Legal Process for Child Injury Cases l Seattle Child Accident Lawyer

• Legal Process for Child Injury Claims - Part Three   
  Depending on which county the lawsuit is filed in, the discovery phase can take many months or sometimes more than a year. When discovery is completed, and each side knows what evidence will be offered at trial, this is the time when the parties may conduct settlement discussions.
• The Legal Process for Child Injury Claims - Part Two   
  It is a dangerous practice to wait to settle a claim or file a lawsuit right before the statute of limitations period expires. If a lawsuit is filed right before the deadline and if the defendant cannot be found, or if the wrong defendant is served, the case could be dismissed and the plaintiff gets nothing. For this reason, it may be prudent to hire an attorney well before the statute of limitations expires. Many attorneys will refuse to accept a case when the statute of limitations period is about to expire because there may be insufficient time to investigate the case, file suit and locate and personally serve the proper defendant.
• The Legal Process for Child Injury Claims - Part One   
  The legal process for child injury claims differs from the legal process for cases brought by adults. For starters, a child under the age of 18 is considered a minor. In Washington, a minor cannot file a lawsuit on his or her own. This can only be done by a guardian appointed by the court. A guardian is someone who the court believes will adequately protect the child's interests and do what is best for the child in the legal case that is being filed on the child's behalf.
• Negligence of the Child in Child Accident Cases   
  For children who are 6 years of age and older, they may be deemed negligent and thus legally responsible for their own injuries. But there is one important difference.