Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Robert Chaiken, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In most houses, apartments, mobile homes, and other residences of children, there is an area of the home that is often times the location of serious injuries and in some cases – the death of the child. This location is the bathroom. There are a number of dangers that can be present in the bathroom including the following:
*the bathtub (risks of drowning);
*the medicine cabinet (risks of poisoning); and
*the faucet – bathtub or sink (risks of scalding injuries).
The mechanism of injury may be intentional or unintentional. With respect to intentional injuries, the child is the victim of child abuse, child neglect, or excessive and inappropriate corporal punishment. Parents should never use excessive hot water to scald the child as a form of punishment. Furthermore, parents should not dunk or hold a child’s head under water to teach the child a lesson. These acts put the child at risk for serious personal injury and, in some instances, even the wrongful death of a child.
In some instances, the injuries are caused by the unintentional acts of a parent, teacher, day care provider, or other child care provider. A moment of inattention can lead to serious personal injuries or wrongful death. It is important that children are properly supervised so that injuries are preventable and avoidable. As noted above, there are many areas right there in a bathroom that can lead to serious personal injuries to a child.
In Lubbock, Texas, it was reported that a man was arrested for scalding a 3 year old in a bathtub. It was reported that the man was accused of intentionally placing the 3 year old in the scalding water. The burns covered 35 % of the boy’s body. The child required extensive medical care and treatment for these serious personal injuries. See Lubbock Texas Man Arrested for Scalding Water Incident and Related Injuries.
The book titled – The ABCs of Child Injury – Legal Rights of the Injured Child – What Every Parent Should Know – has chapters on Automobile Accidents, Day Care Center Injuries, School Injuries, Homeowner’s Insurance, Child Abuse / Neglect, and other topics. You can get this book for free at The ABCs of Child Injury.