Was Your Child Hurt Outside While On A Playdate? 3 Tips To Keeping A Personal Injury Case Between Neighbors Civil

Few things can hit a you right in the heart like a phone call telling you that your child has been injured. While your child may be playing right next door, the truth is that you never know what might happen. Unfortunately, accidents do happen when children play together, and your main priority is to make sure that your child is okay. However, you may also be hesitant to take your neighbor to court, especially when they seem so sorry about the accident. Personal injury cases are sometimes unavoidable when you need to make sure that your child's medical care and long term needs are covered. When you have no choice but to file a suit, you can use these tips to keep the process civil as you continue to live by your neighbors.

Avoid Assigning Blame Right Away

It is a natural instinct to want to blame someone when something goes wrong. You may even say things in the heat of the moment such as accusing your neighbor of not watching the kids or allowing their play equipment to go without repairs. You might even ask an older child why they weren't following the rules. Either way, it is best to avoid placing judgment on the situation just yet. Instead, gather as many details as you can about the incident. Ask questions about where each person was at the time, and take pictures of any equipment that was involved. Personal injury lawyers are better able to determine who might have been at-fault since they can look at the situation from a neutral perspective.

Document Your Child's Diagnosis and Treatments

Keeping things factual also helps to ease strain on your relationship with your neighbors. For instance, being able to present documentation of your child's injuries makes it clear that you are not just seeking to profit off of the incident. Make sure to keep records of all of your child's medical bills, including the receipts for any over-the-counter treatments that you purchase. Being able to show exactly what the accident has cost helps your case and erases any doubt about the seriousness of the incident that your neighbor might have.

Find Ways to Preserve Your Relationship

There are ways to separate your personal injury case from your relationship with your neighbor. For instance, you can let personal injury attorneys handle the majority of the interactions involving the case so that you do not have to hash things out with your neighbor each step of the way. You can also keep in mind that many of these cases involve submitting a claim to the neighbor's home or renters insurance, which means that they may be off the hook for having to pay for your child's medical care out of their own pocket. Knowing this makes it easier to proceed with your case.

Talk to ta personal injury attorney near you for more information.


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