Summer Camp Injury Lawyers
There are no better summer memories made by kids than joyful summer camp memories – whether day camp or overnight camp. Summer camp is a great way to occupy a kid’s time, be a fun experience, a great way to connect kids with other kids, build lasting friendships, better connect kids with the outdoors, with new activities, water activities, outdoor education and school programs. Unfortunately summer camp can also be a dangerous place for kids if they are not properly supervised, the camp is an unsafe environment or the camp is run improperly or by improper management. While there are many great advantages to spending time at summer camp, there is, as always, the possibility of your child being injured. While most summer camps do in fact take the necessary precautions to provide a safe environment for kids – some unfortunately don’t.
What type of summer camp negligence do we typically see this time of year?
Unfortunately, but somewhat predictably, we sometimes see the following acts of negligence which leads to an injury during the summer :
Bus Accidents
Bus accident are not uncommon events. Often times children are bused to summer camps and most busses do not employ the use of seatbelts. Kids can be injured if the bus gets into a bus accident on the way to summer camp even with the slightest impact or t-bone type car accident. Kids can easily be thrown from their seats and become terribly injured. It is the responsibility of the summer camp and bus company to get kids to their safe summer camp destination.
Tree Injuries
Kids can be at risk from the moment they step onto the summer camp bus until they return home. While most kids return unharmed most of the time, there is an inherent risk that kids can be injured at summer camp or in the wilderness. Kids have a tendency to climb trees and if left improperly supervised accidents can happen. In addition, kids can be also hurt by falling trees in the summer campground. For example- this past year in Sonora California 20 kids were injured when a tree fell on a camp dining hall.
Poorly maintained facilities
Poorly maintained summer cap facilities can lead to preventable accidents and injuries caused by slip and falls, trip and falls, faulty equipment, faulty water devices and faulty playground facilities.
Burn Injuries and Fire Hazards
Pediatric burns at summer camps are one of the most common injuries . Making a campfire wither at the summer camp or on overnight summer camp trips, as well as cooking and sitting around a fire is a common and popular activity for camp-goers and if they are not properly supervised by trained adults, kids can be severely injured. Many of these injuries can be prevented if the kids are supervised by properly trained camp staff both to ensure that kids are safe and to perform the proper first aid if they are injured.
Drowning Accidents
The accidental drowning of a child is a parents worst nightmare. If the summer camp has a pool, lake or a river there must absolutely be an established protocol of lifeguard safety procedures at summer camp. Before you send your children to any summer camp make sure that the camp staff is properly trained in cpr and proper water safety procedures – and also – it is very important to have confirmed that there is always an adequate ratio of staff members to summer campers and kids in order to be certain that your kid will always be properly supervised.
Horseback Riding
Horseback riding can turn very dangerous for kids – especially inexperienced kids – at summer camp when the horse fails to adhere to rider commands. Horseback riding injuries or accidents at summer camp can cause serious spinal cord injury or permanent damages or injuries to the riders.While recreational riding at summer camp is not always dangerous, it can become a so when the summer camp putting on the activity fails to adhere to proper safety procedures. Inexperienced horse riding summer campers are surely at risk of serious injuries from horseback riding accidents – especially if they ride a horse that, for example, has been improper horse trained, has a bad demeanor, there is obvious pairing an inexperienced rider with an expert horse, the horse had been injured or mistreated, or the horse was fit with improper equipment for riding.
Sexual Abuse
Camp counselors, counselors in training or camp staff volunteers have a duty to protect kids that they were entrusted with. They are responsible for their safety, supervision and well-being. Sometimes, unfortunately, summer camps fail to exercise their due care and children get abused or hurt. Sometimes improper background checks or lack of background checks can lead to instances of disaster. Sometimes camp security fails at keeping unwanted visitors off the grounds.
The camp owners are vicariously responsible for the security of their camp sites and if a child is abused at all, in any way or manner, at a summer camp, the camp is liable and may be sued for damages for compensation.
Lack of Supervision
Summer camp is full of activities from rope climbing, to capture the flag, to paint ball, to overnight boating or canoe trips. At any time unsupervised activity can turn dangerous when summer camp staff fail to supervise or to simply use common sense to safeguard children from danger. Summer camp staff must be adequately trained, there must be summer camp safety plans to respond to summer camp emergencies in instances when children are injured in such activities as boating, hiking, swimming, canoeing, skateboarding, sports related injuries, competitive games for example as archery.
Summer Camp Injury Lawyers Who Hold Summer Camps Fully Responsible
If your child has been harmed in any manner at summer camp, you have the right to hold the camp accountable. We have the knowledge and experience advocating on behalf the families of kids who have been hurt or harmed due to the negligence of summer camps and their employees.