When you chose a daycare facility for your baby or toddler, you likely researched the facility extensively, even asking others about their own experiences. Yet one day you pick up your child after work only to find that he or she has suffered a serious injury at the daycare facility. Of course, your major concern at this point is to ensure your child receives appropriate medical attention and recovers from the injury. At some point, however, you may begin wondering how such an injury occurred—and whether there have been others you were unaware of.

It can be extremely helpful to have a strong Kansas City daycare injury attorney from Finney Injury Law as your advocate—an attorney who will work tirelessly to ensure justice and accountability occur. Although the state of Missouri is not in full compliance with the 2014 injury and death reporting mandates for daycare facilities (the state does not report the total number of children in daycare), 19thnews.org shows the state does report all deaths and injuries that occur in daycare facilities.

Why Choose a Kansas City Daycare Injury Attorney from our team Following Your Child’s Daycare Injuries?

Following injuries to your child in daycare, you may be anxious regarding your child’s health and frustrated, even angry, regarding how and why the injury occurred. When you leave your child at a daycare facility, you assume they will be well taken care of, which includes proper supervision and an environment that is safe for small children. You also assume that the staff at the daycare have been properly vetted and will treat your child with care and respect.

If any of these things turn out not to be true, you may feel betrayed and may even feel guilty wondering whether you could have done anything different. This is a time when your primary priority should be your child’s health. Having a highly skilled Kansas City daycare injury attorney from Finney Injury Law to handle all the other issues can feel like a lifesaver. At Finney Injury Law, we will aggressively pursue justice for you, your child, and your family.

Every member of our legal team is deeply involved with their communities. We have an award-winning trial lawyer on staff so when negotiations are not productive, litigation is the next step. With extensive trial experience, we fight for our clients to ensure they receive the verdict they deserve. Additionally, you will receive the following benefits when you choose Finney Injury Law:

  • Many positive Google reviews
  • A free, comprehensive initial consultation
  • 24/7 availability
  • English and Spanish-speaking staff
  • Flexible appointment options

Daycare Injuries Finney Injury Law Can Help With

Daycare injuries can be the result of an accident that was not anyone’s fault, or they can be the result of negligence, inattention, neglect, or abuse. The most common daycare injuries include the following:

  • Crush injuries, particularly to fingers and hands when a child has his or her hand in the space by the door hinges, and someone opens or closes the door
  • Bites from other children
  • Burn injuries from bottle warmers or unsecured chemicals; bottle warmer burns are more and more common when the device is left where small hands can reach it or when the cord is unsecured and a child can pull on the cord, dumping the hot liquid onto them.
  • Poisoning can occur when household cleaners including bleach, as well as poisons used in gardens or to kill insects or mice are left unsecured.
  • Daycare employee abuse can take the form of hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, pinching, or shaking, along with emotional abuse when the child is warned not to tell anyone.
  • Choking on food or a toy is preventable. There are certain foods like grapes and hot dogs that should never be fed to young children, and daycare employees need to ensure that the child’s food is always cut into small bites. Age-appropriate toys will not have small parts that a young child can choke on, however, if there are multiple ages at the daycare, workers must be more vigilant.
  • Falls can occur when a baby is left unsupervised and falls from a changing table, or when a toddler or older child climbs on furniture or playground equipment and falls.
  • Playground injuries can occur when younger children are playing on equipment meant for older children, or when younger children are playing with much older children.
  • Wrongful death as a result of shaken baby syndrome, suffocation, or other types of abuse or neglect

What Constitutes a Daycare Injury?

While occasional, minor injuries like bumps, bruises, and small cuts are to be expected when your child is in daycare—or even when they are home with you—when there are more serious injuries, or when there are constant injuries, there may be abuse or neglect involved.  If your child has suffered one of the more serious injuries listed above, then you need answers from the daycare staff. If they are reluctant to tell you what happened—especially if your child is too young to do so—if they “forget” to tell you that your child was injured, or if something simply seems “off,” then it’s time to ask more questions. There should be an incident report any time a child is injured while at daycare. This is true even for a small injury. Ask to see the incident report and if the daycare refuses or this is no report, this is also a red flag.

What is Daycare Negligence?

Daycare negligence occurs when a child is not properly supervised and an accident with injuries results—or when a child is not properly supervised, and he or she wanders away from the facility. When harm or injury results from a lack of reasonable supervision, negligence occurs. Many parents are under the false notion that only actual physical abuse amounts to negligence that could result in civil or criminal liability. Daycare providers have a duty to the children and their parents to always use reasonable care when the children are present to keep them safe from harm. The primary signs of childcare negligence you should know include:

  • There are not enough providers for the number of children and those children’s ages (babies require more attention than older children, therefore it is necessary to have more caregivers).
  • There are dangerous items within reach of the children, including cleaning supplies, knives, and small objects the child could choke on.
  • Your child consistently comes home with scratches, cuts, bruises, and other physical marks.
  • Your baby has constant diaper rash, even though you provide plenty of diapers for changes.
  • Your child is always extremely hungry or thirsty when you pick them up from daycare. This could mean that the daycare providers are not properly nourishing your child.
  • A child who was once very outgoing becomes withdrawn.

Getting the Help You Need from a Kansas City Daycare Injury Attorney from Finney Injury Law

As a parent, finding out your child was abused or neglected can be devastating. If you believe your child has been mistreated, you may think you have no recourse because the daycare center had you sign a liability waiver. While a liability waiver may give the illusion that the daycare facility cannot be held accountable for injuries, this is often not the case. At Finney Injury Law, we will help you determine whether you have a good injury case on behalf of your child. We will gather all the necessary evidence and perform a thorough assessment of that evidence, building a strong case on your child’s behalf. Finney Injury Law makes it easy for you to have a legal advocate on your side who will work aggressively on your behalf. Contact Finney Injury Law today for exemplary legal services from highly experienced lawyers.