Texas Child Burn Lawyers

What Are the Different Kinds of Burns Kids Are at Risk of?

There are a variety of different types of burns, and kids can also be burned to different degrees, depending on what they touched or were exposed to. Without proper training, supervision, policies, and procedures, children at daycare may suffer from:

• Thermal burns. Thermal burns are what many of us traditionally think of like a burn injury. These types of burns happen when the skin comes into contact with something hot, such as steam, open flames, fires, a hot beverage, boiling water, a stove, a hot pan, a heater, an iron, or another hot surface or object. According to Johns Hopkins University, hot tap water burns cause more deaths and hospitalizations than burns from other hot liquids.
• Electrical burns. Electrical burns can happen when a child puts a finger, tongue, or another body part into an electrical outlet or comes into contact with a broken electrical cord.
• Radiation burns. Daycare kids should play outside often. However, the sun over Texas can be extremely powerful and cause severe sunburns if daycare staff do not keep the children in the shade or apply and reapply sunscreen. Babies, toddlers, and preschool children are too young to know to seek shade or to apply their own sunscreen. They just want to play on the playground.
• Chemical burns. Strong acids, including bleach, other cleaners, and battery fluid, can cause chemical burns. Daycares have a responsibility to keep their items away from children to prevent chemical burn injuries.

In addition to different types of burns, kids can also be burned to different degrees.

If your child has been burned, a doctor will classify it as one of the following:

• First-degree burn. Symptoms of first-degree burns include redness and pain. They are the mildest form of burns and only affect the top layer of skin.
• Second-degree burn. Second-degree burns affect the top layer of skin and at least part of the layer below that. Symptoms include redness, blistering, swelling, and pain. The skin may open.
• Third- and fourth-degree burns. These most serious types of burns can affect all layers of the skin and the nerves. Instead of appearing red, the skin may appear white, brown, or charred. These burns can be fatal.

Treatment will depend on the size, location, and severity of the burn. Some babies and young children may require hospitalization, skin graft surgeries, antibiotics, and pain medication. Even with treatment, burns can result in permanent disfigurement and infections or cause a child’s death.

How We Can Help if Your Child Was Burned at Daycare

If your child suffered a serious burn at daycare, our team can help your family understand what happened, how the injury may affect your child, and what support they may need moving forward.

Depending on the severity and location of the burn, a child may need ongoing medical care, counseling, or future treatment. A daycare burn injury case may also consider:

• Medical treatment and follow-up care
• Counseling or therapy for emotional trauma
• Future treatment, rehabilitation, or recovery needs
• Physical limitations caused by the burn
• Scarring, disfigurement, or changes in appearance

At The Button Law Firm, we work to understand the full impact of the injury and help families pursue accountability and resources for their child’s recovery.

How Child Burns Can Be Prevented  

Many daycare burn injuries can be prevented with proper supervision, safe storage, and well-maintained equipment. Daycares should have clear safety procedures for bottle warmers, hot liquids, electrical hazards, and cleaning products.

To keep children safe around bottle warmers, daycares should:

• Place bottle warmers on high, stable surfaces
• Secure them so they cannot tip over
• Keep cords completely out of reach

Other hot objects, like heaters, irons, boiling water, and hot drinks, should also be kept away from children. Electrical outlets and cords should be covered and maintained, while bleach, cleaning products, and other chemicals should be securely stored where children cannot access them.

Proper supervision also matters. Daycares need enough caregivers to closely watch children and keep them away from kitchens, storage areas, and other spaces where burn hazards may be present.

Texas Child Care Minimum Standards include safety requirements that daycares are expected to follow to help prevent serious burn injuries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a time limit to file a claim?

As a parent or guardian, in order to make a legal claim against the daycare, you must do it within your state’s statute of limitations. The law surrounding statute of limitations is unique to each state – and dependent on the type of claim and who is pursuing it, can be complex. Texas has a statute of limitations, which means a lawsuit must be filed within certain amount of time – for most negligence claims, that period is within two years of the incident. It's best to contact a lawyer as soon as possible, so the lawsuit is filed well before the state’s deadline. 

Who does The Button Law Firm represent?

At The Button Law Firm, we represent kids in daycare and child injury cases to help them get life-changing results and justice against bad daycares, schools, and companies that abuse and neglect the safety of children.

We are ready to stand with families whose children suffered serious burn injuries at daycare because of abuse, neglect, or other safety failures. With offices in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, we help families across Texas and selectively across the country.

How can you contact us for help?

We have many ways to get into contact with our team. You can contact our team by emailing intake@buttonlawfirm.com, calling 214-699-4409, or fill out a contact form. Someone from our team will be in touch.

Why should you choose the Button Law Firm?

We are dedicated to advocating for children harmed in daycares in Texas. Our team is ready to listen to you, advocate for you and your family, and help you hold negligent and abusive daycares accountable, so you can find closure and move forward with your lives. See what our past clients had to say about working with us to handle their cases.

Was Your Child Burned at a Daycare?

If your child was burned at a daycare, reach out to us at 214-699-4409 or intake@buttonlawfirm.com. These cases are 100% preventable, and if your child is burned, it’s important to hold the daycare accountable and get justice for your child. That way, we can prevent this from happening to another family.