It can be nearly impossible to remain clear-headed and control your emotions after a car accident, particularly one that involves your child. Statistics show that children are more likely to suffer from life-threatening and severe injuries in car accidents due to their fragile neck and spinal cord, and softer heads.
Fact: each year, more than 120,000 children aged 12 and under are injured in car accidents in California and all across the U.S., while small children and infants are more likely to be severely hurt in motor vehicle collisions.
While paying attention to child safety should be your priority when traveling in a car with your child, the use of car seats, booster seats, and seatbelts may not always be enough to prevent injuries and harm to children in crashes, our Los Angeles car accident attorney at the Compass Law Group, LLP, says.
What you do immediately after a car crash can potentially reduce the severity of harm and injuries in children. That is why our best car accident attorneys in California have outlined a protocol for you to follow after a crash to minimize harm.
Do NOT move your child after a car accident
Immediately after the collision, call paramedics even if it seems that your child has not been harmed in the car accident. Many parents wrongfully assume that if there is no visible damage outside (bleeding, bruises, etc.), then the child is okay even if he or she is crying (“He/she is just scared,” they think).
But it is always a good idea to let medical professionals evaluate your child after a car accident, as some injuries may not be visible or show immediately after the crash. While it is recommended for you, as a parent, to assess your child for injuries at the scene of the crash, avoid moving him or her until paramedics arrive.
If the child has suffered an injury, moving him or her around can do even more damage. First responders know what they are doing, they are trained to assess children at the scene of car crashes without doing more harm and can transport them to stabilize children to prevent more injuries.
Even if the doctor at the hospital says that your child was not injured and is totally okay after the crash, our Los Angeles car accident attorney advises you to keep an eye on your child in the coming days and weeks just to be on a safe side. Moreover, it is advised to contact an attorney after the accident to ensure that the at-fault driver pays for the damages and injuries you and your child have suffered.
Signs that your child could have been injured in a car accident
These are the signs in your child, which, if noticed must prompt you to seek medical attention after the car accident.
- Vomiting for no reason. If your child begins vomiting in the coming days or weeks after a car accident, and there are no signs of illness or food poisoning, you need to take him/her to a hospital to get him/her checked. Vomiting may be a sign of head injuries.
- Mood, behavior or sleep changes. If your child’s mood, behavior or sleep have changed after the auto accident, these may be signs of an injury. Seek medical help right away.
- Excessive crying or screaming. If your child cries or screams for no reason in the coming days after the auto accident, this may be a sign for concern, especially in younger children and infants who cannot communicate verbally to say how they feel.
Have you or your child been injured in a car accident in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California? Contact the contact form, to get a free consultation today.
