Albuquerque Child Injury Lawyer

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Was your child recently injured because of an adult’s careless, reckless, or wrongful acts in Albuquerque, NM? Your family may deserve financial compensation. An experienced Albuquerque child injury lawyer from Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover fair compensation. Call our law offices at (505) 785-7770.

Our attorneys have over 55 years of combined experience. We’re committed to helping our injured clients recover the maximum compensation possible–and we’ve successfully recovered over $30 million for our efforts.

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How Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With a Child Injury Claim in Albuquerque

Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers is an award-winning personal injury law firm. Time and time again, we’ve proven our ability to get results for our clients when it matters most. We have a 98% success rate when it comes to recovering full compensation for families like yours.

You didn’t expect your child to get hurt. When the injury was someone else’s fault, it’s natural to feel angry. Many parents of injured children are also quickly overwhelmed by the costs. Our Albuquerque personal injury attorneys will help you fight for just compensation.

When you hire us, we will:

Comprehensively investigate to determine the cause of your child’s injuries
Gather all evidence
Identify all parties who are legally responsible for your damages
Keep you informed and offer personal support at all stages of the legal process
Hire trusted experts who can strengthen your claim
Handle the negotiations with the insurance companies so you can focus on your child

Our Albuquerque personal injury lawyers can help you reject any lowball settlements and fight for you at trial if it comes to that. Just give us a call to schedule your free consultation today.

How Common Are Childhood Injuries?

Children are injured every day. Most of the time, those injuries are just a normal part of growing up. However, when adults are careless, child injuries also have the potential to be severe.

According to the CDC, injuries are a leading cause of death for children in the U.S. Injuries cause about one out of every five childhood fatalities.

Of course, most childhood injuries aren’t fatal. However, CDC reports show that for every child who dies due to childhood injuries, another 25 are hospitalized, and 925 kids are treated in emergency rooms.

The situation is no different in New Mexico. According to a report published by the New Mexico Department of Health, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for children statewide. Motor vehicle accidents were the most common cause of childhood fatalities in New Mexico.

What Causes Most Childhood Injuries in Albuquerque?

Because child injuries are so common, it’s important to understand why they’re happening.

Some of the most common causes of child injuries include:

Car accidents
Suffocation
Falls
Drowning
Fires and burns
Poisoning
Pedestrian accidents
Bicycle accidents
Sports accidents
Truck accidents
School bus accidents
Playground accidents
Dog bites and animal attacks
Defective products
Exposure to toxic substances
Medical malpractice or medical negligence
Assault
Sexual assault
Negligent security
Dangerous property conditions (premises liability)
Child abuse and neglect

Our lawyers in Albuquerque are here to help if your child was injured in an accident or a victim of a crime. If you need legal assistance, call our personal injury law firm today to schedule a free case review.

How Do I Recover Compensation if My Child Was Injured in Albuquerque?

As in all personal injury cases, you must prove that someone else was responsible for your child’s injuries to recover compensation.

Most childhood injury claims are based on negligence.

Negligence means:

Someone owed your child a legal duty of care
They breached that duty
The breach of duty directly caused your child’s accident or injuries
Your family suffered damages, which are physical, emotional, and/or financial losses

For example, when you trust a school, daycare, or childcare provider with your child’s care, they owe you a legal duty of care. That duty includes exercising reasonable caution to keep your child safe. If your child was injured because the person responsible for your child’s safety was careless, you may have a valid claim for negligent supervision.

Similarly, the at-fault driver in a motor vehicle accident can be liable for careless driving that injures your child.

That said, there are several different legal theories that may be relevant to your case. Depending on the circumstances, there are different elements that you may have to establish.

Premises Liability

Property owners have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for invited visitors and guests. When children frequently visit the premises, the owner has a duty to take extra precautions to keep kids safe.

Generally, when you visit a business or property that is open to the public, the owner has a duty to:

Fix any known dangerous conditions
Inspect the premises regularly to identify unsafe property conditions
Provide adequate warning about dangers that can’t be fixed immediately

Property owners have added responsibilities to protect young children who trespass because of certain property conditions. Under the attractive nuisance doctrine, owners must take precautions to ensure children are kept safe from things that are attractive to kids and that can also be dangerous.

For example, if your neighbor failed to install a fence around their pool and your child fell in the pool, the neighbor may be liable even if your child was trespassing.

Product Liability

In product liability cases, manufacturers of defective products can be held strictly liable. You won’t have to prove negligence if your child was injured due to a defective toy, child seat, or children’s product.

Instead, you must prove that the product had a defect and that your child was injured because of that defect.

Intentional Criminal Acts

All too often, children are victims of violent crimes. Your child’s attacker can be held liable in civil court for the intentional tort they have committed. That’s true even if they’re facing criminal charges.

You may also have a valid claim against a property owner who failed to install adequate security. When criminal acts are reasonably foreseeable, property owners can be held liable when others are injured due to negligent security.

What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Child’s Injuries?

Injuries to children can have a life-long impact when they happen because of a traumatic event.

Depending on the circumstances, your child may struggle with:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Developmental delays
Difficulty establishing relationships
Limited mobility
Cognitive disabilities
Brain damage
Fear
Anxiety disorders
Scarring or disfigurement

These consequences can linger long after your child has recovered from their physical injuries.

You can count on our Albuquerque child injury attorneys to factor in these and other long-term effects of your child’s injuries. We’ll work closely with your family, doctors, and other experts when we’re evaluating the impact the injury has had on your family. That analysis, in turn, will dictate the value of your personal injury claim.

What Types of Compensation Can I Recover for My Injuries in Albuquerque, New Mexico?

Your child may deserve compensation for both economic damages and non-economic damages. Examples include the following:

Medical bills
Future medical expenses
Your lost wages while you care for your child
Lost future earning capacity
Rehabilitative care
Special education needs
Increased childcare costs
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Diminished quality of life
Loss of a healthy childhood
Disfigurement
Anxiety disorders
Fear and PTSD

If your child was hurt, contact us today to discuss the types of damages that may be available to your family.

What Are the Most Common Types of Childhood Injury?

Children can be particularly susceptible to a wide range of injuries in an accident.

At Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers, we often handle child injury cases involving:

Broken bones
Burns
Cuts and lacerations
Soft tissue damage, strains, and sprains
Traumatic brain injuries
Concussions
Spinal cord injuries
Head and neck injuries
Dislocations
Organ damage
Crushing injuries
Amputations
Paralysis
Catastrophic injuries
Wrongful death of a loved one

If your child suffers injuries, seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Quality medical care can limit the potential for complications or infections. Getting medical treatment quickly can also be critical to establishing the link between the at-fault party’s actions and your child’s injury.

How Long Do I Have To File a Child Injury Lawsuit in New Mexico?

The statute of limitations in the typical New Mexico personal injury case is three years. As a parent, you have three years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit on behalf of your child.

However, your child was a minor at the time of the accident. That means they will have more time to take legal action on their own if you don’t choose to seek compensation on their behalf.

There are exceptions to the statute of limitations as well. Contact our legal team as soon as you can to protect your legal rights and confirm the amount of time you have to file a claim in your case.

Contact an Albuquerque Child Injury Lawyer To Schedule a Free Consultation Today

If your child sustained injuries due to someone else’s negligence, contact Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers today. An Albuquerque child injury lawyer can help you fight for every cent your family deserves. Your initial case assessment is always completely free of charge.