If your child has been injured in a bicycle accident, you have the right to seek coverage for your child’s medical expenses and your family’s other out-of-pocket costs. You also have the right to seek compensation for your child’s pain and suffering, emotional trauma, loss of future earning capacity, and other financial and non-financial losses. Special rules apply in child injury cases, so it is important to work with a Birmingham bicycle accident attorney who has specific experience helping parents take legal action.
As a parent, there is nothing worse than seeing your child in pain. But while you do everything you can to protect your child, there will always be factors beyond your control.
While children can suffer injuries in all types of accidents, bicycle accidents can be particularly dangerous. This is especially true when motor vehicles are involved. If your child has been injured in a bicycle accident, your family has clear legal rights, and you will want to discuss your family’s rights with a Birmingham bicycle accident attorney promptly.
What Are My Family’s Rights if My Child Was Injured in a Bicycle Accident?
If your child was injured in a bicycle accident, you have the right to seek to hold the at-fault party fully accountable. This is true regardless of the circumstances involved. Some examples of parties that can often be held liable in child bicycle injury cases include:
- Negligent drivers
- Negligent property owners
- Bicycle and helmet manufacturers
- Online retailers and big box stores
- Garbage pickup companies, delivery companies, and other businesses
Speeding, distracted driving, running red lights and stop signs, and other forms of driver negligence are all common causes of bicycle accidents involving child riders. But, from product defects to property hazards, various other factors can (and do) cause child bicycle accidents as well. Once you hire a Birmingham bicycle accident attorney to represent your family, your family’s attorney will be able to conduct a thorough investigation and determine what claim (or claims) he or she can file on your family’s behalf.
What Compensation is Available in Child Bicycle Injury Cases?
Just like other types of personal injury claims, claims involving child bicycle injuries can include compensation for both financial and non-financial losses. Crucially, parents can seek compensation not only for losses suffered to date, but for future losses as well. This includes common losses such as:
- Medical bills (including bills for emergency medical treatment and both inpatient and outpatient care)
- Medications, medical supplies, medical devices and other out-of-pocket costs
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma, post-traumatic stress and loss of enjoyment of life
Since minors cannot take legal action themselves, Alabama law allows parents to take legal action on their children’s behalf. As a general rule, any damages awarded must be held for the child’s benefit, and the courts will put safeguards in place to ensure that parents do not use their children’s settlements or court awards improperly. While parents can generally use the funds awarded to cover relevant medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs, they may be required to obtain court approval before doing so.
Should I Hire an Attorney if My Child was Injured in a Bicycle Accident?
Due to the complexity of child bicycle injury claims, hiring an experienced attorney is strongly recommended. Our attorneys handle these claims for families across Alabama. If your child has been injured in a bicycle accident, our attorneys can assess your family’s legal rights and, if your family has a claim, take prompt legal action to seek the financial compensation your family deserves.
FAQs: Protecting Your Family’s Legal Rights After a Bicycle Accident in Alabama
How do I file a claim if my child was injured in a bicycle accident?
If your child was injured in a bicycle accident, filing a claim will start with identifying the at-fault party. You will need to engage a law firm to gather evidence of liability, and you should start the process as soon after your child’s accident as possible.
What if my child was partially at fault in the accident?
Under Alabama law, being partially at fault can prevent accident victims from recovering financial compensation. As a result, it is critical not to make any assumptions about what happened or who was to blame. Once you hire a Birmingham bicycle accident attorney, your attorney can conduct a comprehensive case assessment and advise you of your family’s legal rights.
Can I seek compensation for my own lost earnings and emotional distress?
Parents whose children have suffered traumatic injuries can seek compensation for their own losses in some cases. If you have experienced lost earnings or emotional distress as a result of your child’s injury, our attorneys can determine if you have grounds to pursue a financial recovery in addition to pursuing your child’s claim for damages.
How We Can Help if Your Child Was Injured in a Bicycle Accident
We are passionate about representing accident victims and their families, and we have a soft spot for children who have suffered injuries due to other people’s negligence. If your child has been injured in a bicycle accident, we are prepared to do everything we can to help you recover the financial compensation you and your child deserve. We handle all child injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, which means that we do not charge any out-of-pocket fees or costs for our legal representation.
Get Help from an Experienced Birmingham Bicycle Accident Attorney
Was your child injured in a bicycle accident in Alabama? If so, we strongly encourage you to contact us right away so that we can fight for the financial compensation your family deserves. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Birmingham bicycle accident attorney as soon as possible, call us at 205-855-2745 or tell us how we can contact you online now.