Burns are a very common cause of preventable injuries and even death among children. Thermal burns occur after exposure to a hot surface or liquid or contact with flames, while chemical burns are caused by chemicals that damage the skin on contact. Chemical burns are usually the result of acid or alkali substances—usually household products like drain cleaners, bleaches, detergents, or toilet bowl cleaners.
Chemical burns ranging from mild to severe can lead to redness, pain, blisters, swelling, and skin peeling. If your child has experienced a chemical burn while attending daycare, seek the professional expertise of a qualified Illinois daycare chemical burns lawyer at Finney Injury Law. Such injuries are often preventable, and there may be grounds for legal action if negligence contributed to your child’s harm. Our team will work tirelessly to hold all negligent parties accountable for their inaction to ensure your child’s safety is a top priority.
Why Choose an Illinois Daycare Chemical Burns Lawyer from Finney Injury Law?
Following an injury to your child, the very last thing you may want to think about is filing a lawsuit. When you have Finney Injury Law in your corner, we will handle all the details of your case, allowing you the time you need to tend to your child’s injuries. Unlike many other law firms, the attorneys at Finney Injury Law prepare every single claim as though it will go to court. We will comprehensively investigate your child’s accident, negotiating a settlement when appropriate while always being ready to argue your case persuasively in court.
In fact, we have an award-winning trial lawyer on staff who, along with the rest of our legal team, will fight for the trial verdict you deserve. Additionally, our firm is extremely client focused. We always have your goals and well-being uppermost in our minds while fighting for justice on your behalf. We offer a free initial consultation and are available to our clients 24/7.
With more than 100 positive client reviews, you can feel confident about hiring Finney Injury Law to handle the legalities associated with your child’s chemical burns received while in daycare. If your child has suffered severe chemical burns, we can meet virtually rather than you coming to one of our offices. We have both English and Spanish-speaking staff for your convenience, and every one of our attorneys is deeply involved in their communities.
What Chemicals Commonly Cause Burns in a Daycare Setting?
There are many different chemicals that can result in chemical burns among infants, toddlers, and children in daycares. Strong acids such as bleach and other household cleaners (toilet bowl cleaners, shower and countertop cleaners, floor cleaners, etc.) can all cause chemical burns. There are other chemicals that can also cause burns, some of which many adults fail to consider, like fertilizers, gardening treatments for pests and plant diseases, bug sprays, rat poison, antifreeze, and other automobile substances. Many daycares use bleach on a regular basis and may think the childproof cap makes it acceptable to leave bleach sitting out. Unfortunately, not only are the caps not always screwed on tightly, but some older children are quite good at opening childproof caps.
How Can a Chemical Burn Happen in a Daycare?
Chemical burns usually occur in a daycare setting when a toddler opens a bottle of household cleaner and pours it out, pouring it on their own skin in the process. A young child may also reach for a household cleaner that was not properly closed on a countertop, pulling the caustic liquid onto their body. In home daycares, there is often a garage attached to the home. While the owner of the daycare may believe no children can get into the garage or gardening shed, it can happen. A child alone in a garage or gardening shed can find many different chemicals that are unsafe. If your child has been burned by unsecured chemicals in a daycare facility, it is time to contact an Illinois daycare chemical burns lawyer from Finney Injury Law.
What is the Process for Suing an Illinois Daycare for Negligence?
If your child sustained a chemical burn while in daycare, you may want to speak to an attorney from Finney Injury Law regarding filing a lawsuit. While a lawsuit obviously cannot reverse the physical and emotional damage to your child, it can allow you to get the necessary medical treatment for your child, pay for your lost wages while you are off work caring for your child, and award damages for your child’s pain and suffering. A lawsuit also sends a message to the daycare that allowed your child to be injured—as well as all other daycares in the state—that they are legally obligated to ensure the safety of the children in their care.
What is the Timeline for Suing an Illinois Daycare for an Injury?
Each state has statutes of limitations in place that govern the amount of time you have in which to file a lawsuit for negligence. You have two years in the state of Illinois to file your lawsuit against the daycare that allowed your child to sustain chemical burns. The statutes are generally absolute, so it is important that you do not exceed this time limit, or you could be barred from holding the daycare accountable.
Hiring an Illinois Child Chemical Burns Lawyer Near You from Finney Injury Law
The legal team at Finney Injury Law is ready to help you through this difficult time. We can access any state inspection reports associated with the daycare and find out whether there have been prior injuries or deaths. If you signed a waiver of liability when you put your child into daycare your case could be more difficult—but certainly not impossible. Waivers may not hold up in court when the daycare facility was clearly negligent or careless with your child. Our attorneys will work hard toward a positive outcome for your child’s daycare chemical burns. We believe your child should be safe while in daycare, with people that can be trusted to care for him or her. Contact an attorney from Finney Injury Law today for exemplary legal assistance.