When negligence harms your child, the stakes are higher than any other case. Bur Oak Injury Law fights to protect injured children and secure the compensation their families need — for treatment today and care for years to come.
(573) 499-0200 — call anytimeChild injury claims are fundamentally different from adult personal injury cases. Children cannot speak for themselves in court, cannot sign legal documents, and cannot advocate for their own needs. Missouri law adds layers of protection — and complexity — that require an attorney who knows how to navigate them.
Injuries that seem manageable today can carry lifelong consequences for a growing child. A bone fracture that heals in an adult may disrupt growth plates in a child, leading to permanent deformity. A concussion that resolves in weeks for an adult may affect a developing brain for years. A dog bite that leaves a small scar on an adult may leave lasting psychological trauma and disfigurement on a child whose face and body are still developing.
Any settlement on behalf of a minor in Missouri requires court approval to ensure the child's interests are protected — not just the parents' convenience or an insurer's timeline. Bur Oak Injury Law handles the full process: building the strongest possible claim, working with pediatric specialists and life care planners to project future needs, and taking every case through court approval to make sure your child's recovery is secured for the long term.
Injuries to children can disrupt physical and neurological development. We work with pediatric specialists to calculate the true lifetime cost of your child's injury — not just today's medical bills.
Missouri requires court approval for minor settlements. We guide families through this process to ensure funds are protected and structured to serve your child's long-term needs.
Missouri's tolling rules give injured minors additional time to file — but acting promptly preserves evidence, witness memories, and your family's best chance at full recovery.
Bur Oak Injury Law represents children and families across central Missouri in a wide range of injury cases. If you're unsure whether your situation gives rise to a legal claim, a free consultation costs nothing and carries no obligation.
Birth injuries are among the most devastating and legally complex cases in personal injury law. Not every difficult delivery constitutes negligence — but when a provider fails to meet the accepted standard of care and a child suffers preventable harm, families deserve accountability.
Before founding Bur Oak Injury Law, attorney Chris Miller served as a government attorney in the Missouri Department of Labor and administered the Division of Workers' Compensation — the state administrative body where disputed injury claims are heard and decided. He has spent his career understanding how insurance companies and defense teams evaluate injury claims, what evidence they look for, and where weak cases lose. That insider perspective drives how he builds every child injury case — including birth injury claims that require lifetime cost projections and expert medical testimony.
Common birth injury conditions that may arise from medical negligence include:
Cerebral palsy can result from oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery. It affects motor control and may require a lifetime of specialized care, therapy, and assistive equipment. Cases often involve neurology experts and life care planners to calculate decades of future needs.
Erb's palsy is a brachial plexus injury that can occur when excessive force is applied during delivery. It affects the arm and shoulder, causing weakness or paralysis. In many cases, it is preventable with proper technique and timely recognition of shoulder dystocia.
HIE is brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation around the time of birth. It can result in seizures, developmental delays, and permanent neurological impairment. These cases require prompt investigation of fetal monitoring records and delivery room documentation.
Schools, daycares, and recreational facilities owe children a duty of reasonable supervision and a safe environment. When that duty is breached — through inadequate supervision, unsafe equipment, or failure to maintain safe premises — the responsible parties can be held liable.
Cases involving public schools and government-operated facilities carry important procedural requirements. Under Missouri law, claims against government entities often have notice requirements as short as 90 days. Missing these deadlines can permanently bar a claim. If your child was injured at a public school or government-operated facility, contact an attorney without delay.
Children are disproportionately the victims of dog bites. They are smaller, less able to protect themselves, and often unaware of warning signs. Missouri follows a strict liability rule for dog bites under § 273.036 RSMo — meaning the dog's owner is liable for injuries caused by their dog regardless of whether the dog had previously shown aggressive behavior.
Dog bite injuries to children often require multiple surgeries, leave permanent scarring, and can cause lasting psychological harm including post-traumatic stress, fear of animals, and social anxiety. Bur Oak Injury Law works with medical professionals and psychological experts to document the full scope of your child's injuries — physical and emotional — and pursues compensation accordingly.
Injuries to children can result in both immediate and long-term financial burdens. Missouri law allows injured children — through their parents or guardians — to pursue the full range of economic and non-economic damages caused by another party's negligence.
Child injury cases follow the same basic litigation path as adult personal injury claims, with important additional steps to protect the minor's interests.
We review the circumstances of your child's injury, identify the liable parties, and explain your legal options. There is no obligation and no fee for this initial conversation. Call (573) 499-0200 or submit a contact form any time.
We immediately work to preserve critical evidence — incident reports, surveillance footage, medical records, witness statements, and product documentation. In cases involving government entities, we meet notice deadlines before they expire.
We work with pediatric specialists, neurologists, life care planners, and other experts to document your child's injuries fully — including the long-term costs that insurance companies routinely try to exclude from settlements.
We negotiate aggressively with insurance carriers and defense counsel. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, we take the case to trial. All minor settlements in Missouri require court approval — we handle that process to ensure funds are properly protected for your child's benefit. See also: personal injury practice overview.
Bur Oak Injury Law serves families across central Missouri — including Columbia, Jefferson City, Moberly, Sedalia, Fulton, Mexico, Boonville, and the surrounding communities. We represent children injured in accidents, through medical negligence, at schools and daycares, and in any circumstance where another party's failure to act reasonably caused preventable harm.
Child injury cases require patience, specialized knowledge, and a willingness to invest the resources needed to build a compelling case. Insurers know that parents under financial and emotional strain may accept early, inadequate settlements. We level that playing field — taking every case as far as it needs to go to achieve a fair result for your child and your family.
The steps you take in the hours and days after your child's injury can significantly affect the outcome of any legal claim. Seek immediate medical care, even if injuries appear minor — a pediatric evaluation creates a documented record and may uncover injuries that are not immediately obvious. Preserve any physical evidence: take photographs of the scene, the equipment, the animal, or the vehicle involved. Obtain copies of any incident or police reports. Avoid giving recorded statements to insurance company representatives before consulting an attorney. The insurer's interests are not aligned with your child's — their goal is to pay as little as possible. Contact Bur Oak Injury Law before making any statement that could be used to minimize your family's recovery. Under Missouri law, including the child injury statutes referenced in § 516.120 RSMo, specific time limits apply — acting promptly protects your options.
Missouri law gives most accident victims five years from the date of their injury to file a personal injury lawsuit under § 516.120 RSMo. However, when the injured person is a minor, Missouri's discovery rule tolls — or pauses — the statute of limitations until the child turns 21. This means a child injured at age 10 generally has until age 21 to file a claim on their own behalf. That said, waiting carries serious risks: evidence disappears, witnesses become unavailable, and insurance companies exploit delays. Consulting an attorney promptly protects your child's rights.
Yes. As a parent or legal guardian, you have the right to file a lawsuit on behalf of your injured minor child. Missouri law requires court approval for any settlement involving a minor to protect the child's interests. Typically, settlement funds are held in a structured settlement or trust until the child reaches adulthood, though courts can allow funds to be used for the child's medical treatment and care. An experienced child injury attorney will guide you through both the litigation and court approval process.
An injured child may recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include past and future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, special education and therapy needs, and costs of future care or assistive devices. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of childhood activities, and — in severe cases — future loss of earning capacity. Cases involving permanent impairment or birth injuries often involve lifetime cost projections prepared by medical and economic experts.
A birth injury is harm to a newborn caused by medical negligence during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Common birth injuries include cerebral palsy from oxygen deprivation, Erb's palsy from improper delivery technique, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), and injuries from excessive use of forceps or vacuum extractors. Not all birth complications constitute negligence — but when a provider fails to meet the accepted standard of care and a child suffers preventable harm, a medical malpractice claim may exist. If your child received a diagnosis that may be linked to delivery, consulting an attorney who works with medical experts is the right first step.
Liability for school and playground injuries depends on the circumstances. Public schools in Missouri are government entities, and claims against them must comply with Missouri's sovereign immunity rules and strict notice requirements — often as short as 90 days. Private schools, daycare centers, and playground equipment manufacturers may be sued under standard negligence or product liability theories. In any case, prompt investigation is critical: incident reports, equipment inspection records, and witness statements must be preserved before they disappear.
No fee unless we win. Free consultation. Chris Miller handles every case personally — no handoffs to associates or paralegals.