Children hurt in bicycle accidents caused by careless drivers must get the best care available. Their parents should also receive every penny they need to cover medical bills. Child patients often deal with more intense injuries, and they can require support in the years ahead as their injuries affect their development.
Filing an injury claim for a child comes with a lot of important responsibilities. If your little one has suffered a serious injury, it’s a good idea to trust the case to a legal professional. Ylla|Gosney Attorneys at Law offers a free consultation to all bicycle accident victims and their families. It’s a way to determine what young victims need in support to get them back on their bikes again.
Finding Support for Child Bicycle Accident Victims in Tulsa
A lawyer helps determine the level of support a child and parents will need right now and as the child grows through every stage of life. When certain hardships are left out of a bicycle accident claim, parents often get stuck with those bills.
Your lawyer will include every damage so that insurance companies know exactly what they are expected to cover and include in a settlement check:
- Totals on current ambulance fees, emergency room bills, hospital bills, and physical therapy costs.
- Additional medical support for the future. Child bicycle accident victims can struggle with their injuries years later as they approach adulthood. An injury can flare up as their bones and muscles develop and try to grow. Sometimes surgery is necessary to correct a broken bone that’s healed incorrectly. These costs must all be the responsibility of the insurance company.
- Estimates on the cost of restorative surgeries for children suffering disfigurements.
- Estimates on long-term care if a child is left with permanent physical disabilities.
- Support for the physical pain child victims endure
- Support for the emotional trauma children must cope with. This might include the anxiety and PTSD symptoms victims experience in the aftermath of a frightening car collision.
- Totals on travel costs as children must make doctor’s appointments and meet with surgeons. The costs could include trips out of town to see pediatric specialists.
- Totals on lost paychecks and benefits, while parents must miss work while caring for a child and driving to medical appointments.
- In the case of a tragic fatal bicycle accident, families can file a wrongful death claim to ask for help covering the costs of a funeral and paying off remaining medical bills. Parents would also be able to seek support for the companionship and love they’ve lost with their child in the future.
How Long Do Children Have to File an Injury Claim After an Oklahoma Bicycle Accident?
Since children can suffer painful consequences of a bicycle accident years down the road, the statute of limitations on when children or their parents can file a claim is different than normal.
When adults are hurt in a personal injury accident, they usually have up to two years to file a lawsuit over the injury. But a minor can’t file a personal injury claim on their own, so they must often rely on their parents to file within a certain period.
The deadlines are different for child victims and their parents:
- If the victim is under 12 years old, parents or guardians can wait up to 7 years to file a claim.
- If the victim is over 12 or older and under 18, parents or guardians have two years to file a lawsuit.
- Children who turn 18 and their parents have not filed an injury claim for them can file themselves up to a year after their 18th
A Tulsa Child Accident Lawyer can help parents determine what’s best for the child. A skilled attorney will also know how to fight to get the support a child needs now and in the years to come.
Contact a Tulsa Bicycle Accident Attorney
We have an extensive background in safeguarding bicycle accident victims of all ages. At Ylla | Gosney Attorneys At Law, we want safe bicycle rides for every young rider. We also want to fully safeguard victims if they are forced into a serious accident by a dangerous driver. We offer a free, no-obligation case review with a real Tulsa Bicycle Accident Lawyer. Contact us to find out what you can demand from an insurance company on behalf of your child..
Keep in mind that you won’t need any upfront money if you do need our services. We don’t accept payment unless we win your bicycle accident injury case. Then our fee comes out of the settlement your family receives. We also adjust our fees to make sure you keep what you need to rebuild your life and return to the bike rides you love.
