Who Is Responsible If My Child Is Injured at Summer Camp?

If your child has been injured at summer camp, you might be wondering who can be held liable for the injury and whether you might be able to recover damages. Summer camp injury claims tend to be more complicated than other types of personal injury claims – largely due to the fact that parents are often required to sign a liability waiver, which is meant to protect the camp organizers against liability claims. Still, with the help of an experienced Alabama personal injury lawyer, you might be able to hold the at-fault parties liable and recover damages.

Common Reasons Why Children Get Injured at Summer Camps

Slip and Fall Accidents

From damaged floors to trailing cables, a campsite might contain a number of slip, trip, and fall hazards that can cause children to fall down and injure themselves. If the hazard in question is something that the camp organizers knew about or should have known about, you might be able to hold them liable for your child’s injuries.

Not Providing Protective Equipment to Children

It is extremely important for children to wear a helmet while riding a bike or while riding a horse. If the camp organizers failed to provide your child with a helmet, and if your child was injured as a result, you might have a case against them.

Fire Accidents

Summer camp is usually not complete without a session of outdoor cooking. Such activities, however, require careful adult supervision – in the absence of which children might be severely injured.

Drowning Accidents

If children are allowed to swim in a pool or a lake, they must be carefully supervised by the camp staff. Failing to do so can result in drowning accidents.

Heat Exhaustion

It is not safe for young children to play in the sun without taking the necessary precautionary measures like applying sunscreen, wearing loose clothes, hydrating at regular intervals, and taking adequate breaks. It is the duty of the camp staff to make sure children are not overexposed to hot weather. When they fail to do so, children could be at risk of suffering heat-related problems like heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke.

Animal Attacks

One of the main reasons why camping in the wilderness can be risky is the threat of wild animals. If the camp staff fails to instruct children about the dangers of leaving food out or if the security is not vigilant enough, children could be attacked and injured by wild animals.

The Issue of Liability Waivers

One of the reasons why parents of injured children tend to be hesitant about suing camp organizers is that they believe that the waiver they signed at the time of enrolling their child in the camp protects the organizers from all kinds of liability claims. This is not necessarily true, however.

While a liability waiver can protect the parties in question against unnecessary lawsuits, it does not give them blanket immunity against all kinds of liability claims. There are many circumstances where a waiver might be considered unenforceable by the court.

For instance, if the accident in question was caused as a result of gross negligence on the part of the camp organizers – as opposed to ordinary negligence – you might be able to sue them for damages, despite the fact that you signed a waiver.

Similarly, if the injuries in question resulted from risks or hazards that were not covered in the waiver document, the at-fault parties can be held liable and can be sued for damages.

Most importantly, a liability waiver will be considered valid by the court only as long as it does not violate any local, state, or federal laws. If any of the clauses or provisions in the agreement violates any law, it will be considered invalid. In such a scenario, it might be possible for you to hold the camp organizers – as well as other parties whose negligence also contributed to the accident – liable for your child’s injuries.

Choose the Right Alabama Personal Injury Attorney to Handle Your Claim

If your child has been injured at summer camp, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Burns, Cunningham & Mackey can help you. We can investigate your case, identify all the parties who can be held liable for your child’s injuries, build the strongest possible case against them, and fight hard to recover compensatory damages.

Our team has the skills, resources, and trial experience to take up a valid claim – including summer camp injury claims in which it is clear that another party caused your child’s injuries.

To discuss your case with one of our attorneys, call our firm today at 1-800-574-4332 or message us online to schedule a free consultation.