Many kids of all ages look forward to going to summer camp each year. Not only can they engage in all kinds of fun activities, but they get to socialize with their peers and make new friendships. However, parents should be aware that there are some security, safety, and injury risks associated with a great many of these camps.
Safety
Many summer camps take place at day care facilities, particularly for younger children. While some make great pains to ensure the safety of the children attending, there are still problems that arise that involve unsafe negligent practices. For instance, worn equipment, failing to verify personal records and references for staff, dangerous activities, and poorly maintained facilities are the most prevalent violations. If these child care centers fail to meet safety requirements according to legal codes, parents may file lawsuits against the offending facilities and camps for injuries sustained.
Lawsuits
Injuries are bound to happen when children play and exert themselves, and the camp does bear responsibility for keeping them safe in a reasonable fashion. However, the prevalence of day care and summer camp lawsuits in the New York area generally pertain to negligent supervision.
One of the more shocking safety violations ever cited in a New York area summer camp was the rape of an 11-year-old girl in a Buffalo YMCA. Not only did she contract a sexually transmitted disease, but she became pregnant by the 17 year old counselor after she was sexually assaulted in a sauna on the premises. Even more troubling is that though the assault was reported by an eyewitness lifeguard co-worker, management fired the offender, but never notified the police. In fact, the YMCA lied to the girl’s parents by alleging the incident was not sexual.
This type of behavior puts many children in the area at risk, since the perpetrator was left to walk freely among society without consequence. These kinds of cases emphasize the importance of parents ensuring that every camp facility is thoroughly checked out as to its staff and safety prior to making any commitment
Camp Safety Tips
Not only should parents find camps that provide activities according to child interest, age and skill level, but they should:
- Look for camps that are certified by the American Camp Association
- Find out how long a camp or day care has been in business
- Check references with parents of returning students
Parents should also check the summer camp or day care’s record with the Better Business Bureau or BBB to ensure that facilities are in compliance with health and building codes and have had no citations concerning child safety
Liability
Even at well run and reputable summer camps, children may be injured. Whether or not the camp will be legally responsible will be dependent upon each specific situation. Since it is often difficult to know if your city has had an increase of camp or day care related injuries, this may require additional research. For example, residents in Syracuse or Brooklyn might find it helpful to peruse a personal injury lawyer Syracuse NY database to find out if there are recent cases related to their concerns.
Should there be any question that negligence existed at the time a child was abused or injured in any way; seeking legal advice is highly recommended. Only an experienced legal counselor is in a position to make a determination of liability. In this way, parents can be assured that every effort will be made to recover for medical care, pain and suffering, and other expenses associated with injuries sustained due to camp or day care negligence.
As a concerned parent and contributing blogger, Jamica Bell writes this article as a way to inform parents of personal injury risk concerning day care and children. Bottar Leone, PLLC is a personal injury lawyer Syracuse NY firm comprised of a dedicated team of legal professionals. They have defended countless families whose children have suffered personal injury as a result of negligent practices in camps and day care facilities.
Photo credit: http://flic.kr/p/6haYJM
