New York Child Brain Injury Lawyer

Brain injuries are one of the most common types of injuries that result from accidents. Nearly 2,000,000 people in the United States suffer brain injuries each year. Many of the victims are children. In fact, almost 500,000 children are treated in the emergency room each year for brain injuries. Children ages 0-4 and 15-19 are at highest risk for injuries to the brain. For children, nearly 50% of brain injuries occur as a result of falls. However, they are also caused by car accidents, assaults, and sports injuries. Brain injuries in children can be devastating as they can change the course of a child’s life. Serious brain injuries cause cognitive problems and intellectual deficits. For the parents of the victim, the injury is not only emotionally heartbreaking, it is also financially stressful, as the bills for caring for a brain injured child can be astronomical. If your child sustained a brain injury that you believe was caused by negligence, immediately contact an experienced New York child brain injury lawyer who will help you through the process of demanding recompense for the losses your child and your family suffered due to your child’s brain injury.

Just like with adults, brain injuries in children are caused by a variety of incidents. The most common cause is falls. For all brain injury victims falls account for 35% of brain injuries, while for children falls account for nearly 50% of brain injuries. This is not surprising as children spent a great deal of time running and jumping. However, not all child brain injuries are simply accidents from normal play. Children are victims of premises accidents caused by property owners who fail to make sure their property is safe and free of hazards.

Child suffer brain injuries in car accidents. Whenever there is a violent collision between multiple cars or a car and a fixed object such as tree, the occupants of the vehicle are tossed about causing acceleration and deceleration of the head causing brain damage.

Children also suffer brain damage in assaults. As New York child brain injury lawyers, we are well aware that in some cases the assault involves a “fight” involving two or more children. In other cases the assault is indeed child abuse where a parent, guardian, relative, or caregiver shakes, hits, punches, pushes, throws, or in some other way beats the child so violently that the child suffers brain damage.

Many children also suffer concussions and other types of brain damage while participating in sports and other recreational activities such as hockey, lacrosse, football, baseball, and horseback riding.

Jane, the babysitter, forgets to close the gate at the top of the stairs. One year old, Jayden, tumbles down the stairs and suffers a brain injury. Babysitter could be held liable for negligence.

Lenny runs a red light at a high speed and collides with minivan driven by Sally. Sally’s 6-year old son, Hugo, suffers a mild concussion. Lenny could be held liable due to his reckless driving.

Charlie is driving with his 10-month old baby secured in the back seat of his sedan in an appropriate car seat. Carl dashes out into the middle of the street in front of Charlie’s car. Charlie slams on his brakes. The car seat fails and the baby is ejected from it, and suffers a brain injury. The manufacturer of the car seat could be held liable if it is determined that the car seat was faulty.

Whenever a child suffer a head injury, it is a good idea to have the child evaluated by a medical professional. While there are classic symptoms of brain injuries, if the injury is mild the symptoms may be subtle, or the may be delayed.

Physical symptoms of brain injury include loss of consciousness—even for a few seconds, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, and dizziness. Sensory symptoms include sensitivity to light and sound, blurred vision, and ringing in the ears. Cognitive symptoms include mood changes, inability to focus, and depression.

Young children may not have the communication skills to report symptoms. Parents and caregivers should watch children and note any changes in mood and behavior, changes in eating or nursing habits, and persistent crying.

Treatment of a brain injury may involve emergency room treatment and diagnostic testing, hospitalization, surgery, medication, and rehabilitation. It depends on the type of brain injury and its severity. Mild brain injuries may involve little more than bed rest, an ice pack, and observation. Moderate brain injuries may involve hospitalization, medication, and rehabilitation. Severe brain injuries may involve surgery, an extended hospital stay, and rehabilitation.

The costs associated with treating a brain injury can be substantial, particularly if the injury is moderate or severe. Not only do parents have to pay medical bills, parents often have to miss a significant amount of work to care for the ailing child.

As a child brain injury attorney in New York will explain, if your child’s injury was caused by negligence, you can file a claim and demand compensation. You can demand payment for the child’s medical expenses, your lost wages, your child’s decrease in future earning ability, pain and suffering, and other losses related to the injury.

If your child is struggling to recover from brain trauma that was caused by negligent behavior, you may have the right to compensation to cover your medical expenses and other losses you and your child suffered. However, it is important you are represented by a child brain injury attorney serving New York who understands both the legal issues involved as well as the medical issues associated with pediatric brain injuries. The staff at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates has years of experience winning significant settlements for injured clients. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.