Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Andrew Baker, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Ohio and other States, day care centers have a duty to properly staff and supervise children under the care of the day care center. When corners are cut and rules are violated, children can and do get hurt. Many such personal injuries sustained by children at a day care center are avoidable. At any given day care center, there are dangers for small children. Even a mop bucket can be dangerous to a small child. Yes, that’s right, a small child could drown in full mop bucket when there are no caregivers around to properly protect the child. There are also electrical hazards to children. There are many reports in which a child wanders out of a facility and into a nearby street or parking lot. This could have fatal consequences. Again, many such incidents take place due to staff and supervision issues. A watchful eye, common sense, due diligence, and a sense of caring can go a long way to providing for the health, safety, and welfare of children in the day care setting.
A burn incident was reported at a day care center in Columbus, Ohio. It was reported that a 1 year old girl was seriously burned as a result of gaining access (without supervision) to a water dispenser that was equipped with a hot water function. The child suffered significant personal injuries in the the face, chest, and even her esophagus. This child should have been provided with better supervision. Furthermore, this kind of equipment should have been kept out of the reach of children. It would also be helpful to have some kind of locking mechancism for the area and / or equipment to further safeguard the day care center. It was also reported the facility at issue – Kids College Day Care Center – had over dozens of violations of the applicable day care center rules and regulations.
When selecting a day care center, it is important for parents to review the license for the day care center and the survey history for the day care center. By contacting the local and state agencies responsible for day care center oversight, a parent can be better informed as to the history and quality of the selected day care center. Of course, there is also a value to the intuition and common sense of the parents and guardians. Visit the facility at random times, ask questions, and be on the look out for anything that seems off or dangerous to your child or other children in the day care center.
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, Automobile Accidents, Settlement / Compensation, and other topics. You can get this book for free at The ABCs of Child Injury.
When a child is injured at a day care center as a result of a burn incident or some other type of incident, it is often helpful to discuss the legal matter and respective rights of the injured child with a Child Injury Lawyer. An experienced lawyer can provide a voice for the injured child and the parents.