When a dog attacks a minor, the incident is handled differently for various reasons. Firstly, minors cannot make independent decisions and will need their parents or guardians to fight for them. Secondly, depending on the severity of the bite, the victim might need long-term care for the injuries. Here’s everything you need to know about settlements for dog bite victims that are minors.

How Settlement is Awarded

The physical injuries aside, children have a higher risk of suffering long-term injuries, especially psychological ones. They might live the rest of their lives with post-traumatic stress disorder, which could affect how they live their day-to-day lives. For this reason, when calculating the most reasonable settlement for such injuries, experienced NJ dog bite attorneys usually consider the current and long-term impacts of the injuries to the child.

The Importance of Structured Payments

Since children cannot receive payments directly following a favorable ruling after the injury, their parents or guardians may need to create a structured payment plan with the insurance company. The goal of this plan is to deliver the payments at regular intervals. The payments, also known as annuities, will then cater to the child’s needs, such as medical treatment for the injury. The annuities are usually paid on the child’s 18th birthday.

Annuities also accumulate interest, making it possible for the child to recover reasonable settlement to support their adult life. For example, they may use the payments to pay for college tuition, buy a car, rent an apartment, buy a house, etc.

How a New Jersey Dog Bite Lawyer Can Help

New Jersey has some of the most stringent yet complicated dog bite laws in the country. And when minors are involved, the whole situation takes a whole new direction. Therefore, you need the guidance of an experienced NJ dog bite lawyer to evaluate your legal options if you are a parent or guardian of a child who has suffered dog bite injuries.

An attorney will evaluate the incident, gather important evidence against the dog owner, help you fill out important paperwork, seek medical attention for the child, and so much more.

Free Case Evaluation 24/7

If your child has suffered dog bite injuries, we can fight for their rights, helping them secure the compensation they need and deserve to deal with such a traumatic incident. Get in touch with us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation with an expert dog bite attorney NJ.