Finger injuries are one of the most common types of injuries for children, and they can happen for many reasons. In a daycare setting, the injuries could happen due to a lack of supervision, or due to improperly secured furniture. If an injury like this does happen to your child, it may be beneficial to contact an attorney to learn more about the compensation owed to you and your family.
What are Finger Crush Injuries?
If children are not properly supervised in childcare settings, there are a number of injuries that can happen. Finger injuries can range from less severe, like scrapes and bruises, to more painful injuries, like jammed fingers. Some of the more serious injuries include finger-crush injuries and finger lacerations. Crush injuries happen when the fingers are smashed, often between two hard surfaces. Depending on how badly a child’s finger is crushed, there could be broken bones. When bones are broken after being crushed, they are at risk of infection.
Finger lacerations, or cuts on the fingers, can sever tendons and ligaments or cause open wounds at risk of infection. Lacerations can also damage nerves, which may affect mobility and feeling in the future. Sometimes, the finger crushing and laceration injuries are so severe that a finger is cut off or crushed so much that a portion is amputated in the accident. An injury like this is going to affect a child for the rest of their life. It’s important to note these injuries can be prevented in some cases.
How Do Finger Injuries Happen in Texas Daycares?
Not every injury is going to be the result of daycare or caregiver negligence; however, there are some situations where that is the case, often due to faulty or broken toys and a lack of supervision. The lack of supervision around doors often leads to injuries like:
- Fingers smashed or crushed in the door hinge
- Fingers pinched in folding door
Children are often not strong enough to be able to operate doors on their own, especially doors that close automatically, which are common in daycare facilities. Children’s fingers can also be injured when they are:
- Slammed in a drawer being closed
- Crushed when open window falls on fingers
- Caught in crib bars or parts of a stroller
It’s critical for daycare workers to be supervising children at all times in order to ensure they are not in places or doing something that could lead to injury. Caregivers also need to be regularly inspecting toys children play with and removing ones with broken parts, as well as ensuring children are playing with age-appropriate toys. It’s possible for a child to injure their hands, either by being crushed or cut, when they play with broken toys.
Improperly secured furniture can also cause finger crushing and laceration injuries. Heavy furniture, like dressers, bookshelves, and changing tables should be secured to the wall so children aren’t able to move them. When children are not properly supervised, and finger injuries happen, the injuries can be severe with long-term consequences.
What Kind of Damages Can The Button Law Firm Help Recover After a Finger Injury at a Daycare?
If a child’s finger is injured at a daycare, immediate medical attention is sometimes necessary, depending on the severity. Often, severe finger injuries, such as deep cuts or amputations, require surgical procedures, stitches, and physical therapy to preserve the function of the finger and hand. Common treatments include:
- Surgical procedures to reattach amputated fingers or to replace missing tissue
- Stitches and reconstructive procedures to address open wounds
- Long-term bracing and physical therapy for healing
- Treatment and medication to minimize the risk of infection
- Splinting and surgical procedures to repair broken bones
These injuries often require multiple visits to a medical provider, and those costs can add up quickly. Our team at The Button Law Firm can help families cover the costs of ER visits, as well as visits to doctors and other specialists as needed.
Our team may also be able to help families recover non-economic damages. For example, if a child loses a finger or multiple fingers, they may not be able to do certain activities they once loved. Families may be able to recover damages to help compensate for the loss of enjoyment of life after the injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Quickly Should I Hire an Attorney?
It’s a good idea to reach out to an attorney soon after the incident. Each state has a time period within which a claim for damages must be made, called the statute of limitations. The exact time period often depends on the situation, who was hurt, and where the injury-causing incident occurred. It’s best to reach out to an attorney as soon as possible to ensure you file within the statute of limitations.
Why Work With The Button Law Firm?
Child abuse or neglect cases, and any cases involving children, can be complex. That’s why it’s important to find an attorney well-versed in the statutes and laws regarding daycares. The Button Law Firm has years of navigating these challenging cases and helping our clients get closure and keep moving forward.
Who Do We Work With?
If your child was abused in a private daycare or after-school care center in Texas, contact the experienced daycare injury legal team at the Button Law Firm. We represent children from all over Texas, including but not limited to West Texas, Houston, and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW). We are dedicated to protecting children from harm, and we will make sure the daycare center and childcare worker responsible for your child’s injury are held accountable – as we have helped guide many parents and families within Midland, Houston, Dallas, and the surrounding areas.