Car crashes and defective products can hurt anyone of any background or age. However, there are some groups at higher risk of getting hurt and also other groups who may have higher costs than others in the same situation.
As a parent, you probably would do just about anything to protect your children from injury. However, getting hurt is often part of growing up. When there is a serious injury, like a broken bone, the cost of the necessary treatment can be much higher for children than for adults. Why do childhood injuries cost families more?
Growing bodies require specialized care
A fracture to a leg bone that affects the growth plate could require surgery or result in improper developments in later years. A cut to the face of a young child could lead to a disfiguring scar later in life.
Medical interventions for childhood injuries are often more expensive because of the specialized education required. Younger patients frequently require ongoing care as they continue to grow which also increases costs.
Injuries can traumatize children
An adult can rationalize away their fear of a dog after a vicious attack or of getting back in a car after a crash. Children may struggle to accept the world as it is after suffering a major injury. Families might have to pay for years of therapy for a child to overcome the trauma and phobias that develop after a catastrophic injury.
Children with serious injuries need constant support
When a child in your family gets hurt, they may require around-the-clock care until they recover. Even if your family is in a position to secure nursing support in the home, you may worry about what standard of care those professionals will provide when you are not present to oversee them.
Many families choose to have a parent act as the caregiver for financial and safety reasons, but they will then have to absorb the loss of that adult’s income.
When you understand how children’s injuries can become more expensive over time, it will be easier for you to estimate the financial impact of your child’s recent injury. Pursuing a personal injury claim can be important for the entire family when an underage family member gets hurt.
