Child Injury Lawyer Blog

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

The United States Department of Health and Human Resources has a website that has a great reference tool for parents and caregivers with children in day care centers and child care centers. Each state regulates day care centers / child care centers through a state specific administrative code and / or policy manual. Go to State Administrative Rules and Policy Manuals for Child Care. Another good resource is located at the website for the National Resource Center for
Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. Parents should use these and other resources to educate themselves on the various state specific rules and regulations for day care centers and child care centers. Each state regulates day care centers slightly differently. As such, parents should be informed on the regulations that apply to their children's day care center. Is the facility following the law? Are the state specific requirements for staffing being met? Are records being kept according to the state law? What information as a parent and caregiver am I entitled to regarding incidents and accidents? What disciplinary measures are allowed? What disciplinary actions are prohibited? These and many other issues are addressed in these day care rules and regulations. In addition, parents concerned about the care being received in a day care center / child care center can also consult with a child injury attorney / lawyer to find out if there is a viable case or claim to be pursued on behalf of a child who has been injured in a day care center as a result of day care negligence, abuse, or neglect.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

A day care center in Arkansas mistakenly and negligently served children windshield wiper fluid during snack time. Apparently, a day care center work had placed the blue windshield wiper fluid in the day care center's refrigerator. Thereafter, the windshield wiper fluid was mistaken for a fruit juice or Kool Aid type of drink and then served to the children. The children ranged in ages from 2 to 7 years old. Doctors and toxicologist estimate that the children drank approximately one ounce of the fluid before realizing that it tasted wrong. The children were evaluated and treated at Arkansas Children's Hospital. One child had to be admitted after blood samples showed elevated levels of methanol which is a highly toxic kind of alcohol that can cause serious personal injuries including death, coma, and blindness. The Arkansas Department of Human Resources will conduct an investigation into this incident.

Day care center operators big and small have a duty to safeguard all toxic chemicals and household products. Since children do not appreciate the dangers of these chemicals and household products, they should be kept away from children in a day center. Certainly, toxic chemicals like windshield wiper fluid should not be served at snack time as drinks for the children. The children and their parents can pursue a legal action against the day care owner for the damages caused by the ingestion of the windshield wiper fluid which would include medical bills (past and future) and mental pain and suffering. In addition to safeguarding toxic chemicals, day care centers should ensure that toxic chemicals are properly labeled so to avoid incidents like this one in the future. You can read more about this story at Arkansas Mistakenly Gives Children Car Fluid to Drink - Children Are Hospitalized.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Winter storms create driving hazards for drivers across the United States including those in Arkansas. In Central Arkansas, freezing drizzle recently resulted in a traffic death and the closure of several school districts.

Lester Holmes, age 47, died from injuries received in a four-car accident in Jacksonville, Arkansas. State and local authorities will investigate the cause of the accident and the role that weather and road conditions played in causing the crash.

You can read about other automobile and trucking accidents that took place in Arkansas at Ice Storm Was Factor in Motorist Death in Jacksonville, Arkansas.