and when they are, it is up to their parents or guardians to protect their rights. Under the law, children cannot consent to any type of legal or binding agreement until they reach the age of 18. Therefore, a child who is injured in a personal injury accident cannot agree to a settlement; the parents must do that for him or her.
However, there are other considerations when children are injured in personal injury accidents, as well. For example, if the parents accept a settlement on behalf of the child, the parents must be prepared to deal with the resulting money in a fair and equitable way. Sometimes the court may appoint a guardian ad litem for the child if there is a question of the proceeds from a settlement being used for something other than the child’s benefit. It is important when parents receive a settlement on behalf of a child that they keep good records and are aboveboard with the distributions of that money so that they can account for its spending.
Children are injured in all sorts of ways. A child could suffer a personal injury accident that involves almost anything that can happen to an adult. According to the Centers for Disease Control:
As these statistics show, there are many ways children can be injured. If your child has been injured in an accident, contact Barber and Associates, LLC in Anchorage today for more information on protecting the child’s rights and recovering compensation.