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NY Accidents- "If I'm a teenager in NY, can I bring a lawsuit on my own?"

By Gerry Oginski

I've had teenagers call me who have been injured in accidents want to know if they can bring a lawsuit on their own, or whether they need their parents to bring it for them.

The simple answer is no.

In New York, there is a legal requirement that you need to be at least 18 years old in order to bring a civil lawsuit for injuries you received from an accident or medical malpractice. What happens if you're a teenager and you want to bring the case yourself and not involve your parents? Technically, you can't. You need a parent or a guardian to participate in the process. When I think about the calls I received from teenagers, I have to give them a lot of credit for picking up the phone to call a lawyer and ask questions. Many are afraid to call. Many are worried about the answers. Many think that by talking to a lawyer they are somehow going against their parents wishes. In fact, just the opposite is true. Calling an experienced accident or medical malpractice lawyer in New York is one of the best things a teenager can do to get the answers to their questions.

Some kids think that they have to pay to talk to an accident lawyer. Not true. Every personal injury lawyer I know in New York does not charge a penny to talk to a prospective client. Teenagers and their parents usually have lots of questions. It is the lawyer's obligation to give information that will allow the injured teenager and his or her parent the ability to make an intelligent decision about their legal options.

Full post as published by New York Medical Malpractice Blog on May 25, 2008 (boomark / email).