It is difficult enough to be involved in a serious car accident in California on your own or with other adults. But these situations can become even more dangerous when you have  a car accident with a child.  There are several important things you can do at the scene of the accident to increase the chances that your children are protected as much as possible.

Follow These Steps After a Car Accident with a Child:

  • Prevent secondary crashes by putting up cones, flares or other materials that will alert drivers that an accident has happened.
  • Do not move your child until first responders have come to the scene. You could risk severe brain or spinal cord injuries and you do not want to risk making a bad situation worse.
  • Recent research has indicated that children are more likely to get proper care for injuries at centers designed to deliver care directly to children. For this reason, you may wish to take your child to a pediatric trauma center if one is available. Researchers recently identified that children treated at adult trauma centers face greater risks for complications like pneumonia and adolescents also faced risks of death if treated at a combination or adult center.
  • Get a new car seat. If you have a young child traveling in a car seat, you should definitely get a new piece of equipment as soon as possible after the crash. Car seats should always be replaced after every car accident. Otherwise, you are not appropriately providing adequate safety features for your child.
  • Notify any daycare workers, caretakers or babysitters about the crash. Everyone should be aware of what happened in the accident so that individuals can spot problems as soon as possible.
  • Watch for any symptoms of injury or continuous injury. Consulting with your medical team as soon as possible after a car accident is an important step to take because you need to be able to identify when your child’s situation is worsening. There are many different ways that a car accident can impact a child’s development and you need to be aware of this so that you can consult with the medical team as necessary.

Unfortunately, the process of going through a car accident with a child can be especially stressful since your child did nothing to cause the accident and may have implications for years to come.  If your child has sustained injuries in a car accident, this could serve as grounds for a personal injury lawsuit.