Parents trust schools, drivers, property owners, and product manufacturers to keep their children safe, so needing an Allentown child injury lawyer is the last thing any family in Lehigh County expects.
But when that trust is broken, and your child is hurt because of someone else’s carelessness, you need an Allentown attorney who will fight for your child’s future with the same determination you would.
Munley Law has been representing injured children and their families across Pennsylvania since 1959 and serves families throughout Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and the entire Lehigh Valley. We know exactly how to hold negligent parties fully accountable under Pennsylvania law.
If your child was hurt in Allentown or anywhere in the Lehigh Valley, contact Munley Law today for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case.
Call Us At 844-686-5397 Child Injury Cases We Handle in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley
Children are injured every day in ways that are entirely preventable. Munley Law handles the full range of child injury cases throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties, including:
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
- Car and truck accidents
- Defective and dangerous products
- Swimming pool and drowning accidents
- School and daycare injuries
- Playground accidents
- Birth injuries
- Dog bites and animal attacks
- Youth sports and recreational injuries
The Lehigh Valley presents children with a wide range of risks, from busy corridors like Route 22 and MacArthur Road to backyard pools and a major attraction like Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom right here in Allentown. During your free consultation, our legal team will review your case details and explain exactly what your family’s options are.
How Does Negligence Work in a Child Injury Case?
Before a family can recover compensation for a child’s injuries, they must establish negligence. Negligence is the failure to take proper care in doing something.
To establish negligence, Pennsylvania law requires showing four things:
- The responsible party had a duty of care toward the child.
- They breached that duty through careless action or inaction.
- The breach directly caused the injury.
- The child suffered measurable harm as a result.
Each type of case applies these elements differently. A driver owes a duty to watch for children near crosswalks and school zones; a property owner must keep the premises safe for child visitors; a product manufacturer must design goods that do not harm users; and a school must supervise children adequately and maintain safe conditions.
One doctrine that is especially important in child cases is attractive nuisance. Pennsylvania law holds property owners liable for injuries to children, including trespassers, when the hazard that caused the injury is one that predictably attracts children, such as an unfenced pool, a trampoline, or a construction site. The law places the burden of prevention on the adults who own the hazard, not on the child who could not fully appreciate the danger.
Pennsylvania also holds children to a lower standard of care than adults. A child under 7 cannot be found negligent in any capacity. Children between the ages of 7 and 14 are presumed incapable of negligence, though this can be challenged. Older children are judged by their age and maturity. When insurance companies try to shift blame to an injured child, these protections matter.
If you think you have a case, contact Munley Law. We will evaluate your situation for free and give you an honest answer.
What Does Pennsylvania Law Say About Filing a Child Injury Claim?
Pennsylvania has specific rules that apply when the injured person is a minor. Understanding them can protect your family from costly mistakes during the claims process.
Parents Must Bring the Claim
Under Pennsylvania Rule 2027, minors cannot file or control their own lawsuits. A parent or legal guardian brings the claim on the child’s behalf, makes all legal decisions with the attorney, and directs the case. In some situations, the court may also appoint a guardian ad litem to independently protect the child’s interests.
All Minor Settlements Require Court Approval
Any settlement involving a minor must be reviewed and formally approved by a judge of the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas before it becomes final. For Lehigh Valley families, that means a hearing at the Lehigh County Courthouse on West Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown, a few blocks from our Allentown office on the same street. This safeguard ensures the settlement is fair and accounts for the child’s long-term needs, not just current bills. Munley Law’s personal injury lawyers handle the entire court approval process on your family’s behalf.
Pennsylvania’s Statute of Limitations
Pennsylvania’s two-year statute of limitations for an injured child does not begin until they turn 18. That gives most children until their 20th birthday to file a claim. But many Lehigh Valley families do not know that parents’ separate claims for medical expenses they have already paid out of pocket are still subject to the standard two-year deadline from the date of injury. The deadline does not pause for the child’s age. Waiting can permanently cost parents the right to recover those costs, even if the child’s own claim is still valid.
What Compensation Can Your Family Recover?
A serious child injury claim needs to cover more than just today’s medical bills. It needs to cover everything your child has lost and everything they will need going forward.
A successful claim in Pennsylvania can recover:
- Current and future medical expenses, from emergency treatment at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital on Cedar Crest Boulevard through surgery, physical therapy, and any lifetime care your child needs.
- Parents’ lost income and future lost wages.
- Pain and suffering, which can include the physical pain and emotional distress your child has experienced and will continue to carry after the accident.
- Loss of enjoyment of life, such as activities, milestones, and experiences that the child can no longer participate in.
- Long-term disability
Why Allentown Families Choose Munley Law
There are many personal injury firms serving the residents of Lehigh Valley. So why choose Munley Law? Here’s what sets our nationally recognized law firm apart: 
Nearly Seven Decades Serving Pennsylvania Families
Munley Law has nearly 70 years of experience in Pennsylvania courtrooms, fighting against those who try to minimize what families are owed. We have earned our reputation one family at a time.
Board-Certified Legal Excellence
Munley Law has three attorneys board-certified in trial advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. We are among the very few firms in Pennsylvania with that designation. When your child’s future is on the line, this credential is important.
You’re a Priority, Not a Case Number
Every Munley Law client works directly with experienced attorneys. You will not be handed to a case manager or a junior associate. Your family’s case will be handled with the urgency and personal care your child’s future demands.
No Fee Unless We Win
Families pay nothing to hire Munley Law. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid only when we recover compensation for your family. The consultation is free, and there is no financial risk in calling us.
Allentown Child Injury Cases Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know If My Child’s Injury Was Caused By Negligence?
Ask whether someone responsible for your child’s safety failed to meet that responsibility. A driver who ran a red light, a property owner who ignored a known hazard, a school that failed to supervise properly, and a manufacturer that sold a defective product are all forms of negligence. If careless or reckless conduct directly caused your child’s injury, you likely have a claim.
What If My Child Was Hurt At A Lehigh Valley Park, Mall, Or Public Facility?
Liability depends on who owns the property and what caused the injury. An injury at a public facility, such as a city-run playground or a school in the Allentown School District, the largest district in the Lehigh Valley, involves specific notice requirements and often much shorter filing deadlines than a standard personal injury case. In fact, the deadline to notify a government entity can be as little as six months under Pennsylvania’s Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act. Claims against private property owners, like a shopping center or Dorney Park, follow different rules. Acting quickly is critical in either situation.
Can I Still File a Claim If The Injury Happened Several Months Ago?
The child’s claim typically does not expire until two years after their 18th birthday. However, the parents’ separate claim for out-of-pocket medical expenses may already be running on the standard two-year deadline. For claims against government entities, the window may be even shorter. Contact an attorney before assuming time has run out.
Will My Child Have To Testify In Court?
Most child injury cases settle before trial, meaning your child would not need to testify. If a case does reach trial, Pennsylvania judges exercise discretion over child testimony, and attorneys work to present the child’s experience in the least traumatic way possible.
What Is A Guardian Ad Litem, and Does My Child Need One?
A guardian ad litem is a court-appointed representative whose sole job is to protect a minor’s legal interests. They are typically appointed when there is a potential conflict between the child’s interests and the parent’s. In most straightforward child injury cases, a parent acts as the legal representative, and no guardian ad litem is needed.
Munley Law Will Fight for Your Child’s Future
Every day that passes after a child’s injury is a day that evidence gets harder to preserve. Surveillance footage from Allentown streets, school hallways, and public facilities is routinely overwritten within days, witnesses move on, and physical conditions get repaired. The window to build the strongest possible case starts closing the moment the injury occurs.
Munley Law brings board-certified legal expertise, deep experience in Lehigh Valley courtrooms, and a genuine commitment to fighting for everything your child deserves.
Contact Munley Law today for a free consultation. Our Allentown child injury lawyers are ready to listen, answer your questions, and start fighting to protect your child’s rights.
Caroline Munley
Caroline Munley is an experienced and award-winning personal injury lawyer and is a board-certified workers’ compensation specialist. Since 2018, she’s been listed in Best Lawyers in America (Personal Injury Plaintiffs; Workers’ Compensation Claimants, Northeastern PA), Lawdragon, and has been a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer since 2022. A member of the International Society of Barristers, Caroline has won millions of dollars for car accident, commercial truck crash, and workplace injury victims.
