What Happens If My Child Was Injured Due to Improper Supervision?

Your child is the most important thing in your life. When you put them into the care of another person, you trust that they will be properly cared for and no harm will come to them. Unfortunately, injuries can occur to children in even the safest of environments when improper supervision occurs and precaution is discarded.

Common Examples Of Negligent or Improper Supervision

Improper supervision, or negligent supervision, occurs when a child is harmed while in the care or under the supervision of another person or party. Some examples of individuals that could be held civilly liable for negligent supervision of a child include:

  • Foster parent or temporary guardian
  • Grandparent
  • Teachers
  • School officials
  • Coaches
  • Nannies or babysitters
  • Daycare workers
  • Young group leaders
  • Church leaders
  • Camp counselors

Negligent supervision can happen anywhere. However, there are a few elements that are common in many cases of injured children, including:

  • Failure to secure dangerous items (knives, guns, poisonous chemicals, etc.)
  • Failure to protect the child from physical harm of another person, animal, or threat
  • Inadequate supervision of a sick child
  • Allowing children to use items that are unsuitable for their age or skill levels (equipment, toys, vehicles, etc.)

Proving Liability In A Negligent Supervision Case

Like any other claim that involves negligence, you and your attorney will have to prove that four basic elements exist in the specific case of your child’s injury involving a negligent supervisor:

  • Duty. There must have been an accepted responsibility for the actions of the child.
  • Breach of Duty. The caregiver or supervisor failed to uphold their duty of care.
  • Causation. As a direct result of this breach, the child was involved in an accident.
  • Injury or Harm. The resulting accident led to injury or other harm to the child.

Protecting Your Family’s Legal Rights

If you believe that your child was injured due to another person or party’s negligence, you may be able to pursue a personal injury lawsuit on your child’s behalf to pay for their medical expenses, emotional injuries, and time you took off work to help them recover.

At Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman, our Mississippi child injury attorneys are committed to ensuring that responsible parties are held accountable for harm to your child. We will do everything in our power to prove your claim and help your family move forward from this ordeal.

To learn more about your legal rights, contact Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman at your earliest convenience. There are no costs to simply speak with our legal team and discuss what options are available to you.

About the Author
Jefferson D. Gilder is a Partner at Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman and was admitted to the Mississippi and Tennessee Bars in 1990. Mr. Gilder is admitted to practice in all courts in Mississippi and Tennessee including Federal Court, the Fifth and Sixth Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Gilder's areas of practice include personal injury, criminal, medical malpractice, civil rights, and product liability. Mr. Gilder spent his first ten years as an attorney practicing with his father, Robert G. Gilder, at Gilder Law Firm in Southaven, Mississippi before forming Gilder, Howell & Assoc., P.A. with Jamie W. Howell, Jr. in June of 2000. This firm although as another legal entity has now combined their resources and experience with Chatham – Pittman, to form Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman. If you have any questions about this article, you can reach Jefferson through our contact page.