How to Help Your Kids Avoid Florida Summer Camp Injuries

How to Help Your Kids Avoid Florida Summer Camp Injuries

How to Help Your Kids Avoid Florida Summer Camp Injuries

Every summer, Floridians look forward to that much needed break that summer camp provides: the kids to get away from the daily grind of the school year, and you to get a little breathing room from them.

Exactly how much of a break would it be, though, if you’re still holding your breath in anticipation of your child getting hurt?

Although some summer camp dents and dings will likely happen, there are measures that can and should be taken to help your child avoid the most common injuries.

What measures?

First and foremost, ask questions before you register and get the answers in writing. Whatever your concern, don’t be afraid to ask.

Here are five simple questions whose answers should leave you breathing easy this summer camp season:

Is the Camp Accredited by the American Camp Association?

Every Florida summer camp has the opportunity to become accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). This organization, in cooperation with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ohio State University, and the Association of Camp Nurses, is responsible for monitoring camp-related injuries and illness across the US.

Accreditation signals to you that the camp meets certain standards in providing your child the safety you expect.

How Many Campers Are Assigned to One Counselor at a Time?

As with any activity involving multiple children, the child-to-adult ratio can mean the difference between adequate learning and supervision and nothing more than corralling kids all day.

According to Florida child care laws, the number of children a single staff member is allowed to oversee depends upon age. School age children (age 6 and up) need at least one counselor per 25 children, although less per staffer is always better.

How Are Emergencies, Special Needs, and Issues Like Homesickness Handled?

Most reputable summer camps have doctor-approved health policies and procedures in place, and often they are made available to parents either electronically or by printout.

Often they outline whether or not (and how) camp staff administers medication to campers, and what kind of formal medical training counselors and other camp officials have – CPR, concussion recognition and treatment, swimming, and lifeguarding are a few common certifications.

What’s On the Itinerary?

Look for camps that schedule rest periods between heavy activity. As you would expect, campers get tired, staffers wear out, and incidents simply occur more frequently as the day passes. Downtime can mitigate the issue, ensuring your happy camper stays that way.

Also, chat with your child about all the activities available during camp, so they know what to expect. For example, talk fire safety if there’s going to be any activity around a campfire.

What Type of Equipment Is Required – and Provided?

Additionally, knowing ahead of time what’s on the schedule will allow your child to pack appropriately. Some basics for any Florida summer camp experience include:

 

  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat(s)
  • Insect repellant
  • Reuseable water bottle
  • Lip balm
  • Band-aids
  • Antibacterial wipes
  • Help whistle

 

Additionally, you may be required to provide your own safety equipment for the various activities offered – namely appropriate footwear.

According to the ACA, “trips, slips, and falls are the most commonly reported causes of injury in day and resident camps.” Consider the activity, the terrain, and the weather. Half of all camp injuries are a result of events in which protective equipment should be worn or used, but wasn’t.

Florida Child SUmmer Camp Injury Lawyers

Even with the best preparation, however, accidents can happen, and sometimes they result in injuries that end up being far worse than you could have imagined. If you find yourself in this situation, consulting with an experienced Florida injury attorney may be a huge help.

 

About the Author:

Jeffrey Braxton is a trial lawyer in Fort Lauderdale who has devoted his career to the practice of personal injury law. As lead trial attorney for the South Florida Injury Law Firm, Jeff has litigated thousands of cases and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an exclusive group of attorneys who have resolved cases in excess of one million dollars.

Injuries at Florida Summer Camps – How to Protect Your Kids and Family

Injuries at Florida Summer Camps – How to Protect Your Kids and Family 1 Summer Camp Accidents South Florida Injury Law Firm

Summer camp is a great way for children to enjoy time off from school and enjoy the outdoors. However, injuries do occur at summer camps and because of that you have to be careful about where you choose to go and protect yourself as much as possible.

How?

In this post, we’ll outline common injuries and what you can do to make sure that both you and your child are protected.

Common Summer Camp Injuries

Here are the most common types of summer camp injuries your child may experience.

Rashes and bites

Being in the great outdoors means your child could be exposed to poison ivy or poison oak, which cause painful rashes. Your child could get stung by a flying insect or bitten by an animal. If you know your child is allergic to bee stings or certain plants, make sure to inform the camp of your child’s allergy and pack necessary medication.

Bone fractures

Your child may take a fall while playing sports, climbing a tree, or navigating a hiking trail. Any of these accidents and dozens more can cause fractures.

Fractures can also occur for slip and fall injuries due to wet or cluttered floors. If the camp doesn’t do a reasonable job of keeping floors safe, you may have grounds for a premises liability claim.

Concussions

A concussion is a serious brain injury that can have long-lasting effects like seizures, impaired concentration, and even paralysis. It can result from a slip and fall injury or blunt force trauma to your child’s head.

If your child is engaging in activities where a fall is more likely, protective headgear must be worn. The camp is responsible to make sure your child is always wearing protective gear when the situation is warranted.

Burns

Campfires are a popular way to enjoy food and camaraderie at summer camp. However, many children every year are burned by campfires, hot coals, or hot food, and if yours is hurt due to negligence, you may be able to sue for compensation.

Water Injuries

Summer camp is an ideal place to enjoy the water, but water-related accidents  often result in serious injury or death. Camp staff members should supervise children during water play and be trained in rescue and resuscitation efforts. If the camp fails to perform their duties, you may have grounds for a lawsuit.

Ways to Make Sure Your Child – and You – are Covered in the Event an Accident Occurs

Check accreditation. Every camp has to be licensed – that’s not an option. What they don’t have to be is accredited, and that’s often what sets the truly good, safe camps apart from the fly-by-night operations that may not be able to cover the cost if your child is injured and it’s their fault.

Ask about insurance. Insurance should be a requirement as well, but it’s always good to confirm that a camp is actually insured and learn exactly what their insurance covers and how much it covers.

Get insurance – if necessary. That’s right. Many people don’t realize it, but it’s possible to get insurance that covers the possibility of camp injuries. Check to see if your insurance will cover accidents and injuries that occur at camp, and if it doesn’t, do some research into how to get camp insurance.

Fight Back If Your Child Is Injured at a Florida Summer Camp

You may have signed a waiver that says the camp isn’t liable if something happens. However, a waiver is not necessarily ironclad.

Injuries at Florida Summer Camps – How to Protect Your Kids and Family 2 Summer Camp Accidents South Florida Injury Law Firm

If your child has been injured, consult with an experienced Florida child injury attorney. We will provide a free case review to determine whether you are able to file a claim to receive compensation. 

About the Author: 

Jeffrey Braxton is a trial lawyer in Fort Lauderdale who has devoted his career to the practice of personal injury law. As lead trial attorney for the South Florida Injury Law Firm, Jeff has litigated thousands of cases and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an exclusive group of attorneys who have resolved cases in excess of one million dollars.

Boca Raton Summer Camp Accident Injury Lawyer

What Happens If My Child Is Injured at Summer Camp?

 

School is out, but that doesn’t mean your child has to be stuck at home for the summer with no structure and nothing to do. Summer camps are a great way to keep your child active, supervised, and having fun – while also allowing them to branch out. However, summer camps come with a lot of risks you won’t find in a classroom.

 

Activities like swimming, climbing, building campfires, and so on may just be part of summer, but they also present lots of potential dangers. On top of this, there may be a lot of children – so many that counselors can’t watch your child’s every move. Sometimes, injuries happen. And if they do, you and your child may undergo serious emotional trauma and find hospital bills stacking up quickly.

 

If you find yourself in this situation, it is important that you speak with an experienced Florida injury attorney. Why? Because while some summer camp injuries may truly be freak accidents or even the fault of your child, others could – and should – have been prevented by the staff or owners of the camp. And if their negligence resulted in your child getting hurt, you shouldn’t have to pay for their mistake.

 

It’s called premises liability, and it’s the same law that applies if someone falls down hotel stairs because the lightbulbs were out or a rotten balcony bannister causes someone to plummet.

 

What Exactly Is Premises Liability?

 

[clickToTweet tweet=”Premises liability is the idea that the owner of the premises in which u get injured may be at fault for your injury” quote=”Premises liability is the idea that the owner of the premises in which you get injured may be found at fault for your injury.”]

 

This principle is commonly discussed in slip and fall and personal injury lawsuits.

 

Camps have a responsibility of providing a safe, clean space for their attendees to play, sleep, and eat. If, for example, your child suffers an injury from a spill on the kitchen floor, you may be able to file a lawsuit for damages. The staff is responsible for removing, cleaning, or warning attendees about the spill. So if they did not do this, the camp can be held liable for your child’s injury.

 

The Responsibility of Camp Staff

 

Boca Raton Summer Camp Accident Injury Lawyer

Summer camp injuries are most likely to happen during supervised activities. The staff of a summer camp carries a lot of responsibilities, especially at overnight camps or athletic training camps.

 

If your child suffers an injury due to the direct actions of a member of the camp’s staff (abuse, negligence, and so on), the camp may be liable for the staff member’s actions. Many camps perform background checks when hiring staff, because the staff comes in close contact with children. Hiring a staff member without doing a background check is a big mistake, and could cost them big time if the staff member causes a lawsuit.

 

Pay Attention to Liability Waivers

 

Summer camps are no strangers to lawsuits, regarding injuries or not. In 2013, a summer camp was sued for over $600,000… over two campers kissing. No, this is not a joke.

 

Injury lawsuits are just as tiresome for summer camps as they are for you, so they’ve taken their own precautions to prevent them from happening. That’s where liability waivers come in – all the paperwork you signed when you enrolled your child in that camp.

 

Each camp comes with its own risk, but some are riskier than other. For example, you would expect more injuries to happen at football camp than at music camp. Camps with pools or lakes run the risk of children drowning. Outdoor camps run the risk of children getting bitten by ticks or other dangerous creatures. To take proper precautions, camps often have parents sign a liability waiver.

 

The waiver states that based on the camp’s itinerary or space, there is an assumed risk of injury. By signing the waiver, you acknowledge this risk, and that the camp is not responsible for injuries from these risky behaviors. Liability waivers often have clauses that do not allow you to file a lawsuit against the camp in case of injury or illness.

 

These waivers, however, are not ironclad. They don’t protect the camp or staff members if someone under their employ acted in a negligent or reckless manner. “Assumed risk” is one thing – unsafe behavior is another.

 

How You Can Prepare Your Child

Boca Raton Child Accident Attorney

Remember, not every precaution is the responsibility of the camp. If you intend to file a lawsuit for injuries, the defendant will likely try to show that you or your child were guilty of negligence as well. Remember the following tips when you are getting your child ready for summer camp:

 

  • Pack a safety kit for your child. Include appropriate footwear and clothing, a reusable water bottle, a first aid kit, sunscreen, and any allergy medication your child needs.
  • Teach your child how to swim and ride a bike. These are common activities at a summer camp, and if your child comes unprepared, he or she will be at a higher risk for injury.
  • Introduce yourself to camp staff before you drop your child off for their first day. If your child requires medication, go over any special instructions or warnings with camp staff. If your child has allergies or has any disabilities, let staff know.

 

You Can Still File a Lawsuit

 

Remember, an experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to find holes or exceptions in the contract you signed that will let you file a lawsuit or ask for damages. If you believe you deserve compensation for your child’s injuries, you should explore all of your options. Reach out to a Florida personal injury lawyer today for a free consultation and evaluation of your case.

 

About the Author:

Jeffrey Braxton is a trial lawyer in Fort Lauderdale who has devoted his 22-year career to the practice of personal injury law. As lead trial attorney for The South Florida Injury Law Firm, Jeff has litigated thousands of cases and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an exclusive group of attorneys who have resolved cases in excess of one million dollars.