It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: a phone call from summer camp, announcing an injury. Fortunately, serious injuries at camp are relatively rare. However, if your child has sustained an injury at summer camp, there are a few things you need to do:
1) Focus on your child’s medical attention first. While you may be angry or upset, stay calm and find out where you child is right now, what medical attention he or she is getting, and what the prognosis is. Then, contact the doctor or hospital in charge of your child’s care. Make sure the staff have all information about your child’s allergies and any existing medical conditions your child has. You do not want a medical error to complicate your child’s recovery. As soon as you can, you will want to travel to see your child and help him or her through the injury.
2) Start getting answers and gathering documentation. Once you are calmer and have ensured that your child has had proper medical care, contact the adult in charge of supervision at the camp and ask for details about what happened to cause your child’s injury. Make sure that you find out – and write down – who you spoke to, the details of the conversation, and the time and date of the discussion.
3) Ensure an investigation is launched immediately. Ask the camp supervisor to fill out an incident report, take witness statements, and start an investigation into the incident. Ask to be appraised of progress. Then, follow up to ensure that an investigation has actually been launched.
4) Ask a lot of questions. Determine how and when your child was being supervised. Ask what safety precautions were in place when the accident took place. Ask your child about what happened. The more you know, the more likely you will be able to determine whether the accident was preventable.
5) Contact a personal injury attorney. Do not sign anything until you speak with a personal injury attorney. Even if you are not sure you have a case, it is a good idea to contact a good Florida personal injury attorney. He or she can advise you of your rights and can even launch and independent investigation if the camp is not willing to look into the incident. If you are not sure where to find a qualified attorney, contact the Flaxman Law Group.