Things did not go according to plan when a caregiver at a Euless daycare center handed off a 3-year-old boy to another caregiver in December 2022. As she brought the boy to the front of the classroom so his new caregiver could collect him and safely walk him to his new class, the caregiver closed the door behind her without realizing the toddler had his hand in the heavy door hinge. This caused the boy to sustain a severe finger crush.
The Euless daycare center contacted the boy’s mother, who immediately took her son to a local emergency room to have his bloody hand and fingers evaluated. Doctors diagnosed the boy with a fracture to his right finger and gave him 11 stitches to treat the deep laceration.
Our North Texas daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm worked to help this family hold the Euless daycare center accountable for its negligence in causing the boy’s finger injury. Our team secured a settlement to cover the boy’s medical expenses and the resources needed to help him process his trauma healthily.
How the Euless Daycare Center Could Have Prevented the Boy’s Finger Injury
An independent investigation conducted by Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Licensing found the toddler’s finger injury at the Euless daycare center was preventable. A simple regulation, ensuring children are away from the door before closing it, as outlined in the state’s minimum standards, could have saved the boy and his family great pain.
The state also cited the Euless daycare center for violating the following standards in the incident that harmed the toddler:
- Demonstrating competency and good judgment when performing assigned responsibilities
- Ensuring no child is neglected while in its care
- Knowing and complying with minimum standards for childcare centers
- Providing a level of supervision necessary to ensure each child’s safety and well-being, including physical proximity, auditory or visual awareness
- Intervening when necessary to ensure each child’s safety
Unfortunately, the incident in this case was not the first time the Euless daycare center had been cited by the state for safety infractions. The facility received 11 violations over two years, including one cited just a few months before the toddler’s finger injury. The recurring violation was hiring unqualified caregivers, with instances of the new hires not completing training requirements, not passing background checks before watching children at the facility, and not complying with daycare safety laws, such as closely supervising children at the center.
Moving Forward: How The Button Law Firm Got Justice for This Euless Family
A daycare incident involving a serious injury, such as a crushed finger injury with a lot of bleeding, can be a traumatic incident for any child. After the initial incident of being rushed to the emergency room and receiving 11 stitches to close his large wound, this 3-year-old boy needed follow-up appointments with an orthopedist to ensure his finger healed properly. A scar remains as a reminder of the incident, and the finger is indented and a different color than the rest of his hand.
The little boy’s trauma was exasperated by the great deal of pain that he experienced from his fingers being crushed by the daycare center’s door. He cried and screamed at the daycare, en route to the emergency room, and while at the hospital. Due to the pain he experiences, he has stopped using his right hand and lost strength in it.
Like many toddlers, the boy struggled to process what happened to him. His trauma manifested in behavioral changes, including outbursts that led to biting and hitting his mom, who was forced to resign from her job and move the family to another state to help her son cope.
Our North Texas daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm secured legal victory for the boy and his family. The Euless daycare center was held accountable for its safety failures and compensated the family for all the damages they experienced so that they could move forward.
Get Help with Your Family’s Daycare Finger Injury Case
If your child seriously injured a finger in a crush or severing incident because caregivers neglected to follow daycare safety laws, contact our experienced daycare injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm. With attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, we are ready to listen, fight for your family, and help your family move forward. Our attorneys at The Button Law Firm are recognized on the prestigious Texas Super Lawyers list, and we can help guide you after a traumatizing incident involving your child. We work on contingency, meaning we don’t charge you or collect any upfront fees to get started on your case. Call us at 214-699-4409, email us at [email protected], or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.
.png)
.png)
