Summertime and the living is easy if you’re a parent whose child is at a summer camp. No matter what type of camp your child attends, negligence or intentional acts by those running it can cause injuries to your child. They can range from minor to life-altering.
There are about 12,000 summer camps in the US, according to Regpack. Towns or cities may run them for the benefit of the general population. Summer camps also cater to different religious beliefs, sports interests, art, computers, and disabilities. They all have in common the fact that attendees risk injuries.
Summer Camp Accidents Cause Severe Injuries and Deaths
Your child may suffer physical injuries because an accident wasn’t prevented or, after it happened, staff was distracted, not adequately trained, or staff levels were too low to supervise attendees safely. Staff may be well-intentioned but ultimately ill-equipped to prevent a severe injury or, if one happens, how to appropriately respond to the situation. If the camp provides transportation, a negligent camp driver or a poorly maintained vehicle may cause your child’s injuries.
Summer camp injuries are a reality parents must face:
- A 3-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries after falling into a water storage tank while participating in a day camp at Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Cambridge last year, according to MyNBC5. State police report that the child walked beside an outdoor splash pad and fell into a below-ground water storage tank. The boy was in it for about ten minutes before being rescued
- Eleven teenagers were injured when a school bus with at least 30 on it rolled over in Banks, Idaho, last August, reports CNN. Seven were in critical condition after the accident, while the injuries to four were considered non-critical. The bus was part of a YMCA summer camp program
- A 13-year-old was killed in a boating accident at a Minnesota summer camp last June, according to KVLY. He rode an inner tube with another camper when the two fell into the water. A boat piloted by a camp employee circled them to pick them up. The boy was pulled under the water, hit by the boat’s propeller, and killed
It’s estimated that about six million kids go to summer camps in the US, which employ about 1.5 million people.
Other attorneys take contingent fees of 33% to 50% of your settlement.
We want you to keep more of your money.
Our contingent fee is only 30% on cases settled prior to filing suit.
Some Injuries are Intentional
Both teen counselors and child summer camp attendees can be victims of sexual abuse that can leave lifetime emotional scars.
Two University of California Lost Angeles (UCLA) students were hired as camp counselors at Bruin Woods, a summer getaway for alumni in the state’s San Bernadino mountains in 2022. After less than a week, the two left and returned home, traumatized by sexual assault and intense hazing by other counselors. In their lawsuit against the University of California system and two counselors, they claim they were subjected to physical and verbal abuse, forced nudity, sensory deprivation, and coercive drinking games, reports the Los Angeles Times.
CBS News in 2018 reported it identified hundreds of reports of sexual abuse that happened at children’s summer camps across the US, involving more than 500 victims who were allegedly sexually abused at children’s camps since 1963. At least 21 of these cases became public that year. Since many instances of abuse are never reported, the actual number of abused kids is probably far higher.
Sexual abuse can be committed by staff who aren’t adequately screened out during the hiring process or are poorly supervised while working there. Reports of abuse can be met with hostility or just not taken seriously. Camp attendees can be sexually abused by other kids when there’s insufficient supervision.
If Your Child is Seriously Injured at a Summer Camp, Someone Should Be Held Accountable
If your child is the victim of negligence or an intentional assault, you and your child may be entitled to compensation for the harm you suffer. Legal action can also be a way to hold those who caused these traumas to be held accountable for their actions and failures to act.
Contact Us Today
The Fleck Firm is here to help you protect your legal rights. We represent Western and Central Kentucky residents and clients from across the bluegrass injured by others’ negligence and intentional acts. If your child is injured at a summer camp, call The Fleck Firm at (270) 446-7000 or use our online contact form today. We can discuss your situation, how Kentucky law may apply, and your best options for moving forward.
