Columbus
Child Injury Lawyer

Was your child hurt by another child? What if an adult hurts your child? Could you get compensation for them as their parents? The answer is yes, but you need a Columbus personal injury attorney to help you navigate the laws on this matter.

Depending on the situation, the amount of money you could get may be limited. Yet with our help at John Foy & Associates, we will work to get you the most money possible. You and your child deserve justice, and we can help you with that through the civil court system.

Parents Are Liable for Child Injuries

If an adult hurts your child, the case proceeds like any other lawsuit. You, as the parents, may sue on their behalf. But what if a child harms your child? Here, it is the parents of that child who you would sue.

A school may also have liability as well, but suing a school is harder than you might know due to sovereign immunity laws. John Foy & Associates has helped parents with this task in the past, but they have a lot of legal protections. It is easier these days because of the number of cameras in modern schools.

We can get that evidence and use it as part of your claim, along with any other evidence we need to build your case. Paying for a child’s medical expenses is part of being a parent, but you shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of someone else’s deliberate attack or negligence.

The Limits on Child Injury Claims

If a child physically hurts another child, Georgia law allows you to sue their parents, but they set the limit to compensation for $10,000. While helpful, this may not be enough to make your child whole again, especially for vicious physical attacks.

There may be other avenues to compensation besides this law, depending on the kinds of injuries your child has suffered. Non-economic damages, like disfigurement, could come into play that may allow us to pursue additional compensation.

The only way to know how much you could be eligible for is by contacting our child injury lawyers in Columbus. We will listen to your story and assess your chances of success. Once we have your evidence, we can see if you can go beyond the $10,000 legal limit.

Can I Sue Over Mental Abuse or Bullying?

Yes, but with a catch. Georgia law allows suing for mental or verbal abuse if that abuse causes or is accompanied by physical abuse. For example, if your child gets anxiety after getting beat up at school, we could include the costs of therapy and medication in your lawsuit.

There are many more forms of bullying than there were when most parents were younger. Cyberbullying is a tremendous problem and largely invisible, but it can have devastating mental effects and push children into self-harm. There have even been cases of suicide driven by cyberbullying.

If you believe this is happening to your child, help them get the care they need before it’s too late. Since most bullying comes from other kids, the bully’s parents would be liable in these situations as well. If the communications are happening through school devices or through school channels, you may also have a claim against the school.

Protecting Your Child at School

Negligent administration can ignore a bullying problem or complaints that one is happening. Most of us have experienced unfair situations from teachers and school administrators. As a parent, you can work with the school about the situation your child is facing.

If your complaint is ignored and your child gets hurt, that’s evidence of neglect and could open the school to a lawsuit. As we mentioned, the rules about suing a school are complex, but it is possible to win or settle.

A successful lawsuit against a school can also get an incompetent staff member removed. This can protect other children from the same negligence. School staff must create a safe environment for all students, where no bullying of any kind happens, as best as they can. We can help you enforce that.

Seek Help and Compensation for Your Child

Child injuries are incredibly damaging to a child’s self-esteem, as well as their bodies. They’re also financially damaging to you. When those injuries are because of someone else’s negligence or deliberate action, even a child’s, you have options.

Speak with our Columbus child injury lawyers at John Foy & Associates for a consultation. The worst we can tell you is that you don’t have a case, and your consultation is free. Let us hear your story by using our contact form or calling us.