The thought of any car accident happening is upsetting. There’s something about innocent kids who have their whole lives ahead of them getting hurt or killed that is particularly hard for most individuals to swallow, though. Car crashes often leave kids with more catastrophic injuries than they do adults.
What are the most common crash-related injuries kids receive?
United States Department of Transportation (DOT) data shows that concussions and other head trauma and organ, back and chest injuries are the most common diagnoses children receive from their involvement in a crash.
That same data also captures how concussions are most common among child car accident victims younger than 1. Children over that age most commonly suffer skull fractures, bruises and cuts. The DOT’s statistics also capture how children involved in rollover accidents have 10 times the chance of suffering an incapacitating injury than any others that have a crash.
DOT data shows that parents who strap in their kids in second-row seats are the least likely to suffer injuries in a crash. The likelihood that a child seated in a front passenger seat will get hurt in a front-end crash is double that of a juvenile strapped in the back seat. The statistics are much the same when it comes to side collision accidents as well.
What’s concerning about childhood car accident injuries
You must seek out medical attention right away following an auto accident, even if your child appears to be doing well. The severity of a person’s injuries isn’t always readily apparent after they first get hurt. It may take several hours or days for their severity to manifest itself. It may be too late to avoid irreversible damage once your child starts having headaches, memory issues or other symptoms of a severe health problem.
Medical costs can quickly accumulate, even if you have health insurance. Fortunately, Georgia law may allow you to recover compensation if an Augusta motorist’s negligence resulted in your child getting hurt in a car accident. An attorney will want to know more about the events leading up to your crash before advising you of your right to hold a negligent motorist accountable for their actions in your case.