You obviously want the best for your child and do everything you can to protect your son or daughter. Unfortunately, you do not have everything under control and, despite your good care, your child could be injured as a result of an accident. It could be an accident in traffic, a fall while playing outside or a dog bite. The question then is what to do if your child is injured during an accident. You can read all about it here.
Your child has been hit by a car
Children are especially vulnerable in traffic. They are not always careful and it may result into an accident as a result. Children are of course the safest in the car because you are in control of the traffic. And in a good high chair, children are well protected.
Particularly as pedestrians or cyclists, the situation is very different and children are extremely vulnerable. Many accidents occur with children in traffic who are playing outside or cycling to school. And no matter how well you pay attention or instruct your children, unfortunately things still go wrong and children are injured in a traffic accident.
Most accidents involving children in traffic occur because they are hit as a cyclist (Dutch: fietser aangereden). Children suffer a variety of injuries, from a few scratches to serious brain damage. Unfortunately, fatal accidents with children also happen every year.
Claiming injuries after a traffic accident
If a child is hit by a car, these children are extra well protected in a number of countries, including the Netherlands. After all, children are particularly vulnerable road users and injuries can have major consequences, both now and in the future.
In general, the person who commits a traffic error is liable for the injury suffered by the person who suffers damage as a result of the traffic accident. Because in most countries motor vehicles are compulsorily insured, it is often the personal injury insurance of the motor vehicle that compensates the personal injury of the personal injury victim. This is often different with injuries in children.
In a number of countries it is arranged in such a way that cyclists and pedestrians are extra well protected by the legislature. In the Netherlands, for example, cyclists and pedestrians who are involved in a collision are compensated for at least 50% of the personal injury they suffer as a result of the accident. For children up to 14 years this is even 100%!
If your child has been hit by a pedestrian or has been involved in a bicycle accident, it is certainly worthwhile to contact a personal injury lawyer to have it investigated whether your child qualifies for personal injury compensation. This is possible, for example, with a personal injury lawyer in Amsterdam (Dutch: letselschade advocaat Amsterdam).
Your child has been bitten by a dog, now what?
You are visiting family or friends and your child is playing with the dog. Out of nowhere the dog of the family or friends bites your child and is injured. Or your child is playing outside and is attacked by a dog and gets injured. The question then is whether you can receive personal injury compensation for the damage suffered.
In most countries, the owner of a dog is liable for damage as a result of a dog bite (in Dutch: hondenbeet). All damage, both material damage and damages, are eligible for compensation.
So is your child injured as a result of a bicycle accident or dog bite? Then you are usually entitled to a personal injury compensation!
