If someone’s negligence injured your child, a legal claim may help address the medical, emotional, and long-term effects on your family.
Call an injury lawyer in Chicago at Mark L. Karno & Associates, LLC at (312) 701-0090 or message us online to arrange a free consultation.
A Legal Team Families Can Rely On
- We have represented injured people and their families for decades, providing experienced guidance during difficult and uncertain circumstances.
- We give parents honest answers and realistic expectations so they can make informed decisions for their children.
- We handle child injury claims on a contingency fee basis, so attorney fees depend on recovering compensation for your family.
How Do Children Suffer Preventable Injuries?
Children depend on adults, businesses, schools, and caregivers to provide safe environments. A serious injury may occur when someone fails to supervise a child, correct a dangerous condition, follow safety procedures, or operate a vehicle carefully. Common child injury cases involve:
- Car, truck, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents.
- School bus and public transportation incidents.
- Unsafe playgrounds, pools, stairs, and recreational areas.
- Daycare or school supervision failures.
- Dog bites and animal attacks.
- Medical mistakes and birth injuries.
- Fires, burns, poisoning, and electrical hazards.
A child may suffer broken bones, brain injuries, spinal damage, burns, scarring, internal trauma, or emotional distress. Some effects may not become fully apparent until much later when the child returns to school, misses developmental milestones, or struggles with activities that were previously manageable.
Who May Be Responsible for Your Child’s Injury?
Responsibility depends on where the accident happened and who controlled the conditions that caused it. For example:
- A negligent driver may bear responsibility for a traffic accident.
- A school, daycare provider, camp, or caregiver may face liability for inadequate supervision.
- Property owners may be responsible for unsafe stairs, pools, playground equipment, or other hazards.
- Manufacturers may face claims when defective products injure children.
- Medical providers may also bear responsibility when delayed treatment, surgical mistakes, medication errors, or other negligent care causes harm.
Evidence such as incident reports, photographs, surveillance footage, medical records, witness statements, safety policies, and maintenance files can help establish who can be held liable.
Compensation Available in a Chicago Child Injury Claim
A child injury claim may seek compensation for:
- Current and future medical care in one combined assessment.
- Rehabilitation, therapy, and assistive equipment.
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional trauma.
- Scarring or disfigurement.
- Disability and loss of normal life.
- Reduced future earning capacity.
- Long-term educational or personal support.
A child’s age may make future losses difficult to measure. A Chicago child injury attorney’s resources and connections to medical specialists, educators, vocational experts, and financial professionals can help to explain how the injury could affect development, schooling, employment, and independence.
Illinois Child Injury Laws
Extended Deadline for Minors
Illinois gives many injured children additional time to file a lawsuit. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-211, a person injured before turning 18 may bring an eligible action “within 2 years after the person attains the age of 18 years.” However, parents still benefit from acting promptly. Evidence can disappear, witnesses may become difficult to locate, and physical conditions of the incident scene may change.
Different Rule for Medical Malpractice
Child medical malpractice claims follow a different deadline. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-212, an action generally cannot begin more than eight years after the negligent act and cannot be filed after the child’s 22nd birthday.
Comparative Negligence
Under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, Illinois bars recovery when the injured person’s fault exceeds 50%. When assigned fault does not exceed 50%, the court reduces compensation by the same percentage.
Why Hiring a Lawyer Protects Your Child’s Interests
A quick settlement may not account for complications that appear as your child grows. An attorney can consult qualified professionals, evaluate the long-term outlook, and develop a supported claim before negotiations begin. A Chicago Child Injury Lawyer can also preserve evidence, identify every responsible party, challenge attempts to blame your child, and help you review settlement terms carefully.
Protect Your Child’s Future After an Injury
Your family deserves clear guidance after a preventable accident.
Reach Mark L. Karno & Associates, LLC at (312) 701-0090 or send us a message online to arrange a free consultation with a trusted Chicago Child Injury Lawyer.