Columbia Child Injury Lawyer
When your child goes to school or you drop your child off at daycare, you expect him or her to have a safe and enriching experience. Likewise, when you take your child to a playground, amusement park, or zoo, you expect to create memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life. You do not expect your child to suffer a serious injury, and yet this is an all-too-common occurrence at schools and other venues throughout central South Carolina.
At the Marc Brown Law Firm, we are passionate about helping families recover just compensation when their children suffer serious injuries due to others’ carelessness or neglect. We represent families throughout South Carolina. If your child was injured and you have any reason to suspect that someone else might possibly be to blame, we encourage you to contact us promptly. Marc Brown will thoroughly assess your family’s legal rights and determine if you have grounds to pursue a financial recovery.
Traffic Collisions
Our transportation system is practically designed to kill and injure children. Large, tall vehicles are particularly dangerous to child pedestrians, while fast multi-lane roads with narrow sidewalks and few pedestrian crossings make even getting to school a danger for children. As such, motor vehicle drivers pose the greatest threat to children of all ages. Whether your child was riding her bike and hit by a distracted driver, or a drunk driver caused injury to your child when she was a passenger in your vehicle, you have the right to seek compensation from that party.
- Motor vehicle collisions
- Bicycle collisions
- Pedestrian collisions
- Skateboard, scooter, hoverboard, and other collisions with vehicles
School Injuries
Schools have a duty of care to all students when it comes to their safety. Parents can hold a school financially accountable in certain injury scenarios. A few examples of school injury claims that we handle include the following:
- Bullying
- Sexual abuse
- Playground injuries
- School bus injuries
Premises Liability Claims
Three common premises liability claims involving children of all ages include:
- Strip and fall—A trip and fall claim occurs when the floor, stairs, or ramp pose a hazard (such as an extension cord, spilled food, or lack of a hand railing) that causes the victim to fall. Children often fall of their own accord, but that does not mean that a property or business owner is not liable for their injuries if their premises were not safe for all invitees.
- Swimming pool accidents—Property owners with pools must follow South Carolina state regulations regarding fencing surrounding the pool. Tragically, a property or business owner’s negligence can lead to the accidental drowning of young children if they do not follow the state regulations.
- Attractive nuisance claims—If a property owner’s house, building, or vacant lot is predictably appealing to a child, and a child gets injured on the property (even if they are trespassing) the property owner can be held liable in an attractive nuisance claim.
Was Your Child Injured on Public or Private Property, or While in Someone Else’s Care?
Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. While this may be true, it is not an excuse for children to suffer avoidable injuries. Property owners, school and daycare administrators, and others have a legal obligation to take reasonable measures to ensure children’s safety. And when they fall short of this obligation, they can be held fully accountable under South Carolina law.
1. Injuries to Children at South Carolina Daycare and Child Care Centers
In South Carolina, daycare and child care centers are subject to various safety rules and regulations in addition to being held to the same standards as other businesses. When you drop your child off at daycare, you are entitled to expect that your child will receive adequate care and attention in a safe environment, and you should not have to worry that he or she will be injured while you are at work.
Unfortunately, daycare and child care center accidents happen frequently. Our firm represents families in cases against centers in Columbia and throughout South Carolina involving:
- Unsafe toys and play equipment (including toys and equipment that are not age-appropriate)
- Unqualified, inexperienced, and abusive teachers, administrators, and staff
- Unsanitary conditions, exposure to cleaning products and other chemicals, and other health and safety hazards that can cause a slip and fall injury
2. Injuries to Children at Public and Private Schools in South Carolina
Similarly, schools are supposed to be safe places for children to learn and grow. From preschool through high school, parents and students rely on teachers and school personnel to provide protection against physical and psychological harm. Sadly, many teachers and administrators simply do not have the dedication required to adequately protect students, and many cases of intentional verbal, physical, and sexual abuse have been widely reported as well. Columbia child injury lawyer, Marc Brown represents clients in South Carolina in cases involving:
- Unsafe playgrounds, gymnasiums, and sports venues at public and private schools
- Unsafe games, sports equipment, and vocational tools
- Verbal, physical, and sexual assaults by other students, teachers, administrators, and staff members
3. Injuries to Children at Other Locations
In addition to daycare centers and schools, children face injury risks at various other locations as well. Importantly, even if you were present at the time of your child’s injury, your family may still be entitled to financial compensation. In many cases, hidden dangers mean that there is simply nothing parents can do to protect their children from serious injuries. Our practice covers injuries to children occurring on all types of public and private property, including:
- Zoos, gardens, and amusement parks
- Playgrounds and swimming pools in neighborhoods and public parks
- Lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams
- Gymnastics centers, trampoline parks, climbing gyms, fields, and other sports and recreation venues
- Roads (g., school bus, car, bicycle, and golf cart accidents)
- Stores, dentists’ and doctors’ offices, and other businesses
- Private residences (g., dog bites, injuries from dangerous toys, and swimming pool accidents)
Discuss Your Family’s Case with Columbia Child Injury Lawyer, Marc Brown
There are few greater feelings of loss and fear when your child gets seriously injured. It only makes the matter worse knowing that the injury was preventable had the negligent party upheld their duty of care and not texted while driving, kept their premises safe, or ensure that their product was not defective, To help ease the financial burden placed upon you at this time, Columbia child injury attorney Marc Brown can help you seek compensation for your child’s damages. If your child was injured by another party, you have the right to seek compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, extra cost of childcare, future lost wages, loss of joy of life, and more. Reach out to experienced Columbia child injury attorney Marc Brown today at (803) 848-0008 to schedule a free consultation.
