Recently, we settled a claim on behalf of a 11-month-old girl who fell from a high chair at a daycare center--- a mere four days after she began attending the facility.  The young girl slipped down from the chair and sustained a laceration and fracture to her face. 

An investigation by the state regulatory agency revealed that the high chair the girl was using was missing a crucial strap to ensure that the infant could sit securely without the risk of slipping out of the bottom.  The investigation further revealed that an employee at the facility had requested a replacement high chair three months before the incident occurred.

Should this type of incident been prevented?  Of course! 

While daycare facilities should (and usually do) maintain their facilities in the safest manner possible, I feel strongly about parents conducting regular safety inspections of their own. 

Certainly, it is not realistic to think that all daycare accidents can be avoided, but looking over the facility on a regular basis may help protect your child and his or her peers.  Should you notice a problem, alert the staff immediately.

The following are commonly encountered problems in daycare facilities that deserve immediate attention to prevent injury to children:

• Broken or defective chairs, tables, ladders and toys
• Slamming doors
• Defective door locks
• Dangling window drape pulls
• Missing or damaged protective mats under climbing equipment
• Unprotected sharp corners
• Small toys or parts that pose a choking hazard to infants and young children
• Flaking paint
• Unguarded radiators
• Missing window screens / unguarded windows
• Protruding screws or nails from toys, lockers or hardware
• Dirty areas
• Inappropriate or mismatched equipment -- particularly adult sized chairs and ladders in the room

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers regularly represents children injured in a day care or babysitting facility.  If you believe that your child's injury is indeed related to poor care at a facility we invite you to discuss your legal options with our child injury attorneys.

Related:

Child's Death At Day Care Demonstrates Need For Tighter Regulations

Preventing Institutional Child Abuse By Carefully Selecting A Facility

Understanding The Regulations Pertaining To Day Care Facilities Is Crucial To Protecting Your Child

Toddler Receives Burns In Daycare Due To Caregiver's Poor Judgment