It’s summer time here in Nova Scotia (although you couldn’t tell from the weather we’ve been having lately). Thousands of children across Nova Scotia are attending summer camp for the first time. The experience can be perhaps a little nerve racking. Then Mom and Dad get the call they have been dreading:
“Your daughter fell off the swings and broke her leg…”.
“Your son was hit in the head with a baseball and is unconscious…”
“Your child fell out of the boat during sailing lessons and almost drowned…”
What do you do? Who do you call?
Here is a list of the things you need to do right away:
1. Find out exactly where your child is now: You need to make sure that your child is receiving appropriate emergency medical care. Do not yell or get angry with any of the camp counselors who may have been responsible for supervising your child. This isn’t the time for threats or accusations just make sure your child is getting proper medical attention.
2. Find out what exactly happened from an adult who is in charge of supervising the camp. Make notes of all the details of the conversation, who you spoke to and the date and time that the conversation took place.
3. Tell the camp supervisor that you require that the accident be investigated immediately and that an incident report and witness statements be obtained right away.
4. If the camp is out of town, find out where your child is and if they have been admitted to the hospital. Make arrangements to get to the hospital as soon as possible.
5. Ask for the name of the doctor who is treating your child and call the hospital to confirm the information. Sometimes children may be transferred by ambulance to a rural hospital but, if their injuries are serious or life threatening, they may be transferred to a larger hospital or one theat specializes in children. You don’t want to be driving around on a wild goose chase trying to find your child at a time like this.
6. Once your child’s health has stabilized you can find out why the accident happened. Were the camp counselors properly supervising the children? In other words, could the accident have been prevented and if so how?
7. As parents we all know that accidents happen. However, sometimes accidents shouldn’t happen if the children were properly supervised or if a dangerous situation had been rectified. When an accident happens, you need to ask a lot of questions then you need to speak to a lawyer with experience in handling serious personal injury claims in order to protect your child’s rights.
Have a great, and safe, summer!