It is always a tragedy when a child is injured or killed through the negligence of an adult who should have been paying attention to the safety of the child, but these events often seem worse when an adult fails to get help for that child after an accident occurs. Unfortunately personal injury lawyers see this too often in the case of a hit-and-run automobile collision that injuries or kills a child who was walking, riding a bicycle, or was riding in a car.
When an accident causes a child to become injured or even to die, the child’s parents or guardians may be entitled to bring a claim for damages on behalf of that child or for their own losses in the event of death. These claims are usually brought against a responsible party, whether that is a driver of a car, owner of a vehicle, or even a company that owns a building or land that produced an accident. Arizona law allows victims to recover by this means but claims must be filed within a statutory time period or they will be void, which is why it is always a good idea to speak with an accident attorney after your child is injured.
Negligent drivers may face much more than just a civil claim for damages if they are involved in a collision that injures a child, though. The State of Arizona may bring traffic or criminal charges against a driver that can result in serious jail time.
Following a summer crash that left an 11-year-old Chandler boy dead, a male defendant was sentenced this week to seven years in prison for his part in the collision that killed the boy, who was riding his bicycle at the time. Chandler police and prosecutors alleged that the man hit the boy with a truck as the boy rode across Arizona Avenue earlier this summer. Instead of stopping, the man fled the scene without checking to see if the boy was hurt and without alerting police.
The defendant returned to the scene some time later with his father, a retired Chandler police officer, and was arrested and charged for leaving the scene of a fatal crash. He was also sentenced this week to an additional five years on an unrelated drug charge.
If your child has been injured or killed by a driver of an automobile, we understand that there is no amount of compensation that can properly repay your family for your losses. We also understand that you deserve an advocate who is willing to fight for your rights and to fight for justice on behalf of your child.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., we are Phoenix children’s injury lawyers who only work on cases where a victim was hurt through another’s negligence. We never represent insurance companies or those who caused an accident. We believe that every accident victim deserved a free, no obligation telephone consultation and we keep an attorney standing by 24 hours a day to make sure you receive one. If your child has been an accident victim, call us today at (602) 819-5191 or toll free at (855) PHX-LAWYER and let us help you get a recovery your family deserves.
Prior Blog Entries:
Pedestrian Dies After Car Crash With Elderly Driver, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published October 21, 2013.
SUV Collides with Light Rail, Several Injured, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published October 17, 2013.
Resources:
Man sentenced in hit-and-run leading to 11-year-old’s death, by Colton Shone and Briann Bierman, CBS5AZ.com, published October 21, 2013.