Car accidents happen, but when there are children involved it can turn something terrible into something even more tragic. Case in point, a freight truck struck a car in Minneapolis, killing two of the three occupants in the car and seriously injuring the minor child in the backseat.

When accidents like this happen, it’s a good idea to know the steps to take to ensure you’re protecting you and your children’s interests.

Here are some of the steps Minnesota parents should take if their child is involved in a car accident with you.

What To Do Right After a Minnesota Car Wreck

If you are involved in a car accident with your children in the car, the first thing you need to do is check on your children. Make sure they’re okay and not in danger in their restraints. Once it’s been determined they are not in danger, you should call the police to the scene of the accident.

If your child is injured or complaining of injury, then you should call an ambulance right away. Never attempt to move your child or try to remove an object from them. Wait for the paramedics to arrive on the scene and take care of things.

How Minnesota Police Help Parents After an Auto Accident

The police will ensure that the proper information is exchanged and that a complete report is made of the accident scene. That’s why you should always call the police and communicate to them the details of the accident.

If you have to leave the scene for medical treatment you can do that, but make sure your statement is given to police at some point to aid in their investigation.

Common Car Wreck-Related Injuries Among Children

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, children most often suffer from these types of injuries as the result of a car accident:

Head Injuries

This is the most common type of injury sustained by a child in an accident. Research has found that it’s children under the age of 1 that are most susceptible to this type of injury. Common head injuries include lacerations, contusions, and concussions. Older children were shown to have a higher incidence of skull fractures from car accidents.

Lower and Upper Extremity Injuries

Children involved in car accidents also suffer from injuries to their upper and lower extremities. The most common upper extremity injury is a fracture of the humerus or the bone in the upper arm. For lower extremities, pelvic fractures happened quite often as well as injuries to the knees.

Chest Trauma

For children involved in car accidents, chest trauma is also quite common. This can include rib fractures and lung injuries that could be due to their restraints in the vehicle combined with sudden deceleration.

Recovering Compensation in Minnesota

If you feel your child was injured in a car accident through the negligence of another, then you can file a car accident lawsuit in an attempt to collect damages. Just make sure it’s done as close to the date of the injury as possible since you don’t want the statute of limitations to run out and kill your case.

A settlement for your child’s injuries can help to pay medical bills and help to set them up for any future costs related to the accident. This is why if you’re in a car accident with your kids, you should explore filing a personal injury lawsuit today. After all, you don’t want your child to suffer when a settlement can help to make things better.

About the Author:

A former Assistant Public Defender for the Sixth Judicial District in Duluth and former staff attorney for the Indian Legal Assistance Program, Brent R. Olson is an experienced trial lawyer who has appeared in every Courthouse in the Sixth Judicial District and taken over three dozen cases to verdict. At LaCourse, Poole & Envall, Mr. Envall focuses on family law, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense. He has a strong belief in restorative justice and helped to develop the Domestic Violence Restorative Circles program.