Helping Parents After a Child Is Burned at a Dallas, TX Daycare

Helping Parents After a Child Is Burned at Daycare in Dallas

Burn injuries are among the most serious injuries that a person can sustain and can be an especially serious threat for children. In fact, they are the leading cause of death and disability among children ages 1-4, according to a 2022 study published in the National Library of Medicine. The World Health Organization even lists burns among the top 5 most common childhood injuries.

Because of the extensive reaction of the body, burn injuries often require expensive, intense medical treatments and procedures, long-term care, and substantial rehabilitation. In this article, our daycare burn injury lawyers will provide resources and what you can do in the event that your child gets burned at daycare.

How Do Children Get Burned at Dallas Daycare Centers?

There are a variety of burn injuries that can happen at daycare, and they often happen because of a lack of supervision or inadequate training and procedures.

Our experienced daycare injury lawyers have found that bottle warmers are a common cause of daycare burn injuries for babies and toddlers. Bottle warmer burns can happen when:

• An unsupervised child pulls a loose cord on the bottle warmer, causing boiling water or milk to spill on them. This is called a scalding, which is the primary 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

Burn injuries at daycares in Texas can also happen when young children are not adequately supervised around:

• A hot iron
• Boiling water
• Hazardous materials like cleaning products or pesticides that come in contact with a child’s skin
• Hot beverages like coffee, warmed formula, or hot tea
• Open flames like candles
• Other hot surfaces or objects like a hot plate, stove, or oven
• Space heaters
• Steam from a humidifier

How Can Dallas Daycare Centers Protect Children from Burn Injuries?

Most children’s burn injuries can be avoided with adequate supervision by maintaining proper child-to-caregiver ratios. In fact, nearly 75% of all scalding burns in children are preventable, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

It is important for parents and daycare providers to be aware of burn risks and take the proper preventive steps to keep children safe. In addition to supervision, there are three easy steps that daycare centers can take to protect children from experiencing burn injuries:

1. Keep hot surfaces and objects out of children’s reach. Any hazards, such as bottle warmers, irons, or hot plates, should be kept out of reach or guarded when in use. In addition, caregivers should be sure to turn them off when not in use.
2. Safely store chemicals and hazardous materials
3. Teach children about fire safety, including not playing with matches, lighters, or burning candles

What Can I Do If My Child Gets a Burn Injury at a Dallas Daycare?

As we have established, burn injuries at daycares are preventable. If your child experiences a burn injury at a daycare in Texas, follow these four steps to help your child heal and hold the daycare accountable for any wrongdoings:

1. Take your child to an urgent care clinic, pediatrician, or emergency room as soon as possible for medical attention
2. Call the police to report the incident. In addition to your child’s medical records, a police report can help provide a written record of what happened at the daycare, especially if your child’s burn is severe.
3. Report the incident to the state. You can report allegations of daycare abuse in Texas to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) by calling the Texas Abuse Hotline at 800-252-5400 or make a report online at TXAbuseHotline.org.
4. Reach out to our experienced daycare injury lawyers by calling 214-699-4409 or filling out a contact form. Burn injuries can be very painful and result in significant physical and emotional trauma for your child. In fact, your family may be eligible for compensation to cover your child’s medical expenses, therapy and other helpful resources, and pain and suffering. We will be ready to listen and advise your family on the best approach to hold the daycare accountable and get justice for your child’s 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.

In addition to the steps shared above, download our free five-step guide to help parents like you after a child has experienced an injury at daycare.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Dallas, Texas Daycare Injury Lawyers

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 experiences a burn injury while in the care of a Texas daycare facility. With offices 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.