Top 6 Ways Children Suffer Crushed Fingers and Bone Fractures at Daycare Centers

What Causes Crushed Fingers and Broken Bones at Daycare Centers?

In this article, we focus on severe daycare injuries like broken bones and crushed fingers. Our experienced daycare injury lawyers have found these two common injuries are not accidents, but the result of negligence or poor safety practices at local daycare centers.

Our list of the Top 6 Causes of Daycare Finger Crushes and Fracture Injuries:

1. Broken or unsafe playground equipment: Playgrounds should be fun, but they’re also one of the leading places at daycare centers where children suffer fracture and crushed finger injuries. These playground-related injuries happen when:

• Age-appropriate play areas are not provided to little ones
• Children are poorly supervised during outdoor playtime, especially when playing on high surfaces
• Loose bolts or broken rails are left unrepaired on climbing structures
• Shock-absorbing surfaces like rubber or mulch are not installed below play structures

2. Failure to follow the minimum standards: All licensed daycare centers in Texas are required to follow Texas childcare laws, also known as minimum standards. Little ones can experience crushed finger injuries or a fracture when daycare centers do not abide by the standards, including:

• Always monitoring the whereabouts of all children
• Ensuring classroom doors are clear of little fingers when opening or closing
• Providing ongoing training to caregivers to ensure they understand the minimum standards
• Regularly inspecting classrooms and immediately addressing any hazards
• Supervising caregivers throughout the day to confirm children are safe
• Using safety gates, locks, and other security measures appropriately throughout the center

3. Heavy doors without safety guards: Heavy, industrial-style doors are commonly used in daycare centers, but they are not child-friendly. When a curious child puts their fingers in the hinge or edge of a closing door, the result can be crushed finger injuries. (This scenario is most likely to happen to children 8 years and younger, per a medical study.) These types of finger injuries are both painful and traumatic for little ones, sometimes requiring surgery or physical therapy.

4. Negligent caregivers: Daycare workers and caregivers who are not properly vetted, unexperienced, or not provided with inadequate training are a top contributor to little ones getting hurt at daycare centers. Our experienced daycare injury lawyers have seen firsthand how children experience finger crushes and broken bones at daycare centers when negligent caregivers:

• Don’t intervene when unsafe behavior happens (Think a child climbing on a chair to reach a toy in a high place being left to their own devices.)
• Ignore the minimum standards in favor of convenience
• Leave children unattended
• Rush children through doorways or routines

5. Operating out of ratio: Texas, like most states, mandates child-to-caregiver ratios in daycare centers based on the ages of children in a classroom. For example, infants require one caregiver for every four children, while older kids can be grouped in larger class sizes. With too few eyes on the daycare class, children can break a bone or suffer a finger injury when they:

1. • Are left unattended or ignored by a distracted caregiver
   • Get injured during rough play
   • Fall off a changing table, furniture, or playground equipment
   • Put their hands and fingers in dangerous places like doors or drawers
   • Wander into unsafe areas

6. Unsecure furniture in classrooms: Surprisingly, many daycare injuries such as fractures and crushed fingers happen in classrooms when the furniture is not age-appropriate or properly installed, including:

• Heavy bookshelves or cubbies that can tip over when curious little ones try to climb on the shelves
• Large televisions, blackboards, or mirrors that are not properly anchored into the wall
• Toy chests that can slam shut on tiny fingers
• Wobbly chairs, step stools, or changing tables that have not been fixed

Can Daycare Centers Be Held Responsible for These Injuries?

When daycare centers drop the ball and do not comply with the minimum standards, little ones can be seriously hurt. Parents have the legal right to hold a negligent daycare center accountable for its safety failures by filing a daycare lawsuit. After a child’s fracture or crushed finger injury, you may be entitled to compensation, also known as damages, to cover:

• Costly medical bills
• Diminished quality of life
• Emotional distress caused by the traumatizing incident
• Future medical care 
• Permanent disfigurement

Typically, lawsuits in Texas must be filed within two years of the incident that caused your child’s fracture or finger injury, per the statute of limitations. Our experienced and compassionate daycare injury lawyers are here to listen and help your family with the aftermath of a child’s daycare injury. Get a free case evaluation by calling us at 214-699-4409 or emailing us at [email protected].

How The Button Law Firm Has Helped Families Get Justice After Finger and Fracture Injuries

Our experienced daycare injury lawyers have helped families hold negligent daycare centers accountable after little ones suffered severe finger and fracture injuries at local centers. Here are just a few success stories:

• BLF Fought for Justice After 3-Year-Old’s Finger Amputation at Missouri Daycare Center
• Euless Daycare Center Held Accountable for Toddler’s Crushed Finger Injury
• Edinburg Family Gets Justice for Toddler’s Broken Elbow at Negligent Daycare Center
• BLF Attorneys Help Family Move Forward After Daughter’s Finger Severely Injured at Montessori School
• Justice Prevailed After Dallas Child Broke Arm and Needed 13 Stitches from Daycare Injury

Did Your Child Suffer Crushed Fingers or Broken Bones at a Daycare Center in Texas? Contact The Button Law Firm.

If your child experienced a finger injury or broke any bones because a daycare center did not comply with Texas childcare safety laws, contact our experienced daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm. With lawyers in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, we are ready to listen, fight for your family, and help your family move forward. Our lawyers 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 case evaluation.