I have written a number of articles about the responsibilities South Carolina daycares owe children and parents. When these responsibilities are violated, kids get hurt and medical bills pile up. The childcare center will often say that your son or daughter’s injury was an accident, that nothing could be done to prevent it. In other instances, the facility will claim that had your child only listened to the teacher, the injury would not have happened (Translation: They blame your child and take no responsibility).
The truth is: daycare injuries in South Carolina are far too common, and are often the result of a facility's choice to ignore the rules and regulations that are in place to prevent harm.
Many Daycare Accidents Are Caused By Negligence
While some injuries are the result of unforeseeable accidents, many arise because of pure negligence or indifference. The daycare might assign an unqualified substitute to watch after your kids when a teacher is sick; they could continue to use outdated, hazardous playground equipment; or perhaps they hire staff members without conducting a criminal background check. No matter which safety regulation the daycare violates, if your child gets hurt as a result of the violation, the daycare must be held accountable.What To Do If Your Daycare Violates The Law
South Carolina parents have a number of options when childcare facilities violate the law and cause injury:
- You can report the incident to DSS for further investigation. This option is commonly pursued when some form of assault or abuse has taken place.
- You can request that the facility contact its liability insurance company and establish a claim. Nearly all South Carolina daycares have liability insurance. This form of insurance is designed to compensate the injured child and his or her family for all damages.
- You can remove your child from the center where the incident occurred. Many parents fear repeat injury or retaliation after a DSS report or insurance claim has been filed. There are countless daycares across our state. You can remove many of your fears by enrolling your child in a new facility after the initial incident.