Camp counselors and other staff members take on responsibility for your child’s well-being when you send your child to a summer camp in California. Unfortunately, some of these parties are quick to take advantage of their position of power.
You have the right to legal action if you think that your child suffered abuse or an injury while away at summer camp. Collaborate with our team, and we can help your child secure the financial support they need to recover.
Signs of Hidden Child Injury or Abuse
Children and adults can try to hide signs of injury or abuse. Children most often do so because they’re ashamed of their condition. Adults, comparatively, can try to hide signs of injury or abuse to avoid the consequences of their actions. In these circumstances, you can watch for hints that may indicate that your child or their caretaker is hiding signs of mistreatment.
If you suspect your child may have suffered an injury or abuse at a California summer camp, watch for:
- Sudden withdrawals or changes in your child’s social needs
- Unexplained bruises, broken bones, or visible injuries
- An unwillingness to talk about certain camp events
- A new desire to stay away from a certain camp counselor or staff member
Some adults may threaten your child into silence if they believe they may face the consequences for your child’s injury. If this is the case, make sure your child feels as safe as possible before asking them questions about unusual injuries.
You Can Represent Your Child in Civil Abuse and Injury Cases
If your child tells you that they’ve been injured or abused while at a California summer camp, you can take legal action on your child’s behalf. This is the case even if the camp requires you to sign a waiver before your child attends a particular session. Our attorneys can go over these waivers and contrast them against cases of neglect and/or deliberate abuse.
When you pursue a civil personal injury case on your child’s behalf, you need to bring together as much information as you would when representing your own interests. This means that you should:
- Use evidence to support your claims of liability
- Elaborate on the relationship between your child, their injuries, and the named liable party
- Present an estimate of the compensation you believe your child deserves
- Back your request for compensation with evidence upon request
Our team can help you do all of this when first presenting your case to a county clerk. We can then elaborate on the evidence built into your complaint should your case go to trial.
California’s Personal Injury Statute of Limitations Exceptions for Children
Normally, California’s personal injury statute of limitations, CCP § 335.1, gives you two years to bring your abuse or injury case forward. When a child wants to take legal action against another party, however, that statute of limitations changes.
Children in California have until they turn twenty to take action against the party they think is liable for their losses. This means that you can file a complaint on your child’s behalf any time before your child turns eighteen. After your child’s eighteenth birthday, it’s their responsibility to bring a complaint forward in civil court.
If you have questions about the deadline that applies to your child’s abuse or injury case, have them meet with our team. Together, you and your child can ask questions about how California’s laws may apply to your case. At the same time, we can work with you to elaborate on your losses and establish liability for your child’s injuries.
Get Help With an Injury or Abuse Claim by Contacting Our Personal Injury Attorneys
When your child goes to camp, you want to know that they’re safe and cared for. Learning that your child has been injured or abused can be devastating. Fortunately, you can hold liable parties responsible for their actions in civil court.
Setareh Law can work with you to gather information regarding your child’s injury or abuse together in a civil complaint. After presenting this information to a county clerk, we can carry your case forward to trial. For more information about how your child abuse or injury trial may progress, you can reach out to us at (310) 659-1826 or fill out our contact form.