When you drop your child off at a daycare center for the day, you expect the staff members to provide high-quality care and supervision until you return. Despite conducting extensive research and choosing a center that fulfills your child’s needs, there is always the possibility that your child may suffer an injury at daycare.
Most common daycare injuries include:
- Minor injuries, such as cuts, bruises, and scrapes
- Serious injuries, such as broken bones, head injuries, and internal injuries
- Burns
- Unintentional poisoning
- Drowning or near-drowning
When a parent calls our Dunedin personal injury attorney at Paulsen Law Group regarding their child’s injuries, they often feel betrayed by the company which they have paid substantial amounts of money under the belief that their child would be cared for and safe. There are typically two ways a child suffers an injury at a daycare: abuse and negligence.
Child Abuse Lawsuits
If your child’s injuries were caused by intentional conduct, such as an assault or battery, you may bring a civil lawsuit to court. This is, of course, in addition to any potential criminal charges associated with the injuries. Furthermore, emotional distress may be enough for monetary damages in cases where the defendant’s conduct was extreme or horrendous and the emotional abuse was severe.
Negligence Lawsuits
Negligence occurs when a person who owed a duty of care to another individual breaches that duty by acting below a reasonable standard of behavior in a certain scenario, resulting in injury. When a child’s injuries are caused by an accident, you may be eligible to recover compensation by proving negligence against any individuals who owed a duty of care to your child at the time he or she was injured.
Any of the following violations that result in injury may be grounds for a negligence lawsuit:
- Maintaining unsafe premises
- Failing to provide adequate supervision
- Violating a statute, which includes committing a criminal offense
If your child suffered injuries caused by the negligent or violent actions of daycare staff members, contact our Dunedin personal injury attorneys at Paulsen Law Group and request a free consultation today.