Summer Camp Accident Attorneys: Chicago, Illinois

Summer camp is a great way to occupy a child’s time and to allow him or her the opportunity to meet new people, learn new things and enjoy the outdoors. With the rewards come risks, however, and as parents, we must understand the hazards that exist at summer camps and be confident that our concerns are adequately addressed.

Children may be at risk from the moment that they step onto the camp bus until they return home unscathed and while they return unharmed most of the time, there is an inherent risk that we take each time we send them out into the wilderness.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC prosecutes negligent summer camps in Illinois and Wisconsin that allow children to get injured, abused or killed. Our attorneys have a network of camp and safety experts who can be quickly deployed to investigate and interview people with knowledge of the incident to assist in building a case that is supportive to our theory of liability.

Bus Accidents

It is possible for children to be injured on their way to or from the summer camp if the bus they travel on is involved in an accident. Because most buses are not equipped with seatbelts, children can be injured if they are thrown from their seats or if their heads hit the back of the seats in front of them. It is the responsibility of the bus driver to get children to and from the camp safely, and the driver is liable for any injuries that occur as a result of a bus accident.

Fire Hazards

Cooking and sitting around a fire is a common and popular activity when children go camping and if they are not adequately supervised, they can be severely burned if they play with fire. Most of these injuries can be prevented if the children are supervised, and it is the responsibility of the camp to provide plenty of staff members who are properly trained both to ensure that your children are safe and to perform first aid if they are injured. The camp is also responsible for the education of its attendees on fire safety and the prevention of forest fires to prevent injuries and fires that grow out of control.

Drowning and Water Hazards

If the camp has a lake or a swimmable river, the water comes with risks that include being caught in a current, being injured by a wild animal or encountering hazards due to inclement weather. Before you send your children to a camp that has a lake or river nearby, make sure that the camp staff is trained in CPR and that there is an adequate ratio of staff members to campers to be sure that your child will not encounter a hazard without a staff member knowing about it. A well-trained staff can be the difference between a minor incident and a fatal drowning injury.

Sexual Abuse

Instances of child sexual abuse have been reported in the past at summer camps— a staff member may abuse the children or someone who is not welcome may enter the camp and harm a child. The camp owners are responsible for the security of their campsites and keeping unwanted visitors off the grounds. If a child is abused in any manner at a summer camp, the camp is liable and may be sued for damages.

Overall Lack of Adult Supervision

Any unsupervised activity can readily turn dangerous when staff from the camp fail to supervise or use common sense safeguards to prevent campers from accessing the material. Consequently, any injury to a child at camp needs to be viewed with an eye towards learning what the role that the staff played in the activity.  Though not readily apparent, many serious injuries involving campers may involve staff members that were inadequately trained or put into positions where there just was not enough staff to supervise campers.

If your child has been harmed in any manner at a summer camp in Illinois or Wisconsin, you have the right to hold the camp accountable. The summer camp attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC are a trusted law firm have knowledge and experience advocating on behalf of those who have been hurt due to other peoples’ negligence. Contact us today at (888) 424-5757 to set up a free consultation or email Jonathan at jonathan@rosenfeldinjurylawyers.com to get more information about your rights and how we would proceed with your case. We conduct our case reviews in strict confidentiality, and we will never charge for our services unless we win your case and collect damages on your behalf.

Resources:

• http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/cirp-summer-camp
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9160064
• http://www.acacamps.org/campmag/issues/0903/reduce-injuries-illnesses