While bumps and scrapes are commonplace throughout daycare facilities, certain types of injuries should never occur. The constant need for attention and supervision often overwhelms child daycare facilities, especially when they are understaffed. If your child suffered a severe injury while attending daycare, it is unlikely their fault. What makes matters worse is that toddlers and other young children may not understand what happened and may not be able to explain it to an adult. Attorneys who specialize in daycare injuries can investigate what occurred and hold all responsible parties accountable. The earlier that you hire an attorney, the better.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Injury at Daycare?
There is no such thing as a perfect daycare. Even the most expensive and qualified daycare centers can cut corners. You or your attorney must demonstrate their negligence to prove that a daycare facility is at fault for your child’s injury. Some of the most common examples of daycare negligence include:
- Dangerous and unsafe childcare facilities
- Understaffing or inadequately trained staff
- Negligent or insufficient supervision
- Failure to monitor food allergies
- Failure to provide prescription medication or attend to the child’s medical needs
- Failure to alert the authorities and emergency medical services
- Hazardous toys and rusty playground equipment
Most occurrences go unreported. Instances involving sexual molestation are rarely discovered. Daycare facilities know that young children and toddlers cannot express themselves as adults can. Some daycare facilities will conceal their negligent conduct if allowed. The causes of injuries to children are often extremely difficult to determine—a proper investigation is often the key to successfully obtaining compensation for your child.
Examples of Daycare Injuries
The most common injuries are often very minor and don’t require legal representation. These include cuts, scrapes, and minor bruises. However, injuries such as broken bones, burns, poisoning, and head injuries are all severe injuries that may require legal representation. Unfortunately, daycare facilities have been found responsible for truly catastrophic injuries and even the deaths of their young attendees.
Florida leads the nation in tragic daycare incidents involving infants who are forgotten and left in overheated vehicles. For example, in 2019, a Florida daycare employee left an infant in the facility’s transportation van. The baby was still strapped into the car seat when daycare workers found her unresponsive in the van several hours later. Tragically, the infant died due to the heat in the van. This truly tragic incident would never have occurred if the daycare workers had done the most fundamental parts of their job correctly.
What Actions Can I Take as a Parent?
Every parent should perform due diligence on the daycare they choose to send their child to. This means that parents should ensure that every person responsible for their child’s care is appropriately licensed. Most importantly, parents should ensure that the daycare has a proper ratio of caregivers to infants. Licensed child care facilities have strict guidelines designed to prevent dangerous conditions from arising. The more caregivers per infant, the better. Generally, the number of caregivers required per child decreases as the age of the group of children ages.
Additionally, a thorough search of online reviews can help you better understand what sort of daycare facility you are dealing with. Reviews tend to speak for themselves.
What To Do if Your Child Was Injured at Daycare
The type and severity of injury or occurrence truly dictate the proper course of action. The most important step is to make sure that your child receives medical attention as soon as possible. Assuming that your child has received the medical attention they need, the following steps include:
- Report the incident to the daycare center
- Report the incident to your local police department if you believe that anyone acted in a criminal matter.
- Photograph and document your child’s injuries.
- Obtain the names and contact details of any individual who witnessed the incident or has information about what occurred.
- Consult an attorney to discuss your legal options.
If your child suffered at the hands of a negligent daycare anywhere in Florida, we are here to help. For a free and completely confidential consultation, call Prosper Shaked at (305) 694-2676. Our goal is to hold those who did wrong to your child accountable for their actions and ensure that your family obtains proper compensation.