Can my son sue for being shot randomly on the street and sustaining health altering changes?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can my son sue for being shot randomly on the street and sustaining health altering changes?
About a month ago, my son was one of 2 victims shot randomly while outside of his apartment. The incident was televised. The other victim died. My son was shot in the back and the bullet is still lodged in his hip. Also, he was shot in the leg which fractured his fibula. As a result he has no feeling in his foot on one side and the doctors say the fracture could have caused nerve damage and feeling may never come back. They also said that as he grows older, he’s 41 now, gunshot wounds tend to produce chronic pain which will persist throughout his life. It was not his fault that he was shot nor do I think they even looked for the person who did this. So my son has to suffer from a crazy person with a gun?
Asked on September 17, 2019 under Personal Injury, Maryland
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
MD has a crime victim compensation program that provides up to $25,000 in financial compensation to help victims and their loved ones cover crime-related expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, etc. Eligible victims may also be able to pursue compensation by filing a civil lawsuit. here is a link to a site that will explain further: goccp.maryland.gov/victims/cicb/
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Your son can sue the shooter or attacker, or anyone who helped them (for example, if it was a driveby shooting, he can sue the driver as well as the shooter). But he can only sue someone who was at fault in causing the injury; it is not clear if he was shot randomly who else might have been at fault, and so whom else he might sue.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.