Did you know thousands of babies are burned by boiling water used to mix powdered formula every year? In fact, 44,395 children younger than 18 months old suffered from this kind of burn injury according to a study conducted over two years and published in a 2023 medical article in Frontiers in Pediatrics.
Scary statistics like this are why bottle warmers are commonly found at Texas daycare centers with infant nurseries. However, even though this gadget heats a baby’s bottle without boiling the formula, the boiling water used to heat the exterior of the bottle can lead to a toddler sustaining serious and severe burn injuries at a daycare center.
Bottle warmer burn injuries at daycare centers are more common than you’d think. Data collected by the World Health Organization Global Burn Registry found that 62% of toddlers suffer burn injuries—80% are classified as scald burns caused by boiling water or steam from things like a bottle warmer.
That is why our knowledgeable Texas daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm have compiled and answered the four most common questions we get from parents about these serious daycare incidents.
How Do Bottle Warmer Injuries Happen at Daycare Centers?
The following scenarios are how children commonly get burned by bottle warmers at local daycare centers:
- An unsupervised toddler pulls a loose cord on the bottle warmer, causing boiling water or milk to spill on them
- An improperly stored bottle warmer tips over because it is not safely secured
- A bottle warmer is left on a surface within reach of a toddler and is knocked over
A child’s injuries can vary based on the severity of the burn (first, second, or third-degree). Burn injuries can be tricky and require immediate medical attention because they can continue to cause damage even after the child is removed from the boiling water and dried off. A severe burn can also result in painful blisters that lead to skin peeling off or, in a worse-case scenario, a child requiring an amputation or loss of a limb due to tissue damage.
What Safeguards Should Daycare Centers Have in Place to Prevent Bottle Warmer Burns?
In Texas, daycare centers are required to follow childcare safety laws, also known as minimum standards. Bottle warmers have injured so many children that the state has a set of rules dictating how daycare centers can safely use and store these gadgets. For example, to easily prevent bottle warmer burn incidents, daycare centers are required to:
- Train all caregivers on how to use and store bottle warmers safely
- Closely supervise children in a classroom or nursery where bottle warmers are used and kept
- Keep all bottle warmers out of a child’s reach on a table so that it cannot be knocked over
- Ensure that all bottle warmer cords are secured, not dangling off a counter or table, so that little hands cannot grab or yank them
Seeing the state’s regulations and requirements for bottle warmers should be a relief to concerned parents like you. The good news is that when a daycare center complies with each of these standards, children are protected from these dangerous incidents.
Can I Sue a Texas Daycare Center If a Bottle Warmer Burned My Child Under Their Watch?
The answer is yes. Burn injuries caused by bottle warmers can be very painful and result in significant physical and emotional trauma for your child. Filing a lawsuit is one way to hold the daycare center accountable for your child’s injuries and suffering caused by a bottle warmer burn.
A lawsuit can help your family move forward by receiving compensation, known as damages. In a bottle warmer lawsuit, your family may be eligible for the following damages:
- Diminished quality of life
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Therapy to help your child process the traumatic incident and struggles while healing in a healthy way
It is important to note that Texas does have a time limit for filing a lawsuit, known as the statute of limitations. You have two years from the date of your child’s incident involving the bottle warmer to take action.
We have helped many families across the Lone Star State, including a family in Ellis County, get justice following a child’s bottle warmer burn daycare injury. Do you still have questions about filing a daycare bottle warmer lawsuit? Get a free consultation from our Texas daycare injury lawyers by calling 214-699-4409, emailing [email protected], or filling out a contact form.
Burn Injuries Take a Long Time to Heal. Can I Still Hold the Daycare Center Accountable for My Child’s Future Care?
Burn injuries can take a long time to heal and require extensive medical attention. A 2021 medical study in the National Library of Medicine found that the hospital stay for burn patients—the leading cause was hot liquid or vapor, similar to bottle warmer burns—ranged from 1 to 47 days. In addition, the burn victims required ongoing medical care or treatments to heal properly.
Our legal team is well-versed in helping families after their children are burned by bottle warmers. That is why we work closely with doctors to determine the amount of additional medical care, specific treatments, healing time, estimated expenses, and other damages and include the dollar amount in a bottle warmer burn lawsuit.
You can find answers to more common questions from parents after a daycare bottle warmer burn in this video.
Our Texas Daycare Bottler Warmer Burn Injury Lawyers Can Help Your Family
Our team of experienced and compassionate daycare bottle warmer burn injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm is dedicated to advocating for you and your family if your child experiences a burn injury from a bottle warmer while in the care of a Texas daycare facility. With lawyers 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 consultation.
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