No matter how careful you are, accidents happen. Even a trip to the State Fair can turn into a nightmare, as it did for 4-year-old Sheldon Lewis on November 2, 2011. Sheldon had just enjoyed a ride at the Louisiana State Fair when the ride was accidentally activated, trapping him underneath for twenty minutes. Sheldon Lewis was in critical condition for days after the accident.
Just a week later, an 11-year-old boy had to be airlifted from the scene of an accident on Highway 31 in St. Martinville after a driver coming the opposite direction crossed the center line and caused a collision. The accident left the boy in critical condition, as well. When these tragic accidents occur, they are devastating for the child and for his or her family.
Trauma is Not Short-term
When your child comes home with a few bruises or scratches from a fall, you can doctor his scrapes and send him on his way. Sadly this is not the case with traumatic injuries, particularly those involving head injury such as concussion. In the book Traumatic Head Injury in Children, editors Sarah H. Broman and Mary Ellen Michel offer a review of research on childhood brain injury. Research shows that traumatic brain injury (TBI) can affect social and academic skills as well as memory and attention. Serious injury lasts not only as long as the hospital stay, but may continue to affect your child throughout his or her life. The full range of brain damage is often not known immediately, with effects sometimes taking years to surface, especially when the trauma goes undiagnosed.
Costs of Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury in children up to 14 years old accounts for 435,000 trips to the emergency room, 37,000 hospitalizations and 2,700 deaths, according to the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Victims of TBI may face lifelong financial costs as a result of the physical and emotional toll of the injury. Extremely serious injuries may result in astronomical costs, including:
Hospital bills
Cost of rehab
Loss of income for injured and caretakers
Lifelong disability
Adaptive equipment
Medical supplies
In-home care
Consider the Future
Even though you cannot prevent accidents from happening, you can help to ensure that your child has the resources to overcome challenges they may face because of injury. When injury is caused by the negligent actions of an individual, company or government you can take action to collect damages.
For example, minor child Raymond Ray was involved in a serious hit and run accident. The skilled accident injury lawyers at Lamothe Lea Aertker, LLC, were able to win a substantial settlement that was placed in a trust to cover living and medical expenses for the rest of Raymond’s life.
Source:
http://llajustice.com/2011/11/17/getting-justice-for-your-child-is-no-accident/
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