Parents place a great deal of trust in day care centers, but sometimes their trust is betrayed whenever a child suffers an accident as a result of negligence on the part of workers. Some of these injuries may be rather minor, but other times they will require a trip to the hospital or even extended medical care. In some cases, children have even died due to negligent behavior by day care workers.

Most Common Causes of Day Care Injuries

There are a few things that commonly lead to day care injuries amongst children, a few of which include:

• Not having enough personnel on hand to supervise children
• Workers who are distracted
• Failing to perform the proper background screenings before hiring
• Poorly maintained facilities or equipment
• Allowing children to play with toys that are not age appropriate

In addition to accidents, children may also become ill whenever workers fail to take the proper safeguards to prevent the spread of disease. Some examples include failing to wash their hands or maintaining unsanitary conditions.

Physical or Sexual Abuse

Injuries at a day care are tough enough for a parent to deal with when they are unintentional, but when they happen on purpose, they become even harder to comprehend. This is often the case whenever children have been the victim of physical or sexual abuse at the hands of a day care worker. Parents of these children have a double burden in that they must help their child deal with the trauma he or she has suffered while also dealing with their own feelings of grief and even guilt.

Parents who suspect their child has suffered physical or sexual abuse at a day care center should not take the matter into their own hands. Instead, the proper law enforcement agency should be notified so that an investigation into the matter can begin. This is important, as it is the only way criminal charges against a guilty party may be brought.

Steps after an Injury

After learning of a day care injury, parents should ask a few questions in order to get a better idea as to whether or not negligence has occurred. They should find out what happened, who was responsible, and what reasonable precautions could have been taken to prevent the accident. Pictures of the injury and accident location should also be taken if possible. Once all the information has been obtained, parents can use it to determine whether negligence has taken place, in which case legal action might be necessary.

Watching your child suffer is difficult for any loving parent. However, one way to make this process easier is by speaking with a qualified personal injury attorney who can represent you. Get a free case evaluation today by calling 713-222-1222.

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