In August 2022, a young boy was seriously hurt when workers at a Plano, Texas, daycare center left him unsupervised near a hot baby bottle warmer that was not secured. These devices use boiling water to warm milk or formula for infants and are a serious safety hazard in childcare facilities.
As a result of the daycare center’s negligence, the toddler suffered from severe burns on his neck, shoulder, and chest. Luckily, the little boy’s mother contacted our experienced Dallas child injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm to get answers and hold the Plano center accountable for harming her son. Our lawyers got justice by securing a settlement for the young boy and his family to cover expenses ranging from costly medical bills to therapeutic resources needed to help the young boy heal from his injuries and move forward.
How the Plano Daycare’s Negligence Severely Burned Our Client
Severe burns caused by bottle warmers are preventable injuries at daycare centers. As we previously mentioned, bottle warmers are a known hazard at daycare centers, including the Plano facility in this case. The state of Texas recognizes the safety risk to children so much that daycare safety laws (known as minimum standards) dictate the proper use and storage of bottle warmers. These rules include:
- Safeguarding dangerous items like bottle warmers
- Keeping bottle warmers out of reach of children
- Supervising children at all times
The Plano daycare center failed to follow the state’s safety laws. The facility left a bottle warmer with a dangling cord within reach of the curious toddler. Caregivers also knowingly left the little boy alone around the hazard. In fact, since no one was watching the little boy at the time of the incident, the daycare was unable to explain to the boy’s mother how the bottle warmer and its scalding water fell on the little boy or why he was allowed near the bottle warmer.
The daycare also failed to contact emergency services following the incident. Untrained workers left the little boy in the wet T-shirt he was burned in while it was obvious his burns were forming blisters.
As a result of the Plano daycare’s negligence, the little boy suffered severe burns on his neck, shoulder, and chest, which left visible scarring, discoloration, and redness that may never disappear.
Moving Forward: Getting Justice for A Toddler After a Bottle Warmer Burn
The little boy’s injuries from the bottle warmer were very painful and caused the child significant physical and emotional trauma.
The boy’s mom rushed him to a nearby emergency room where he was treated for large, open second-degree burn wounds on his neck, shoulder, ear, face, and chest area. The next day, he was seen by another doctor to help treat his severe burn wounds with an array of topical ointments and prescription medications to help reduce the inflammation, scarring, and pain surrounding the injured tissue.
The little one also went to a local burn center because his burns were so severe. There, they worked to treat the burns on his neck and chest wall. The necessary medical treatments and exams performed by specialists were expensive.
In addition, the boy’s traumatic experience scarred him emotionally. He struggled with and refused to participate in routine tasks like bathing and sleeping. The little boy was unable to sleep well due to the pain and location of his burn wounds.
He refused to let anyone, including his mom, get near the area where he was burned, and his mom worries he will be insecure about the permanent disfigurement caused by his burn wounds as he grows older.
Our North Texas daycare injury lawyers helped the young boy and his family move forward by securing a settlement to compensate the family for monetary and noneconomic damages. The settlement covered the boy’s costly medical bills, resources needed to help him heal from emotional trauma, and other psychological impacts from the preventable bottle warmer burn injury.
How The Button Law Firm Can Help Your Family After a Bottle Warmer Burn Injury in Texas
Our team of experienced and compassionate daycare injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm is dedicated to advocating for you and your family if your child was seriously burned by a bottle warmer while in the care of a Texas daycare facility. 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 or fill out a contact form for a free consultation.