Suing a Negligent Childcare Facility For Injuries to a Child
If you are a parent, you know just how difficult it can be to leave your child in someone else’s care. Whether you are dropping your child off at school, a babysitter’s house, or a daycare facility, you may worry about the level of supervision and care your child is receiving. While many childcare organizations provide safe, loving environments for children, some childcare staff do not take their responsibilities seriously. Children can be seriously injured or even killed due to unsafe conditions and lack of supervision. If your child has been hurt while at daycare, you may be eligible for compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
When Is a Childcare Facility Liable for Child Injuries?
Children who are playing often trip, fall down, bump their heads, or sustain other minor injuries. Some injuries are not preventable, but daycares should be organized so that there is as little risk of injury as possible. This includes installing child-proof locks on cupboards, keeping hazardous material such as cleaning agents out of children’s reach, and ensuring that small children are not left alone. The building itself should also be properly maintained so that issues like loose floorboards, wobbly handrails, broken playground equipment, or other hazards do not present a danger to children. Lastly, the facility should ensure that the staff hired to care for children are properly trained, do not have a history of violence or abuse, and can fulfill their jobs properly. If a childcare facility’s failure to maintain a safe environment for children leads to a child’s injuries, it is possible that the facility will be considered liable.
Damages in a Child Injury Case
Negligent childcare workers can result in children being seriously hurt. Some children have even passed away due to negligent daycare facilities. If a facility is found to be liable for a child’s injuries, the facility may be required to pay damages. These may include medical expenses such as hospital bills and the costs of the child’s ongoing medical care as well as the child’s pain and suffering, disability, or disfigurement. It is often difficult to prove that a child’s injuries were caused by negligent staff. A lawyer experienced in premises liability cases involving childcare injuries can help you find evidence, witnesses, and other information that may prove the facility’s fault.
Contact an Elmhurst Daycare Injury Lawyer
If your child was injured at daycare and you believe that his or her injury could have been prevented, contact Schwartz Injury Law to discuss your options under Illinois law. Call our office at 630-415-0500 today and schedule a free consultation with a skilled Illinois premises liability attorney.
Source:
https://courts.illinois.gov/CircuitCourt/CivilJuryInstructions/IL_IPI_Civil.pdf