A parent’s love for his or her child is unlike any other. When your child is hurt, you want your child to have the treatment needed to make a full recovery and to hold the responsible parties accountable.
At Jacobs & Jacobs of New Haven, Connecticut, our lawyers are committed to fighting for injured children and their families when someone’s negligence or willful act results in harm to the child. We can look into the incident and share what we find with you. To learn more about how our firm can help you pursue accountability from those who may be responsible for harm to your child, contact Jacobs & Jacobs today.
Jacobs & Jacobs has represented injured people in New Haven since 1982, and our family has practiced law here since 1918. Bruce D. Jacobs has practiced law in Connecticut since 1977. We know how hard it is to see a child in pain.
If your child was injured due to negligence or misconduct, the attorneys of Jacobs & Jacobs can help. This will most likely mean pursuing compensation that will be necessary to pay for medical expenses, therapy, and other needed treatment and care. Many injuries to children happen in the kinds of places where children typically spend their days: at school, daycare centers, camps, and on the playground.
Playgrounds are a common place for injuries. In 2024, U.S. emergency departments treated an estimated 231,000 injuries linked to playground equipment, and about 148,000 of them were to children ages 5 to 14.
Childhood injuries include:
In most cases, a lawsuit over an injury caused by negligence must be filed within two years of the date the injury was first sustained or discovered. A lawsuit also may not be filed more than three years after the act that caused the harm. This rule comes from Connecticut General Statutes § 52-584. Connecticut law does not give children a general extra pause on this clock, so do not assume your child has until age 18.
Other deadlines may apply. For example, a claim for childhood sexual abuse may be brought until 30 years after the person turns 21. Claims against a town or the state can carry shorter notice rules. These differences are why it helps to speak with a lawyer soon after an injury.
The person at fault depends on how the injury happened. A school, camp, or town may be responsible if it did not keep a play area or building reasonably safe. A property owner may be responsible for a hazard it knew about or should have known about.
Dog bites follow a special rule. Under Connecticut General Statutes § 22-357, a dog’s owner or keeper is generally responsible for harm the dog causes, even if the dog never hurt anyone before. There are exceptions, such as when the injured person was trespassing or teasing the dog.
A child usually cannot bring a lawsuit alone, so a parent or guardian typically files the claim on the child’s behalf. We can gather records, speak with witnesses, and review your child’s medical care. If a lawsuit is needed, it may be filed in the New Haven Judicial District Superior Court at 235 Church Street. Settlements for children get extra care. A Probate Court may need to review a settlement to confirm it is in the child’s best interests.
Each case is different, and no lawyer can promise a result. A claim may seek money for medical bills, therapy, medicine, and future care. It may also seek payment for pain and for the way an injury changes a child’s daily life.
Contact us for a free consultation about your child’s injury.
Get medical care first. Then write down what happened while it is fresh. Take photos of the injury and the place where it happened. Keep all medical bills and records. Think carefully before you sign anything from an insurance company, and ask a lawyer to review it.
If you think a child is being abused or neglected, call 911 if the child is in danger. You can also call the Connecticut DCF Careline. It is open 24 hours a day.
Bruce D. Jacobs was counsel of record for the plaintiffs in Mather v. Griffin Hospital, 207 Conn. 125 (1988), a Connecticut Supreme Court case. It involved a child who suffered severe brain damage at birth. The court affirmed the jury’s verdict. Past results are not an indicator or promise of future performance.
Mr. Jacobs also appears in the Connecticut Super Lawyers directory for 2020 through 2024. Super Lawyers is a rating service run by a third party. It is not a certification of any legal specialty.
A: In most cases, two years from when the injury was first sustained or discovered, and no more than three years after the act that caused it. Connecticut does not generally pause this clock for children.
A: Often, yes. A Probate Court may review the settlement to confirm it is in the child’s best interests.
A: It depends on the facts. A school, staff member, or contractor may be responsible, and claims against a town can have shorter notice rules.
A: Possibly. Under § 22-357, a dog’s owner or keeper is generally responsible for harm the dog causes, with exceptions such as trespassing or teasing.
A: Call 911 if your child is in danger, and call the DCF Careline. A different, longer deadline may apply to sexual abuse claims.
A: No. Your first consultation is free. It is a chance to tell us what happened and learn what options may be open to you. The firm can also explain how fees work during that first conversation.
If your child has been injured, contact Jacobs & Jacobs right away. Our New Haven personal injury attorneys can begin the process of helping your family pursue the compensation the law may allow.
This page gives general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.