Regardless of the circumstances, having a child in a car accident is a terrifying prospect for a parent. As parents, our primary goal is to ensure the safety of our children. There are no two ways about it—car accidents are dangerous and happen startlingly often. In 2018 alone, 97,000 children under the age of 12 suffered injuries in car crashes.
Every parent fears picking up the phone to find out their child was in a car accident. Aside from wondering whether your child is safe after an accident, one of the first things you may wonder after receiving such a call is, Do I need to hire a lawyer to help protect my child’s interests? After all, you want to do what’s best for your child—lawyers are an excellent guiding resource on the legal and financial side of things after a car accident.
How Can a Lawyer Help?
Generally, contacting an accident lawyer for a consultation after finding out your child was in a car accident is a good idea.
If your child suffers an injury that is another driver’s fault, a lawyer can give you advice on how to seek compensation most effectively. If your child suffers a serious injury, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit. This is true whether the driver of your child, the driver of another car, or a driver that strikes your child as a pedestrian is at fault. In a more straightforward case, a lawyer can help you negotiate with insurance companies. They can even look at a settlement that an insurance company proposes to let you know if it is fair. According to Miley Legal, you should never admit fault after a car accident. On the other hand, your teen driver may be at fault for causing an accident. Most states have laws that impose civil liability on parents. These laws are known as “parental liability” or “vicarious liability laws.” As a parent and legal guardian, you are liable for any civil damage your child causes, whether it is during a car accident or not. In these cases a lawyer can help you figure out what sort of damages you are liable for and the potential extent of those damages. Even if you do not hire a lawyer in the end, it helps to get their initial opinion on what you should do next.
Do I Have to Pay a Lawyer for a Consultation?
In most personal injury and car accident cases, no, you do not have to pay a lawyer for a consultation. Thus, there is minimal risk in contacting a lawyer for a consultation. Most personal injury and car accident attorneys work on the basis of a contingency fee. With a contingency fee payment arrangement, you pay a lawyer’s fee only after they help you recover compensation.
What Will a Lawyer Tell Me in a Consultation?
What advice a lawyer gives you in their consultation will depend on the circumstances of the accident. In particular, a lawyer’s initial advice will hinge upon your child’s involvement during the accident (or lack thereof) and whether damage occurred during the accident. The best-case scenario after a car accident is that no one is hurt. Ideally, you won’t need to hire and pay a lawyer. Still, it is best to err on the side of caution and get a professional opinion whenever someone threatens your child’s safety or whenever you may be liable for civil damages.
