How Do Burn Injuries Happen at Texas Daycare Centers?
Burn injuries at Texas daycare centers often happen because of a lack of supervision by caregivers or inadequate training and procedures. In fact, nearly 75% of all scalding burns in children are preventable, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Our experienced daycare burn injury lawyers have found that bottle warmers are a common cause of daycare burn injuries for babies and toddlers in Texas. Bottle warmer burns happen when:
- An unsupervised child pulls a loose cord on the bottle warmer, causing boiling water or milk to spill on them. This is a scalding injury, which is the most common way that toddlers and children are most likely to be burned, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
- An improperly stored bottle warmer tips over because it is not safely secured.
- A bottle warmer is unsafely left on a surface within reach of a child, and it is knocked over.
Young children at Texas daycares can also be burned when they are not adequately supervised around:
- Boiling water
- Hazardous materials like cleaning products or pesticides that come in contact with a child’s skin and can lead to a serious chemical burn
- Hot beverages like coffee, formula, or tea
- Hot surfaces or objects like a hot plate, stove, or an oven
- Open flames like candles
- Space heaters
- Steam from a humidifier
What Kinds of Burns Can Children Get at Texas Daycares?
There are four classifications of burns that children at Texas daycares can experience. Each type is determined by how deep and severe the burn penetrates the surface of the skin. Burn injuries can progress over time, so a parent or daycare worker may not be aware of the severity of a child’s burn until a few days after the initial incident.
- First-Degree Burns: These burns only affect the outer layer of the skin, like a mild sunburn. The impacted skin may turn red and be painful upon touch, but there is no long-term impact on the body.
- Second-Degree Burns: Slightly more serious than first-degree burns, second-degree burns affect the outer and lower skin layers. For these burns, the skin may blister or swell. These burns are also painful to the touch.
- Third-Degree Burns: Affecting all three skin layers, third-degree burns are serious with lasting impacts to the body. These burns permanently damage nerve endings, hair follicles, and sweat glands. The skin may look black, white, or red with a leathery texture, and any pain will be felt in the areas around the burn.
- Fourth-Degree Burns: The most severe burn classification, these burns go even deeper than third-degree burns and can be life-threatening. These burns permanently damage muscle, bone, tendons, and nerve endings in the impacted area.
In the event that a child is seriously burned at a local daycare center, we are fortunate that the Texas area has three world-class pediatric burn treatment facilities: Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Shriners Children’s Texas in Galveston.
Can I Sue a Texas Daycare If My Child Was Burned While in Its Care?
Burn injuries can be very painful and result in significant physical and emotional trauma for your child. In fact, your family may be able to file a lawsuit that would hold the daycare accountable for your child’s injuries and help you receive compensation to cover:
- Pain and suffering
- Therapy and other resources to help with mental anguish
- Your child’s medical expenses
We will be ready to listen and advise your family on the best approach to hold the daycare in Texas accountable and get justice for your child’s burn injuries. However, there is a two-year time limit for filing a personal injury claim in Texas, so reach out to our team as soon as possible. Call us at 281-857-6116 or fill out a contact form for a free consultation.
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