By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
A day care center in Arkansas mistakenly and negligently served children windshield wiper fluid during snack time. Apparently, a day care center work had placed the blue windshield wiper fluid in the day care center’s refrigerator. Thereafter, the windshield wiper fluid was mistaken for a fruit juice or Kool Aid type of drink and then served to the children. The children ranged in ages from 2 to 7 years old. Doctors and toxicologist estimate that the children drank approximately one ounce of the fluid before realizing that it tasted wrong. The children were evaluated and treated at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. One child had to be admitted after blood samples showed elevated levels of methanol which is a highly toxic kind of alcohol that can cause serious personal injuries including death, coma, and blindness. The Arkansas Department of Human Resources will conduct an investigation into this incident.
Day care center operators big and small have a duty to safeguard all toxic chemicals and household products. Since children do not appreciate the dangers of these chemicals and household products, they should be kept away from children in a day center. Certainly, toxic chemicals like windshield wiper fluid should not be served at snack time as drinks for the children. The children and their parents can pursue a legal action against the day care owner for the damages caused by the ingestion of the windshield wiper fluid which would include medical bills (past and future) and mental pain and suffering. In addition to safeguarding toxic chemicals, day care centers should ensure that toxic chemicals are properly labeled so to avoid incidents like this one in the future. You can read more about this story at Arkansas Mistakenly Gives Children Car Fluid to Drink – Children Are Hospitalized.