Articles Posted in Child Injury

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A caregiver provides a much-needed service to thousands of parents in America. To be a caregiver, proper training as well as certain personality traits is needed to ensure that the child stays happy and safe. It is the duty of the caregiver to provide the child with any care they need until they are safely returned to their parents.

Many times, a child is injured at daycare or school due to under-staffing. The amount of children a daycare needs to provide services for normally varies day by day. This can make it exceptionally difficult to schedule employees and figure out how many caregivers are needed.

Daycare workers also need special training and supervision by a more experienced caregiver. Toys and playground equipment need to regularly inspected to check for any potential hazards. They also need to be properly maintained to prevent any serious injury from happening.

When a child is injured, the daycare also needs to follow specific instructions regarding dosage and timing. The daycare needs to ensure the child is not allegoric to anything. Failure to do so can lead to even worse injuries or even fatal injuries.

If a daycare was negligent call on of our attorneys to see if you have a potential claim. Things that are negligent on behalf of a daycare include: failure to maintain toys/playground equipment, lack of staffing, carelessness in removal of objects, as well as many other things. Do not wait around, call us today and receive compensation for your child’s injuries. Do not let it happen to another child and make sure justice is served. Call a Georgia child injury lawyer today.

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If your child is on another person’s property with permission, then they are by Georgia law called an “invitee.” This means that the owner of the property the child is on has a duty to ensure safety from any foreseeable harm. In turn, this means that if a property owner can foresee a dangerous situation, then reasonable preventative steps need to be taken to ensure that the children are safe. Dangerous situations include swimming pools, chemicals, access to high traffic areas, access to medicine, and high crime areas. Remember, even if a child was trespassing, you as an owner can be held liable under the “attractive nuisance” law.

You may have a premises liability case or attractive nuisance law case if your child was injured or killed on someone else’s property. Contact one of our premises liability attorneys for a free consultation to see if you are eligible for compensation.

Property owners are required to protect children from hidden dangers because children cannot foresee or avoid dangers. Therefore, proper safeguards need to be taken to ensure their safety and protect them from all dangers. This includes locking cabinets, plugging outlets, putting sharp objects out of reach, locking doors and gates, and having someone at the house while children play.

If you or a loved one was injured on another person’s property, on commercial property, or government property, call Atlanta Premises Liability Lawyer Bryce Angell at 770-217-4954.

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Daycare owners and caregivers have a legal duty to protect the wellbeing of the children entrusted to them by parents. If a child sustains an injury when at daycare, both the facility itself and the caretaker can potentially be liable for damages. Our daycare injury attorneys take these cases very seriously and we will aggressively go after the people responsible for your child’s injuries. Our attorneys have dealt with numerous cases involving daycare injuries, and we will fight to ensure your child’s injuries do not go unpunished.

If you are unsure whether or not you have a potential case, here are a few circumstances that merit a child injury claim:

  •        Lack of supervision of children

  •      Child abuse

  •     Sexual abuse of a child

  •     Neglect of child

  •     Slip, trip, and fall accidents

  •     Defective toys or playground equipment

  •     Failure to properly train daycare workers

    • As long as we can prove that there was some sort of negligence on behalf of the daycare itself or an individual caregiver, then you have a solid case. You can try to collect damages for your personal pain and suffering, your child’s pain and suffering, physiological trauma, medical expenses, ongoing treatment, psychiatric treatment, and many more things.

    At our law office, we will put our best attorneys on your case to ensure you receive justice for your child’s injures. Child injuries need to be taken seriously because they can have long lasting effects on your child and the overall health of your child. If you come to our office, you will receive the absolute best care and treatment. We will do anything possible so that you can receive compensation for your child’s injuries. Contact an Atlanta Daycare Injury Attorney at 770-217-4954 today and receive a free consultation.

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    While no civil case is easy, parents have an incredibly tough decision on whether or not they should look for an attorney if a child is injured. It can be tough to decide if it is the best interest of the child for the parents to make the claim and whether the child’s relationships with other people may be affected. However, generally speaking, it is in everyone’s best interest if the parents hire a lawyer to handle a civil case.

    In most cases, an insurance agent will offer between ten to twenty percent of what they would offer if the child had legal representation.  Even though lawyers take a large commission, normally between twenty five to thirty three percent, it is still in the child’s best interest to get a lawyer so that the child can receive maximum compensation.

    Most lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means the lawyers only get paid if they win the case. If the child loses, the parents will owe nothing to the attorney. They will not have to pay the lawyer a fee and will not repay the attorney for anything.

    It should be noted that getting legal representation is not the same thing as if you were suing somebody. A lawyer will present a case to an insurance company so that it does not have to be escalated and go to court. Proper legal representation will ensure that that the case is handled swiftly and efficiently.

    If you do not even try to get an attorney, you will never know if you could possibly receive higher monetary compensation. Most of the time people will find that they did not receive the maximum award that they could have received. Generally, their response is “I did not know any better.” In reality, the parents were most likely lazy and just wanted to get their child money.

    Make sure you do your due diligence so that your injured child can receive the maximum award possible. Failure to do so is irresponsible on the parent’s behalf. They should be doing whatever is necessary for their child, and getting an attorney provides the best chance for the child to get what they rightfully deserve.

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    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued recommendations for children riding in vehicles.    The NHTSA recommends parents select a car seat based on your child’s age and size.  Its important to choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and that you use the car seat every time you drive with your child.  Although this may seem obvious, it is important to read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the latch system or belt system.  It is also recommended that a child uses the car seat for as long as possible until the child outgrows the seat.  Keeping your child in the back seat through the age of 12 has also proven to be the best practice.  The following recommendations are based on age:

    Birth-12 Months: Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.  There are several different types of rear-facing car seats designed for various child sizes.  It is important to consider your child’s height and weight before purchasing a car seat.

    1-3 Years: As recommended, it is best to keep your child in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible.  Once your child has reached the hight or weight limit then a new forward-facing car seat should be considered.

    4-7 Years: Keeping your child in a forward-facing seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the manufacturer.  Once your child reached the limits it is now time to consider purchasing a booster seat.

    8-12 Years: It is recommended that you keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. In order to properly fit your child to a seat belt, the lap belt must lie firmly across the upper thighs and not the stomach. The shoulder belt should fit across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. And always remember, your child should continue riding in the back seat since it’s safer there.

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    The good news is that your child is at very little risk from electrical shocks. The risk can be further minimized by applying some of  following tips to preventing your child from electrical shock and the possibility of electrical fire.

    Electricity - lightning boltsWith protecting children from electrical appliances there are actions you can take that will be relevant regardless of your child’s age. Whether your child is a baby, toddler, or seven-year-old, the tips below can help you to prevent shock and electrical fires.

    1.  Unplug any electrical devices that get hot such as hair straighteners, hair curlers, irons, ect. as soon as you’ve finished using them. This will eliminate the electrical connection and minimize the risk of fire.

    2.  Safety-check your appliances to see if they’re up to the job by testing them out. Look for any areas of the wire for abnormal heating or loose connections.  If there are any problems then you will have the chance to discover see frayed wires or scorched sockets.

    3.  One plug per socket. Power extensions will permit you to run more appliances at once but they can overload the circuit and can cause fires. Also, having multiple plugs will increase the exposure of potential shock. Keep an eye out for  overloaded plug sockets, especially with appliances that use a lot of power like curling irons and other heat generating devices.

    4.  Power Surge Protectors ‘Bar’ vs ‘block’. If you’re looking to purchase electrical socket extension or surge protector, some are safer than others. The ‘bar’ type, where the electrical plugs sit in a line, puts less strain on the socket than a ‘block’ type. ‘Block’ types, where the outlets are all attached in a clump, are more likely to increase the strain of the socket and cause fires and/or shock.

    5.  Turn appliances off when you are finished using them. Did you know that some mobile phone chargers, if left plugged in, can overheat and cause a fire? Unless it’s designed to remain on overnight (like a freezer) turn it off and unplug it at the mains.

    6. Don’t remove the 3rd prong or ground pin of a plug. This can prevent proper grounding and could create a short circuit.

    7.  Don’t plug anything into an electrical outlet if there is water on the floor near it.  Water and electrical outlets don’t mix and can be deadly.

    8. Prevent your child from being able to touch outlets or switches with missing or broken cover plates.

    9. Don’t use or leave hair dryers, radios, or any other electrical appliances in the tub or shower where children could get to them. Some appliances, like hair dryers should always be unplugged when you are finished with them.

    10. Use plastic dummy plugs on every unused socket so that your child does not poke things into the holes of the outlet.