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When people decide to leave their children in other people’s care, they assume that their children will be appropriately supervised by that person. However, not everyone who is entrusted with caring for children does their job properly, potentially leading to those children getting hurt. This is known as negligent supervision, and when it happens to your children, you may need to seek a legal remedy for the harm they suffered.
What is Negligent Supervision?
In legal terms, negligent supervision is when someone who has a legal responsibility to watch over children (or anyone else who needs constant supervision) fails to give adequate attention to their charges, resulting in avoidable harm. In other words, it is what happens when someone gets hurt because the people who should have been watching over them were not doing their jobs properly. While negligent supervision cases typically involve children, anyone who needs constant supervision to remain safe and healthy can be victims.
What Does Negligent Supervision Look Like?
Negligent supervision can take many potential forms. Some of the most common reasons for negligent supervision lawsuits include:
- Playground injuries due to a lack of adult supervision
- Accidental ingestion of toxic substances left within reach of children
- Failing to break up a fight between children, resulting in harm
- Allowing minors to consume alcohol or other intoxicants, resulting in accidents
- Ignoring or permitting hazing by students against other students
- Failing to provide food or water to their charges, leading to illness or injury
- Failing to maintain appropriate hygiene, resulting in preventable illness
- Failing to prevent sexual assault against someone under supervision
Who Can Be Sued For Negligent Supervision?
Anyone who has a professional duty to care for children or other people with a need for constant supervision can be held accountable for their negligence. Typically, this means daycare workers, babysitters, and nannies, who are most likely to work with very young children. However, it also includes teachers and coaches who deal with minor children of all ages, as well as parents who host their children’s friends for playdates. It may also include healthcare workers for assisted living facilities and nursing homes, who are responsible for the care of the elderly and people with chronic medical issues.
What Should You Do if Your Child is Hurt Due to Negligent Supervision?
If your child, or any other dependent, was injured as a result of an adult’s failure to appropriately supervise them, you should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. They can help you with your case and help to come up with a legal strategy that suits your needs. The sooner you call, the sooner you can get justice for your child.
For more than 40 years, the Drucker Law Firm has been providing personal and quality legal services to individuals, universities, and corporations throughout the New York City and Tri-State area. We have represented three generations of clients in personal injury cases, as well as immigration, real estate, and general litigation matters. If you have a legal issue related to personal injury law, please give us a call at (718) 458-1489 to schedule a consultation or visit our contact page.
