Pediatrics and Injured Children
If you are a parent seeking information on what to do to protect your
child, no doubt you are worried, stressed and pulled in a million different
directions. Contacting a lawyer seems like a huge additional burden.
At Legate & Associates we have met many parents like
you, who were dealing with tragic circumstances, but needed clear information
and answers to a multitude of questions. Our goal is to provide you with that
information in as straightforward, efficient manner as possible, and to ensure
that we respect your needs for flexibility, objectivity and creativity in
dealing with your special circumstances.
Just as a severely injured child needs specialized medical care, so too
does he or she need specialized legal attention. Some legal
issues that face the child and his or her parents that do not concern adults:
- As yet unknown potential. It will take skill and
experience to ensure a child recovers for lost potential income earning
ability;
- A long future of needs for care and medical
attention that will have to be funded, again requiring access to specialized
experts;
- Potentially
shorter life expectancy for parents than their child, creating worries
about who will care for their child in future;
- Immediate needs for return to normal or close to
normal function at school and
play, requiring
specialized assessments and supports;
- Overburden parents requiring sensitive respite care while respecting a child’s need for
consistency and a feeling of safety;
- Unique psychological impacts on children compared
to an adult, requiring specialized assessments;
- Potential for exploitation;
- Mandatory court approval of any settlement for a
child;
- Ongoing supervision of the use of settlement
funds by the court;
- The challenge of dealing with modern family
arrangements;
- Ongoing relationships with siblings and the
impact on the rest of the family of dealing with a disabled child;
These are but a few of the more important potential concerns.
Each of these items result in opportunities for recovery
of damages for the child and his or her family. It is our job to ensure that
each issue is looked at carefully, and
appropriate decisions are made by you for everyone concerned.
At Legate & Associates, our team is experienced in dealing with a
broad variety of injuries to children. These include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal chord injury
- Birth trauma
- Fatality
- Orthopaedic injury
- Multiple complex injury
It costs nothing to find out how you can protect your child.
We offer a free initial consultation where you can discuss your
concerns and take as long as it requires. You will meet with a lawyer
and members of our legal professional team who will listen to your
concerns with interest, objectivity and expertise. Objective and
experienced advice at this time is critical. And that is what we offer.
At the initial consultation, we will review with you in detail how
your child was injured, and how the law will potentially apply in your case.
Our goal is to give you good information so you can make an educated
decision about proceeding.
Learn more about lawsuits and the costs of lawsuits by going to our
FAQ section.
NEW! Also, please see our Articles section below for articles written by Barbara Legate and Sean Mackintosh.
Published Articles