Skiing collision can cause horrible injuries. Unlike a car where there are restraints and airbags, skiing collisions involve direct impact. Head Injuries in children, even with a helmet, are common.
However, the outcome can be so much worse for a child who suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) compared to an adult, particularly because children’s brains are still developing. The frontal lobes, responsible for personality and executive functioning, continue to develop until early 20s.
The effects of the brain injury may not be readily apparent, and may not appear until years later. Late-appearing and long-lasting complications can lead to a variety of neuropsychological problems. For instance, cognitive impairments can create challenges with learning and behavior. There could be impaired reasoning and judgment, along with difficulty processing information.
An impact to the chest likely results in more injury to an adult. Studies have found that that older individuals suffer more skeletal injuries like rib fractures, which may be due to the greater flexibility of children’s ribs compared to adults.
Adolescents often suffered lung contusions without rib fractures. As age increases, the ratio of skeletal to non-skeletal injuries increased.
A violent impact which results in fractured bones in a child can be devastating. Fractures that require internal fixation such as plates and pins to repair shattered bones or fractures that involve growth plates can have a permanent effects on normal growth and development. A competent attorney must take the permanency of these injuries into consideration along with anticipated life expectancy in order to demand fair compensation.
Another important consideration are the psychological injuries that a child can suffer, especially in a serious crash. Symptoms in teenagers tend to be similar to those adults experience.
Treatment is critical, as it can impact school and social situations.
Post-traumatic stress disorder isn’t something that just adults and military vets struggle with; it can become a significant problem in children and teens. Fortunately, there’s good treatment strategies that psychologists and counselors that can help kids overcome PTSD.
Serious injuries could impact a child long-term, so I am extraordinarily careful to fully account for all damages related to the child’s injuries from the skiing accident. This includes accounting for the child’s medical care and any psychological counseling, disfigurement, permanent impairment and pain and suffering that may last a lifetime. Injuries to a child can often be heartbreaking for the parents. The emotions are intense. Seeing a child suffer through recovery and cope with permanent deficits in functioning can result in PTSD and depression. I strongly urge parents to get counseling when dealing with injured children. Parents need coping strategies to deal with their own grief so that they help their children recover to the fullest extent possible.
If you or a friend or a loved one has been involved in a skier collision or snowboarding collision and have questions about the value of the claim I encourage to you contact me. Consultations are always free. Call me at (303) 300-5060 or email: dj@theskilawyer.com.