Your Child Was Hurt. Here's What California Law Gives Your Family — and What We Do With It.

When a child is injured, everything feels urgent and uncertain at the same time. You want to do the right thing for your family, but you are not sure what that looks like or whether you have already missed your chance. In most cases, you have not. California law extends significant protections to injured children, and we are here to help you understand exactly where your family stands.

California Law Protects Injured Children in Ways Most Parents Don't Know About

Two legal protections apply specifically to child injury cases in California, and both of them matter enormously for your family's situation.

The Statute of Limitations Clock Doesn't Start Until Your Child Turns 18

In a standard adult personal injury case, California's two-year statute of limitations begins running from the date of the injury. For children, the law works differently. Under California's tolling rules for minors, that two-year window does not open until your child's 18th birthday. A child injured at age 6 has until age 20 to file a claim. This is one of the most misunderstood facts in personal injury law, and it matters because many parents assume they have waited too long — and quietly give up on a claim they still have every right to pursue.

A Judge Must Approve Any Settlement Before Your Child Receives a Dime

California law requires court approval for any settlement reached on behalf of a minor. This process, called a minor's compromise proceeding under California Probate Code Section 3500, exists specifically to ensure that the terms of any settlement genuinely serve your child's interests — not just the adults involved. Before funds are released, a judge reviews the settlement to confirm it is fair and that the money will actually reach your child. Most parents do not know this protection exists. We walk every family through this process and make sure it works the way it is supposed to.

Child Injury Damages Look Different Than Adult Claims

The harm done to a child does not stop at the emergency room. Because children are still developing physically, cognitively, and emotionally, an injury sustained at a young age can affect them for decades. Recoverable damages in a child injury case often include future medical treatment, future lost earning capacity, educational disruption, and the long-term developmental consequences of an injury that happened at a critical stage of growth. We build these cases with the full arc of your child's life in mind — not just what the medical bills say today.

California's Strict Liability Dog Bite Law Applies Fully to Children

California Civil Code Section 3342 holds dog owners strictly liable when their dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property — regardless of whether the dog had ever bitten before. Children are disproportionately affected by dog bites, and the injuries are often severe. If your child was bitten by a neighbor's dog, a dog at a park, or an animal on someone else's property, the owner is liable. The fact that it was a neighbor's dog, or that your child may have been near the animal, does not eliminate the claim.

The Most Common Child Injury Scenarios We Handle in San Diego

Child injury cases in San Diego tend to cluster around a handful of recurring situations. Each one involves a different set of facts and liable parties, but the underlying question is the same: did someone's negligence put your child in harm's way?

• Dog bites on neighborhood streets, in parks, and at other people's homes
• Bicycle accidents near school zones, on bike paths, and in residential areas with heavy traffic
• Pedestrian accidents at school crossings and intersections where drivers failed to yield
• Playground and park injuries on public or private property where equipment was unsafe or supervision was absent
• Sports and activity injuries involving negligent supervision by coaches, schools, or program organizers
• Slip and fall incidents on commercial or residential property where a dangerous condition was left unaddressed

If your child was hurt in a situation that is not on this list, call us anyway. The circumstances that lead to child injuries are varied, and the only way to know whether you have a claim is to talk through what happened.

Why Families Choose a Boutique Firm for a Case This Important

Larger personal injury firms take on high volumes of cases and move them through a system. That model works for straightforward claims. It does not work well for families navigating the emotional and legal complexity of a child injury case, where the stakes are higher, the damages are longer-term, and the parents need a lawyer they can actually reach.

We deliberately limit our caseload so that Brennan is the person you talk to — not a paralegal, not a junior associate, not whoever happens to pick up the phone. When you have a question about your child's case, you get a direct answer from the attorney who knows it. That is not a feature we advertise as a differentiator. It is how we believe a law firm should operate, especially when a child's future is involved.

Brennan Quigley Knows How Insurance Companies Think About Child Injury Claims

Before founding this firm, Brennan spent years on the defense side, working for insurance companies and learning exactly how they evaluate, undervalue, and contest personal injury claims. Child injury cases are not exempt from that process. Insurers know that parents are often emotionally overwhelmed and may not fully understand the long-term value of a claim — and they sometimes use that to their advantage.

We know the tactics because we have seen them from the inside. When we negotiate on your child's behalf, we are not guessing at how the other side will respond. We know.

How We Approach a Child Injury Case

Every child injury case we take starts the same way: we listen to what happened before we talk about legal strategy. Then we work through a clear process to build the strongest possible claim for your family.

• Free initial consultation — we talk through the facts, answer your questions, and tell you honestly whether we think you have a claim worth pursuing
• Investigation and evidence gathering — accident reports, witness statements, medical records, property inspection where applicable
• Expert coordination — pediatric medical experts, vocational specialists, and life care planners where the injury warrants long-term damages analysis
• Demand and negotiation — we present a fully documented demand to the insurer and negotiate from a position of preparation, not pressure
• Minor's compromise filing — we handle the court approval process required under California law to finalize any settlement for your child
• Trial-ready preparation — we build every case as if it will go to trial, which typically produces better settlement outcomes before it ever gets there

Questions Parents Ask Us About Child Injury Cases in San Diego

Your Child Deserves a Lawyer Who Will Treat This Case Like It Matters

We built this firm to handle exactly the kind of cases that larger firms pass over or process too quickly — cases where the person on the other side of the table is a family that needs real attention and a real answer. A child injury case is that kind of case.

If your child was hurt and you are not sure what to do next, start with a conversation. There is no cost, no obligation, and no pressure. We will tell you what we think, and we will be honest about it.