Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
During the summer, millions of children enjoy activities and sports at camps across the nation. Most days are filled with fun, laughter, and time spent with friends doing fun things. Unfortunately for some children, some days are quite the opposite when the child suffers a personal injury at a summer camp. Any time the child participates in an activity whether it is sports, horseback riding, arts & crafts, or another type of activity – there is a risk of injury. It is the responsibility of the summer camp to provide appropriate supervision, safety precautions, and proper maintenance in order to prevent personal injuries to children attending the camp.
Many personal injuries suffered at a summer camp can be prevented with due diligence, attentiveness, and just plain old common sense as to the best interests of the children. When a child is injured at the summer camp due to the negligence or fault of the summer camp or its staff, a parent, on behalf of the injured child, can pursue a claim or case to seek compensation for the injured child. As a Child Injury Lawyer, I am often asked whether a summer camp is required to carry liability insurance. Like many such questions, the answer depends on a number of factors including the following:
the location of the summer camp (City, County, and State);
the size and type of summer camp;
the ownership or control of the summer camp (private, religious affiliated, or public);
licensing of the summer camp;
local and state regulations applicable to the summer camp; and
membership of the summer camp in accreditation type organizations (public or private).
Liability insurance requirements vary from state to state and even county to county. Some jurisdictions have no state statute requiring insurance while others do. If the summer camp is affiliated with a particular organization or has a certain membership, there may be requirement as part of the membership or accreditation requirements that the summer camp have liability insurance in place. It should be noted that just because there is a law or membership requirement that liability insurance be in place, this is not by any means a guarantee that the summer camp will follow those laws, requirements, or membership requirements. When a child is injured at a summer camp is often helpful to retain the services of a Child Injury Lawyer for advice, guidance, and legal representation when necessary to seek compensation on behalf of the injured child. Through an investigation by a Child Injury Lawyer, it can be determined whether the summer camp had liability insurance in place and/or the suitable assets in place in order to seek compensation on behalf of the injured child.
The book – The ABCs of Child Injury – Legal Rights of the Injured Child – What Every Parent Should Know – has chapters on Day Care Center Injuries, School Injuries, Playground Injuries, Sports Related Injuries, and other topics. You can get this book for free at The ABCs of Child Injury.