What Legal Recourse Do I Have if My Child Is Injured at Summer Camp in Pennsylvania?

Exploring the Legal Options When Negligence Leads to Your Child’s Injury at Summer Camp

Summer camps provide an immersive experience, an opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends. There are day camps and sleep-away camps for every interest: music, theater, sports, religious instruction, academics, or a potpourri of activities all in one place. Visions of campfires, s’mores, hikes, and canoes spring to mind when we talk about our summer camp experiences. It can be an excellent opportunity to appreciate the outdoors, socialize, and acquire important skills for the future. But what happens when an unfortunate accident leaves your happy camper injured or ill? What if that accident was due to negligence by the campground or the camp employees? Even if you have signed a liability waiver to prevent you from taking legal action, many instances are not enforceable, especially in negligence cases. Your child’s rights to safety and health cannot be overlooked. Every camp in the state of Pennsylvania is obligated to provide a safe environment for the children in attendance. Accidents can sometimes not be prevented, but negligence must not be tolerated.

Hidden Dangers at Summer Camp that may Lead to Children’s Injuries

Facility-Related Injuries: Broken stairs, exposed nails, or wobbly handrails can cause a nasty fall. Slick, muddy paths without gravel or stones to give traction can cause a child to slip and break an ankle. Wet decks and weathered docks can be dangerous. Spills in the mess hall should be cleaned up immediately before an accident occurs. Showers and bathrooms can also have slippery surfaces, and caution must be taken to clean up pools of water or leaky fixtures that cause puddles to form.

Activity-Related Injuries: Sports that utilize projectiles, such as archery or rifle sports, can be hazardous. A campfire, grill, barbecue, or stove can cause serious burns when misused. Woodburning tools for rustic art projects and soldering irons for artistic metalwork can produce beautiful pieces of art, but, unfortunately, they can also cause disfiguring and painful burns. Everyone loves a relaxing horse ride, but it is dangerous when riding equipment isn’t adequately used. Rock climbing, spelunking, zip-lining, and rappelling use a series of harnesses and ropes that must be inspected and properly tied. Worn, old gear should never be used. Cycling and skateboarding without protective equipment such as elbow pads, kneepads, and a helmet is just asking for trouble.

Supervision-Related Injuries: Negligent supervision can bring on a litany of disasters. Distracted lifeguards chatting or playing on their phones while crowds of campers swim and splash can lead to a drowning or near-drowning event. Campers who wander off in the woods away from the rest could soon find themselves lost and in dire straits as the sun begins to go down and wild animals start roaming. Rough play, running in dangerous areas, and leaving the cabin at night can have horrific consequences due to negligent counselors.

Environmental Hazards: Allergic reactions to food, insect and snake bites, or bee stings can lead to a severe reaction or anaphylaxis, resulting in respiratory distress, a severe drop in blood pressure, a narrowing of the airways, and a weak pulse. It is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate treatment. An epinephrine injection must be applied right away, followed by an immediate trip to the emergency room.

Food-Related Illness: Food poisoning can occur when raw proteins are cross-contaminated with other foods. Poorly cooked eggs can produce salmonella, and spoiled food can poison counselors and campers. Unsanitary conditions in the kitchen can also cause food-borne illnesses such as E. coli and listeria, which can result in life-threatening illness and, in some cases, death.

Two of the most frequently overlooked dangers are sunburn and sunstroke. A severe sunburn, producing water-filled blisters, can cause dehydration, infections, and severe scarring. Sunstroke is caused by severe dehydration and can result in an increased body temperature, loss of consciousness, vomiting, and delirium. If left untreated, the condition can eventually become fatal.

Essential Responsibilities of Camp Owners and Staff

Camp owners should ensure plenty of lighting outside cabins, entrances, and retreat centers. All infrastructure should be in good working order. Camp counselors should undergo background checks and be trained in CPR and choking protocols. Camp administrators must maintain a safe ratio of counselors to children. It is suggested that children ages 6 to 10 be in groups of no more than six, while older children can be in groups of up to ten.

Camp counselors are responsible for keeping the campers safe. They should review rules and safety concerns with the campers and always remain vigilant, especially around campfires, potentially dangerous equipment, or bodies of water. They are always responsible for the health and safety of their fledglings.

Insight Into Premises Liability and Your Child’s Security at Pennsylvania Summer Camps

Owners of businesses and private property are responsible for specific injuries experienced by people on their premises. They have a duty to keep their premises safe and free of hazards. In premise liability cases, it is vital to demonstrate negligence on the part of the property owners. There is a high duty of care in the instance of a summer camp. Parents have entrusted the safety of their children to the organization running the program. If that duty is breached and a camper is harmed, and their injuries are directly related to that harm, the owner could be found liable.

Almost all camps obligate parents to sign a liability waiver. Still, it could be unenforceable if it frees the camp from all liability, uses broad, general terms to cover all types of injuries, and claims the camp organization is not liable for lack of safety equipment or proper maintenance. Depending on the conditions and reasons for an accident, a summer camp can be held liable for your child’s injury or wrongful death.

A Parent’s Legal Guide to Summer Camp Accidents in Doylestown, PA

• Your child’s health is primordial. If the camp is close enough to pick them up, you may want to take them to the hospital if necessary.
• Document absolutely everything. Take notes to summarize every phone conversation, what your child tells you happened, and what the doctors say.
• Request a copy of all treatment and medical records.
• Contact the camp director and discuss what happened and how they plan to compensate you.
• Above all, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to receive information about your rights and possible compensation.

Suspect a Summer Camp’s Negligence in Your Child’s Accident? Contact an Experienced PA Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Next Steps

If your child has been injured in an accident while at summer camp, you deserve to make an informed decision regarding the camp’s liability. You could be entitled to a monetary settlement to pay for your child’s medical expenses and other costs. Camp owners could be required to pay punitive damages if they are found grossly negligent. Our personal injury lawyers are excellent investigators and litigators. We can contact possible witnesses, run background checks on-campus staff, and research possible previous complaints or accidents the camp has had. We have the resources to look at your case from every angle and provide you with the best possible outcome. If your child has been injured at camp and you have questions, call us at (215) 337-4915 or contact us online. We help clients in Yardley, Langhorne, Doylestown, Levittown, Fairless Hills, Warminster, Bristol, and elsewhere in Northeast Philadelphia, Lower Bucks County, and Pennsylvania when their children have summer camp injuries caused by the negligence of the facility’s owners or operators.