Understanding What to do After a Car Accident Where Your Child is Present

No parent wants to think about the possibility of harm befalling their children. Yet we all know that at some point, every parent has to bandage up a cut or scrape resulting from playground horseplay. And sometimes parents have to ponder even more serious injuries such as those that happen during car accidents.

According to the Center for Disease Control and prevention, every hour, almost 150 children between the ages of 0 and 19 are treated in emergency departments for injuries sustained in car crashes. And sadly, injuries related to car crashes cause more fatalities among children between the ages of 5 to 19 than any other type of injury.

WINK News recently reported that a 19-month-old girl succumbed to injuries sustained in a North Fort Myers car crash. The crash involved the rear ending of a semi-truck that was stalled and stopped on a bridge and also caused the death of a 58-year-old man.

Unfortunately, you may not be able to stop every car accident from happening. However, you can potentially reduce the severity of harm and injuries in your children by understanding what you should do after a crash.

Understand How to React Immediately After the Crash

• Call 9-1-1 and ensure that you communicate that there is a child in your car.
• Try to determine whether you have been physically injured.
• Attempt to visibly assess the extent of your child’s injuries.
• Try to remain calm and keep your child as calm as possible until authorities arrive.
• Resist moving your child until first responders arrive to help. Even if your child does not have obvious injuries, there could still be injuries that could be made worse with the wrong move.

Understand What to do in the Days Following the Crash

• Continue looking out for signs of injury. Especially in young children who cannot yet talk, you should look out for signs such as excessive crying, vomiting, and changes in mood, behavior, or sleep. If you notice anything that makes you suspicious, immediately obtain medical care.
• Consider buying a new car seat or booster seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recommended that any kind of child restraint be replaced after any moderate or severe crash. When you dispose of the old car seat, cut the harness and rip tears in the seat to discourage anyone else from trying to use it.

We Can Help.

Despite your best efforts to keep the smallest members of your family safe while driving place to place, you and your children can be injured in an accident resulting from someone else’s negligence. We understand how difficult it is when a child is injured in an accident and we can help you hold the responsible parties accountable while you focus on helping your child heal. Contact the experienced Fort Myers personal injury attorneys of The Pendas Law Firm today and we will help you recover the compensation you are entitled to.

The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Miami, Daytona, Jacksonville, and Bradenton areas.

Resources:

nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/Traffic%20Injury%20Control/Articles/Associated%20Files/NHTSAPosition.pdf

cdc.gov/safechild/road_traffic_injuries/index.html

https://www.pendaslaw.com/what-you-should-know-about-red-light-cameras/