Car Accidents That Result in Injury To A Child

Our Houston car accident attorneys can help you ensure that your child's injuries are taken care of and fairly compensated for.

When a child is injured in a car accident in Houston, the laws apply in a somewhat different manner than they do in a car accident case involving an adult.

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The primary difference lies in the methods in place to determine that the minor child receives a fair settlement.


Statute of Limitations

In most of the Houston vehicle injury cases, the standard two year statute of limitations applies, whereby the plaintiff will only have a period of two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit against the defendant. In the case of a plaintiff who is a minor child, the statute of limitations is extended to a period of two years from their 18th birth day. For example, if the child is 2-years-old at the time of accident, they will effectively have about 18 years from the date of the accident to seek a civil action against the defendant. Should the child be 14 at the time of the accident, they would have about 6 years to file a suit. This is all done in the name of fairness for the minor child. In the event that the child’s parents never went through with a lawsuit, or if they let the ordinary statute expire for their portion of any damages, the child still has the option to pursue the case later in life.


Damages the Parents May be Entitled to

When a child has suffered an injury and the parents hire an attorney, they are effectively hiring the attorney to do what is in the best interest of the child. The attorney’s primary goal is to recover a fair amount of compensation for the child, to be made available to them when they are old enough to make their own decisions. However, the parents of the child will often incur their own damages that their attorney will fight to get them compensated for. Typically, these damages are limited to monetary type damages such as medical expenses. If you think about it, this makes perfect sense as the parent is financially responsible for the child’s medical expenses, but the child as an individual has their own set of damages as the victim.


Damages Available to a Child

The attorney will seek to recover fair compensation for the child’s damages. As the victim, the child is eligible to receive compensation for all of the conventional forms of damages such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical disfigurement, etc. Furthermore, when dealing with a severe injury to a child, Grossman Law Offices of Houston believes that the way the injury has impacted the child’s future ability to interact with other and earn a living must also be taken into consideration.
Many people attempt to look at a child injury case the same way as an injury case involving an adult. We see it as our job to ensure that before anyone ventures to determine what such a case is worth, that they first consider how these injuries will affect the child’s ability to live a normal and productive life throughout a full lifetime, rather than just considering the small snapshot of their immediate damages.


Ad Litem

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In child injury cases, an ad litem is appointed by the court before any settlement or jury verdicts can be agreed upon. The ad litem is a non-biased representative of the court whose job it is to determining that any agreed upon moneys are, in fact, in the best interest of the child, and not simply the whim of the child’s parents or unscrupulous legal counsel. Once the determination is made that the any agreed upon moneys are fair and reasonable, the case may proceed. Upon the completion of the case, the court system will secure the child’s money in an account until they turn 18-years-old.



Some of Our Most Recent Successful Cases

$60,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries & Chiropractic Treatment)
Recovered for client who was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler resulting in soft tissue injuries and chiropractic treatment.
Total Recovery:
$60,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$20,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$1,050.00
$71,197.00 Recovery - Automobile Accident (Soft-Tissue Neck Injury)
(policy limits + UIM claim) Recovery for client who sustained soft tissue injuries to neck which required steroid injections and chiropractic treatment.
Total Recovery:
$71,197.00
Attorney Fees:
$23,852.00
Litigation Expenses:
$125.00
$550,000.00 Recovery - Wrongful Death / First Party Dram Shop
A young woman lost her life after a bar over served her to more than three times the legal limit resulting in her burning to death in a single-vehicle accident. Witnesses stated that she was so intoxicated that she could barely make it to her vehicle without assistance. Through litigation, our attorneys ascertained the necessary evidence to prove that the establishment provided alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person, thus resulting in her ultimate demise.
Total Recovery:
$550,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$220,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$25,000.00
$225,000.00 Recovery - Automobile Accident (Back Injury)
Our firm was hired to pursue a claim against a negligent following a rear-end car accident. The plaintiff was driving her vehicle in traffic on I-30 in Dallas, TX when the defendant approached from behind and collided with her vehicle, pushing it into the vehicle in front of her. The plaintiff sustained disc compression and herniation at C3-4 which required surgery to rectify. The defendant's ultimately accepted liability but heavily disputed the damages. Under threat of litigation, the defendants raised their offer. Our attorneys continued to aggressively negotiate on behalf of our client and a satisfactory result was eventually obtained.
Total Recovery:
$225,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$95,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$2,500.00
$75,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Soft-Tissue Back Injuries)
Recovery for client who suffered soft tissue back injuries when he was rear ended by a delivery truck.
Total Recovery:
$75,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$25,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$100.00
$65,000.00 Recovery - Automobile Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries)
Recovered for client who suffered soft-tissue injuries in an automobile accident.
Total Recovery:
$65,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$26,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$1,500.00
$40,000.00 Recovery - Automobile Accident (Soft-Tissue Neck Injuries)
Recovery for client who suffered soft tissue neck injuries in a car accident.
Total Recovery:
$40,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$13,333.00
Litigation Expenses:
$50.00
$1,450,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Brain Injury)
Our firm was hired by a delivery driver who suffered a closed head injury resulting in the permanent loss of smell in a head-on accident. The incident occurred as the driver of an 18-wheeler lost control of his vehicle and veered into oncoming traffic. Our client's delivery vehicle was struck head-on, causing massive damage to both vehicles.

Our client was taken to an area hospital where he was treated for minor bodily injuries and a closed head injury which originally manifested itself as a concussion and temporary memory loss.

Suit was filed against the defendants following their failure to respond to our correspondence in a timely manner and litigation began. Included in the suit were both the defendant truck driver and his employer. The results of our investigation and the physical evidence from the accident scene made it apparent that the defendants had indeed caused the accident. Defense counsel soon conceded liability
Total Recovery:
$1,450,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$560,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$31,410.00
$41,500.00 Recovery - Automobile Accident (Soft-Tissue Neck Injuries)
Recovery for client who suffered soft tissue neck injuries in a relatively minor car accident.
Total Recovery:
$41,500.00
Attorney Fees:
$16,600.00
Litigation Expenses:
$918.00
Confidential Recovery - Wrongful Death / Commercial Vehicle Accident
(policy limits) Our attorneys secured a recovery against a major trucking company for the daughter of a man who was killed after his vehicle collided into an 18-wheeler which was blocking the roadway. Litigation is ongoing against additional defendants.
Total Recovery:
Confidential
Attorney Fees:
Confidential
Litigation Expenses:
Confidential