As a parent, the only thing worse than being injured yourself in a traumatic collision is your child being injured. The emotional grief, worry, anger, and feelings of desperation that a parent whose child was seriously injured can only be fully understood by someone who has also been in your shoes. If this has happened to your family, it is strongly encouraged that you seek legal assistance to ensure maximum compensation and the best medical care possible for your child.
Physical Injuries Can be More Severe for Children
In some cases, a broken limb for a child is less serious than the same broken limb for an adult. Children, particularly those under the age of 10, often heal from broken bones much faster than adults because many of their fractures are called “greenstick” fractures. According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of fracture is similar to a green tree branch bending under pressure, but not fully cracking through. Children, in general, heal from injuries much faster and more fully than adults. However, there are some types of injuries that can impair a child for the rest of his or her life. Damage to a growth plate, for instance, can cause stunted or warped development. While most growth plate injuries heal properly, complications include:
- Bony bridge forming on the fracture line, stunting growth or causing bone curvature; and
- Stimulated growth from the plate fracture, causing the bone to be longer than it should be.
Surgery is usually necessary in the case of serious fractures, and some forms of surgery can help remedy deformed or stimulated bone growth from injured growth plates, according to Orthoinfo. Another sometimes permanent type of child injury caused in car crashes, which may not be fully identifiable until an older age, is traumatic brain damage. After all, head injuries are the most common type of injury sustained by children in car crashes, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. For infants and toddlers, it can be particularly challenging to fully comprehend the extent of brain damage until the child is older. Signs of permanent damage may begin to show up when the child should be beginning to speak or walk.
Emotional Trauma Treatment
Often just as serious as physical injuries are the emotional scars that child car crash victims face. They may develop a phobia of cars, traffic, loud noises, and flying. Child victims of car crash often experience anxiety and fear, which can cause sleeplessness, emotional and behavioral problems, problems in school, depression, and physical development problems. Children often benefit from therapy, which is, of course, expensive and may need to be ongoing for months or years.
Call a Kansas City, Missouri Child Victim Traffic Collision Attorney Today
Our attorneys are here to take care of the legal side of this traumatic event so that you can devote your time to helping your child and your family recover. We will ensure that you are in the best position to be awarded the financial compensation needed to pay for hospital bills, ongoing treatment, pain and suffering, and more. To schedule a free consultation today with the Kansas City car collision attorneys of the Krause & Kinsman Law Firm, call 816-399-3356 today.
