Norfolk Daycare Injury Lawyers

No one can care for your children as well as you do. When you leave them in the hands of a licensed day care center, you expect your child will be kept safe from harm. A child’s curiosity and lack of fear may lead to bruises and scrapes, but sometimes an injury becomes serious, moving past the realm of harmless childhood accidents. If your child was injured at daycare, the caregivers may be responsible, even unintentionally.

Rutter Mills’ daycare injury lawyers in Norfolk can help  get compensation for your child’s injury. If the daycare should have been able to prevent the accident, their insurance company could be required to pay your medical bills. Don’t wait too long to get help.

Can I Sue My Childcare Provider?

Yes, in some situations, you can sue childcare providers for your child’s injuries. Not every injury is grounds for a lawsuit, though. Before ever becoming lawsuits, claims are settled with insurance companies outside of court. To have a valid daycare injury claim in Virginia, the following must be true:

• The caregiver has a duty of care for your child, or in other words, meets expected standards in caring for children.
• The caregiver failed in their duty of care, whether intentionally or through negligence.
• This breach of duty caused your child’s injury.
• Your child’s injury caused specific financial and non-financial losses to you and your family.

When these points are true, your child’s daycare is liable for damages. With the help of a Norfolk daycare injury attorney, you might not technically need to file a suit. A lawyer can help you make a claim, investigate the circumstances of your child’s injury and calculate the costs your child’s treatments. Then they’ll negotiate with your day care’s insurance company to get these critical costs covered so you can focus on your child’s healing.

A good settlement takes a skilled negotiator, though – one who will pursue the maximum benefits for your child’s recovery costs. While insurance companies focus on giving you a minimum payment, an attorney has an arsenal of tools to prove your need for maximum coverage to enable your child’s recovery. When insurance companies won’t meet demands, then your claim becomes a lawsuit and your lawyer will defend your right to the cost of coverage in court. Having a serious lawyer by your side shows the insurance company, judge, and jury you’re serious about your child’s injury case.

If you’re not sure whether you have a valid claim or want to know what your options are, our firm can give you a free case review where we’ll help you uncover the causes of your child’s injury and understand what your family is entitled to in order to heal.

Serious Injuries Happen At Daycare

Accidents happen every day and, as a parent, you know children can bruise themselves from time to time. However, some common injuries may be a sign your child was injured at the hands of a negligent caregiver. Common daycare injuries can include broken bones, severe bruising, burns, serious cuts, allergic reaction, brain injury or concussion, or even poisoning.

An injury at daycare doesn’t necessarily mean someone purposefully hurt your child – or even someone is to blame at all. Yet, any injury is worth looking into – and some may not be apparent on the surface. Serious harm befalling a child is a travesty, causing ripples of damage and  requiring intense care. Not only do we seek recompense for cuts – we’ve also defended victims of assault, sexual assault, improperly maintained playground equipment, or mere inattention – each as harmful as the next. No child deserves to be unheard or unseen when they suffer mistreatment or struggle to articulate it.

The team at Rutter Mills has extensive experience in day care or abuse cases. We can detect signs of abuse and we work tirelessly to get to the bottom of a childcare center’s negligence. If your child’s injury was due in any way to someone else’s negligence or maltreatment, a personal injury lawyer can help you hold them accountable and get you compensation from their insurance company.

What to Do If Your Child Was Injured at Daycare

Safety is paramount. As soon as possible after your child is injured, make sure that they get the medical care they need.

The next steps you should take will ensure when you make a claim, it is well-documented and you have everything you need to take legal action. If your child was injured at daycare, you should:

• Document their injuries, including taking pictures and writing down what they say happened.
• Keep copies of any incident reports the childcare center gives you.
• Take your kids to the doctor, even if you don’t think their injuries seem serious. An untreated injury can become more serious with time, and you’ll need an official diagnosis to pursue compensation.
• Get the daycare’s insurance information so that your lawyer can get in touch with them.
• Contact a daycare injury lawyer who can represent you and make sure you have the best chance possible of getting coverage for your child’s recovery.

There are dangers to settling with an insurance company without a lawyer. In the wake of your child’s injury, be wary of what you say to the daycare employees, the insurance company, and anyone else who tries to talk to you about what happened. Your words may end up being used against you, reducing your chances of getting recovery expenses paid or holding a wrongdoer accountable. You’re better off letting an attorney take action for you. Focus on healing while we do what we do best – defend your claim and help get your child get their treatments covered.

Who Pays in a Daycare Injury Claim?

Our team of Norfolk daycare injury lawyers go up against insurance companies – not the people who care for your children. You shouldn’t refrain from getting compensation for your child’s medical bills because you don’t want to hurt your local childcare provider.

If you’re worried about your compensation putting your child’s daycare out of business or increasing the cost of care, rest assured: Virginia’s insurance requirement was put in place so, when lawsuits do happen, both children and day care centers are protected.

Your child’s daycare pays insurance, just like you, to protect their interests. Virginia lawmakers required daycare centers to carry liability insurance in 2021. Therefore, childcare providers are responsible for carrying insurance to cover a minimum of $500,000 each time a child is bodily harmed. This means insurance companies are obligated to pay out to cover the cost of your child’s care and healing. It’s up to you to settle for their minimal offer, or seek a lawyer’s assistance to get full financial coverage for injury.

Talk to a Daycare Injury Attorney in Norfolk Today

If someone else’s inattentiveness or wrongdoing means you have expensive medical bills to deal with, you shouldn’t have to pay for those by yourself. You could be able to get compensation after your child’s daycare injury.

The Norfolk daycare injury lawyers at Rutter Mills want to help your child recover from their injuries. Getting compensation could help your family turn a new leaf and move past the costly and time-consuming recovery process.

Call us or contact us online today for a FREE consultation. We’ll be available to answer your questions 24/7.