How Can Children Be Injured at Daycare?

Millions of parents across the country rely on daycare centers to supervise their children while they are at work. Parents put an enormous amount of trust in daycare centers. After all, these businesses are tasked with taking care of their children for several hours per day. However, there are instances where daycare centers betray the trust of parents. When licensed daycare centers are negligent, children can suffer catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. Common causes of tragedies at daycare centers may include:

• Lack of supervision: Daycare workers cannot properly supervise children if they are distracted. A lack of supervision may expose children to fall injuries, choking hazards and other dangers. In some cases, daycare workers have left children in hot cars after becoming distracted. The purpose of a daycare center is to supervise children. A lack of supervision is one of the most egregious violations.
• Abusive or dangerous staff: Daycare staff members with a history of violence of sexual abuse can harm children. Children can be victimized when daycares fail to perform background checks on staff members.
• Poorly trained staff: Poorly trained daycare staff may be unable to respond to certain types of emergencies. For example, if a child drowned or stopped breathing for other reasons, staff would need to know CPR to save the child’s life.
• Unsanitary conditions: Children can develop illnesses when daycares do not provide a sanitary environment. For example. daycares who do not regularly sanitize the premises can put children at risk of developing deadly bacterial and viral infections. Although this is a sensitive topic for some, daycares can also put others at risk by accepting children who have not received immunizations.
• Defective equipment or toys: Each year, defective children’s products are recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and manufacturers. For example, some toys may present a choking or burn hazard to children. In other cases, defective cribs or furniture may cause fall injuries. These products can be responsible for accidents at daycares.

Can I File a Lawsuit for Daycare Injuries?

Unfortunately, these are only a few examples of how your child could be harmed at a daycare center. This is by no means an exhaustive list. What is important when it comes to filing a lawsuit is whether the daycare was negligent. Negligence is not always apparent to parents or caregivers after an accident. The daycare accident that harmed your child may warrant further investigation by law enforcement and an attorney.Depending on the circumstances that caused the accident, it may be possible to file a lawsuit against the daycare center. Daycare accidents can result in brain injuries, burn injuries and other serious harm that could have lifelong consequences for you and your child. Damages from a lawsuit could help pay for some the expenses associated with these injuries.If your child was injured at daycare, the Texas personal injury lawyers at Mike Love & Associates, LLC can discuss your situation and potential legal options at no cost.