Car accidents happen all the time, and children are uniquely vulnerable to injuries in ways that adults are not. Not only are children likely to be injured in different ways than adults, but the injuries that children receive in car accidents tend to be more severe.
Among children involved in car wrecks, concussions and injuries to their internal organs, chests and backs are most common.
Why are some injuries more common than others in children?
Children under one year of age are more likely to suffer concussions in auto accidents than their older counterparts. Kids over one year of age are most commonly suffer cuts, bruises or skull fractures in crashes. Kids are also ten times more likely to suffer incapacitating injuries in a car crash than any other type of accident.
Studies show that children tend to suffer fewer injuries in car accidents if their parents strap them in second-row seats. Children in front seats during an accident are twice as likely to suffer injuries in a front-end crash than when they’re in their back seats. A child’s risk of suffering injuries in a front or side collision also significantly decreases when they sit in second-row seats.
What should you do after your child’s involvement in a car accident?
Ensuring that your child sees a doctor right away is critical after an auto accident. Children’s skeletal structures are different from adults’. The impact of their injuries isn’t always immediately apparent. Any injuries that a child suffers in an auto accident have a long-term effect on their life, including improper bone growth, memory loss and reading difficulties.
You may be able to file a claim on your child’s behalf to recover compensation for accident-related expenses such as medical bills. The financial settlement that you may be eligible for may vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident and applicable state law.
