Summer camps are a fun and great way for children to experience new things and make new friends. When we send our children to these camps, we expect them to be treated well and watched carefully. When camps fail to keep our children safe, and serious injury occurs, it’s reasonable to wonder what action you can take.
In order to hold a summer camp liable for the injuries of a child, the parents must prove that the summer camp was negligent in their care. Negligence is a legal concept that at its core means that the summer camp was not as careful as they should have been. There are four parts to negligence:
- The Summer Camp had a duty to act reasonably to prevent foreseeable injury to the child.
- The Summer Camp breached that duty.
- The Summer Camp’s breach of duty was the cause of the child’s injuries.
- The child suffered actual damages or injuries which they can be compensated for.
Of course, it is a simple matter to prove that the camp had a duty to care for the child. However, proving that they breached that duty is a much more complicated matter. A summer camp cannot be found liable just because a child was injured. Rather, it must be proved that the summer camp did not take reasonable action to avoid those injuries, and that the injuries of the child were cause by the actions of the camp staff.
Many camps engage in activities that can be dangerous but let’s face it, with children anything can quickly become dangerous. That’s why there is a high expectation that camps will supervise children at all times, especially if they are performing activities such as sports or swimming. Any failure to properly supervise the children at the camp can be seen as a clear breach of duty, and can create a strong case for negligence. However, if the camp did everything they could to protect the child, and provided all of the medical care available to them, a negligence case will be hard to win.
As soon as you hear of your child’s injuries, you should consider contacting an attorney, like a personal injury attorney Atlanta GA, who is experienced. An attorney in your area will be able to break down the specific laws of your state and look at the details of your case to determine what path is best for you.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. for their insight into avoiding personal injury at summer camp.
