What Do I Do If My Child Was Injured by Another Child at Daycare?

The short answer is: If your child is injured by another child at daycare, document everything, report the incident to the daycare, seek medical attention, and consider speaking with a daycare injury lawyer if negligence may have been involved.

What to Do If Your Child Was Injured by Another Child at Daycare

As a parent, you trust daycare providers to create a safe environment for your child. Unfortunately, incidents and injuries can still happen, sometimes due to another child’s actions. Whether the injury was intentional or not, it’s important to understand your next steps. Here’s what you should do if your child is injured by another child at daycare.

1. Assess Your Child’s Injuries and Seek Medical Attention

Your child’s health and safety are the top priorities. If your child comes home with an injury or the daycare notifies you of an incident, assess the severity of the injury. Even minor cuts and bruises should be documented, and if there’s any concern about a head injury, broken bones, or serious wounds, seek medical attention immediately.

2. Get a Full Report from the Daycare

Ask the daycare staff for a detailed explanation of what happened. Important questions to ask include:

• How did the injury occur?
• Was there adult supervision at the time?
• Did the daycare follow proper safety procedures?
• Was the incident documented in an official report?

Most daycares are required to record injuries and provide parents with an incident report. Make sure you get a copy of the incident report for your records.

3. Understand the Daycare’s Responsibility

Daycare providers have a legal duty to provide a safe environment and properly supervise children. If another child injured your child due to rough play, aggression, or even a mishap, it’s essential to determine whether the daycare staff acted responsibly.

Some key factors to consider include:

• Were the children properly supervised?
• Did the daycare take steps to prevent aggressive behavior?
• Have there been previous incidents involving the same child?
• Did the daycare follow its policies for handling injuries and notifying parents?

4. Communicate with the Other Child’s Parents (If Necessary)

In some cases, speaking with the parents of the other child involved can be beneficial. However, this should be approached with caution. Keep the conversation focused on understanding what happened rather than placing blame. If the daycare is handling the matter appropriately, you may not need to contact the other parents directly.

5. Check the Daycare’s History and Policies

If this isn’t the first time an injury has happened at this daycare, it may be a red flag. Look into whether the daycare has had prior safety violations, complaints, or a history of failing to supervise children properly. Reviewing its policies on supervision and handling aggressive behavior can help you determine if it followed its own guidelines.

6. Consider Legal Action If Negligence Was Involved

If your child’s injury resulted from a lack of supervision, improper care, or repeated negligence on the daycare’s part, you may have legal options. Speaking with an attorney who focuses on daycare injury cases can help you understand whether you have a valid claim. An attorney can help:

• Investigate the daycare’s negligence
• Gather evidence to support your case
• Pursue justice and life-changing results for your child

7. Decide If You Should Remove Your Child from the Daycare

If you feel the daycare failed to protect your child or mishandled the situation, it may be time to consider other childcare options. Your child’s safety should always come first, and finding a daycare with a better track record may be the best choice.

Share Your Story with Our Team of Daycare and Child Injury Lawyers

It’s never easy to hear that your child was injured while in someone else’s care. By taking the right steps, you can protect your child and ensure accountability. If you believe negligence played a role in the injury, consulting with a daycare injury lawyer can help you explore your legal options.

If you need help understanding your rights after a daycare injury, our team at The Button Law Firm is here to help. You can give us a call at (214) 699-4409 or email us at [email protected]. You can also reach out to us by filling out the form below or by starting a chat with a member of our team.