An accident that causes serious injury can be devastating at any age. But when a child is involved the consequences can last a lifetime and the aftermath can take a severe toll on families.

The Florida child injury lawyers at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC understand the enormous trust a family places in us each time we are chosen to represent a child who has been seriously injured or killed in an accident. Through our service to clients in Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie/Ft. Pierce and the surrounding communities, we take great care in fighting for the rights of each family we accept the honor and responsibility of representing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are many causes of an injury to a child:

• Child Maltreatment
• Auto Accidents
• Playground Injury
• Water / Drowning Accident
• Fireworks Injury
• Poisoning
• Sports Injury
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Youth Violence

The leading cause of child injuries is car crashes. Child abuse and maltreatment are other leading causes of child injury. In fact, Florida ranks first in the number of recorded cases of child fatalities per 100,000 children, at 4.62, which in the year 2008 equaled 185 kids who lost their lives.

The even sadder news is that these types of injuries take an innocent, defenseless child and turn them into a victim, frequently through the negligent or criminally reckless actions of a person responsible for the accident or abuse.

And with the weather in Florida just perfect for swimming and other water recreation, it comes as no surprise that water-related injuries and drowning ranks high on child injury causes.

The CDC notes that over 20% of fatal drowning victims are children 14 years and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another four received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. Their research also discovered that fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 - 14 years old.

If your child or that of a loved one has been injured in an accident, we offer you not only our sympathy, but also our genuine concern for your future. At each stage of the legal process, we will counsel you on your options and the best course of legal action to protect you and your family. A child injury can bring a lifetime of continued medical care, therapies, medicines and other related costs. And the anguish can be almost too much to bear, without adding the challenge of inadequate financial resources or the failure to seek proper legal representation and compensation for the injury or death of a child.

At the Florida child injury law firm of Freeman and Mallard, we stand ready to fight for your legal rights under the law, and ensure you get the aggressive representation to which you are entitled. Call our offices, which serve Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie/Ft. Pierce and the surrounding communities, to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation to review your legal rights.