Parents generally do everything in their power to keep their children safe and healthy. However, there are certain factors that are frankly outside of a parent’s control. Children may fall down icy stairs at an apartment building. They may end up injured in a car crash or get hurt when a dog turns aggressive with little warning.
Parents then have to deal with the aftermath of their child’s injuries. Not only do parents have to handle the logistics of treating a child’s injury and manage the emotional work of calming an emotional child, but they may also have to prepare for sizable financial losses. Why are child injuries often so expensive?
Growing bodies may require special treatment
The treatment required after a medical incident for a minor will often be far more expensive than similar care for an adult because parents will need to obtain medical support from specialists instead of general practitioners. Numerous injuries that would be minor in adults could prove quite serious for children. A simple broken bone, for example, could require extensive medical support. A break in the wrong location could damage the growth plate, which might lead to uneven or delayed physical development.
Scars can very easily develop
Wounds that would be insignificant on an adult could lead to disfiguring scars for children. The scar tissue can become more pronounced as a child grows. If a child needs to undergo corrective medical procedures, they may need to re-treat the same area every few years until they finally finished developing physically. Not only do children often need more intensive treatment initially to prevent scar formation, but they may require more repeat treatments than adults with similar injuries would need.
Parents may lose out on wages
A child’s serious injury will possibly keep them out of school for several days or even a few weeks. Parents may not be able to hire the child care professionals they would need in that scenario due to limited household income. They may also prefer to provide medical support themselves rather than outsourcing it to a stranger. Child care and nursing expenses can add up to thousands in the weeks after a child’s injury. If a parent provides those services that no cost to the family, the household will lose out on their wages during that time.
Those responding to an incident that has left their child seriously injured need to evaluate their circumstances carefully to better ensure that they obtain an appropriate amount of compensation given the impact that the injuries will have on their family. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to get started.