Parents should not live in fear, while a child is attending a summer camp. On the other hand, every parent should realize that accidents can happen, even at a day camp.
Possible injury-causing accidents
• Near-drowning
• Exposure to fire hazard; exposure to extreme heat
• Sexual abuse by counselors or staff
• Poor lodgings, poor equipment or poor facilities
• Poor supervision of any campfire
• Bullying carried out by other campers
• Exposure to infectious diseases
• Insect bites
How to reduce the chances that such an accident might put your child in danger?
It is essential to purchase extended coverage for your health insurance or buy accident insurance. As a parent, you need to visit the camp and look at the facilities. Get the necessary supplies like suitable footwear, reusable water bottle or canteen, sunscreen, any required mediation. You do not plan to have your child learn a physically-demanding skill, while enrolled as a camper. See that members of the camp’s staff have learned about any allergies that your child has, or any special needs.
What to do if your child does get injured
Go to the facility where the injured camper has been treated. Record the name of that same facility. In addition, get the names of the doctors, nurses and technicians at that specific facility.
Learn from the doctors or nurses what happened. Get their story confirmed by speaking with counselors and camp supervisor. It is important that you get pictures of the child’s injury and pictures of scene where accident took place. It is best to ask if the camp has filed an incident report. If it has, request a copy for your own files. The personal injury lawyer will inform you to get copies of any medical reports that relate to your child’s injury. Be sure to keep copies of all the bills you receive from doctors, or from any medical facility. And last but not the least, it is important to contact a personal injury lawyer in Red Deer.
Facts that a hired lawyer will attempt to track down
• How carefully were the counselors and members of the staff interviewed, before each was hired?
• What was the ratio of campers to supervising adult, at the time that the accident took place?
• Had camp stocked the supplies needed for treatment of any allergic reaction an enrolled camper might suffer, as indicated by the information on the different campers’ allergies?
• Were campers ever taken on a hike without an adequate supply of water, or without a sufficient number of rest stops?
• Were campers ever expected to perform a task that was beyond their capabilities? Had counselors received instructions, regarding what to expect of the campers?
• Were campers ever forced to put up with temperatures from a campfire, on a day that had exceedingly high temperatures?
• Did the camp have an infirmary, where a camper with an infectious disease could be placed?
• Did the camp have a nurse, who had been trained to deal with medical emergencies?