What Are the Most Common Injuries Suffered at Child Care Facilities?

 Posted on June 30, 2020 in Blog Post

There are many working parents in the United States. Finding child care options can be a daunting task, since parents are entrusting their child’s well-being with someone else. That is why it is important to find licensed facilities to ensure your child’s safety. Bruises, cuts, or scrapes can be the result of typical childhood roughhousing. However, not all injuries are unintentional, and they could be an indication of a serious accident. They can be caused by negligence or even abuse on behalf of a childcare provider. In Illinois, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) issues licenses to daycare centers to make sure they meet a set of standards for care. When these standards are not met, parents may be entitled to a personal injury claim if their child suffered while in their care.

Negligent Actions Can Lead to Tragic Accidents

Most children who go to a daycare center are typically there for eight or more hours if their parents work full time. This means they may eat, drink, and nap at the facility. An appropriate number of adults to kids ratio must be met to ensure proper supervision. Unfortunately, inadequate staff or maintenance are a few of the reasons that many accidents occur at childcare facilities. In other instances, failure to perform a thorough background check on employees may mean staff members who are not trained or qualified to care for infants or toddlers.

A few of the leading causes of accidents and the resulting injuries that children can sustain while at a daycare facility include:

• Playground Accidents: Old or dilapidated equipment may have rotted wood that can break while children are playing on it. This can lead to falls, resulting in concussions, broken/fractured bones, dislocations, internal bleeding depending on the distance from which a child fell.
• Hot Liquids/Surfaces: Children can suffer first-, second-, and third-degree burns from a stove burner or a bottle that was warmed up in a microwave if a daycare worker does not test the temperature before giving it to a child. In other instances, faulty electrical wiring or outlets that are not covered can electrocute a child who plays with or near them.
• Falling/Unsecured Objects: Daycare facilities are required to meet certain building code regulations to keep children safe. Improper maintenance can cause objects such as light fixtures to come loose or malfunction, creating a hazard. Bookcases and dressers should be securely anchored to the wall. In addition, any pieces of furniture must be free of heavy objects in case kids try to pull them down.
• Poisoning: Younger kids often do not know that certain cleaning solutions are toxic, and they may think they are OK to drink. Regardless, childcare providers have an obligation to carefully monitor children to keep them from accessing and ingesting these hazardous chemicals.
• Choking/Suffocation: Babies and toddlers like to put everything in their mouths. Without adequate supervision, they risk choking on toys or even food and medication if it is not administered properly. Similarly, young children who nap at daycare could potentially suffocate if they get tangled up in blankets or pillows.

Contact a Glenview Personal Injury Attorney

Any facility that takes care of children must provide a safe and secure environment for everyone who stays there. If your child suffered an injury that you believe could have been avoided either due to action or inaction on the part of a daycare center, it is imperative that you consult with professional legal counsel. The Quinn Law Group, LLC understands the Illinois laws governing how child care centers are required to operate. Our competent and compassionate Des Plaines personal injury lawyers will carefully review the details of your child’s accident and hold the negligent party accountable. To schedule your free consultation, call our office today at 847-232-7180.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/safechild/child_injury_data.html

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1367493513501020

https://www2.illinois.gov/dcfs/Pages/default.aspx