Alternatively, the parents of an injured child could pursue a lawsuit on their behalf. This could be worthwhile in cases involving younger children, as waiting for years until the child’s 18th birthday could carry significant financial hardships.
State law does not allow the parents of a child to resolve these claims unilaterally, though. To complete a settlement of their injured child’s negligence claim, they must file a lawsuit along with the at-fault party in order to have the court approve the negotiated settlement. This is referred to as a friendly lawsuit.