New Orleans Daycare Injury Lawyer

Daycare centers have a duty to keep children safe from common and potential dangers. When child care providers are negligent in or fail that duty, the children they are responsible can suffer serious injury.  If your child was injured due to the negligent actions of a daycare or child care provider, the Law Offices of John W. Redmann, L.L.C. can help.  Our New Orleans daycare injury lawyers can determine who is at fault for your child’s injuries and fight for justice for your family.

How Do Daycare Injuries Happen?

Most daycares work to minimize the risks to children in their care, however, injuries can still happen. Often daycare injuries are the result of negligence. A daycare may not have sufficient staff on duty to properly tend to the needs of all the children present for the day.

Even when staffed appropriately, one caregiver may become distracted and not pay adequate attention. A glance at a cell phone may be all the time it takes for a child to wander into a dangerous situation or go missing. It takes the full attention of every caregiver to keep daycare kids safe, and parents should expect no less when they drop off their children for the day.

Common Injuries in Daycare

Most daycare injuries are preventable by proper awareness and care. Much like a caregiver at a nursing home should know the common risks for patients, daycare workers should know the risks for children under their care. Some of the most common causes of injuries in daycare are:

• Playground injuries. A daycare facility may have its own playground, or staff may take children on a trip to one nearby. Some injuries can be due to faulty playground equipment, but that is not always the case. An unsupervised child at a playground may suffer bone fractures, internal injuries, or concussions.
• Loose and falling objects. An object falling from a height can easily hit a child and cause injury. Daycare staff should take steps to keep children safely away from any potentially dangerous falling objects. Parents searching for a daycare facility should take a tour to make sure potentially dangerous objects are secure to ensure their children’s safety.
• Child Abuse. A daycare can be held liable for a child care provider that intentionally or unintentionally injures or abuse a child physically, verbally, emotionally or sexually.
• Bottle warmer burns. Daycare facilities often use bottle warmers, and these devices can lead to burns. A child may reach for his or her bottle and knock over the warmer or even pull on the cord, causing the warmer to fall, both of which can result in burns.

In many cases, incidents that would lead to minor injury in an adult can be serious for a child, who is still developing. An accident as simple as closing one’s hand in the door can have permanent consequences for a child. Because of these risks, it is even more critical for daycare facilities to be diligent to prevent injuries.

What About Daycare Liability Waivers?

Daycare liability waivers grant the daycare permission to seek medical care for a child in the case of an emergency. However, this is not all they can do. Many daycares include an indemnity clause, stating that parents agree to not sue the facility if an accident ever occurs.

These waivers often do not hold up in court, as they are, in effect, granting a daycare permission to act negligently. If you have signed a liability waiver that includes an indemnity clause and your child becomes injured while under the daycare’s supervision, you still have the right to file a lawsuit and seek compensation.

Daycare injury cases are heartbreaking because the injury often occurs through no fault of the child and instead through the negligence of the daycare. If this has happened to your child, you have a right to compensation. Speak with our New Orleans daycare injury attorneys today to help you build your case and fight for your rights so that you can focus on tending to your child’s recovery.