ahead of them, a fair settlement must look at long-term care, education needs, and how the injury may affect future work. Don’t accept the first settlement offer before those questions are answered. A court generally must approve a settlement of a minor’s claim.

What Is the Deadline to File a Child Injury Claim in Texas?

Most Texas injury claims must be filed within two years. For an injured child, that deadline on the child’s own claim is generally paused until the child turns 18. A parent’s claim for the child’s medical expenses, however, generally runs two years from the injury.

Don’t wait for your child to reach adulthood. Your family may need compensation now to pay for care, and evidence and witnesses are much easier to find early.

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