Harvey Child Injury Attorney

When a Child Is Injured, the Legal Issues Are Often Different

Children may not always recognize dangerous situations or understand risk in the same way adults do. Because of this, property owners, drivers, schools, and organizations responsible for supervising children may have a higher duty to act carefully and prevent injuries.



Donald D’Aunoy Jr. represents families in Harvey and throughout Jefferson Parish who have a child injured due to unsafe conditions, negligent supervision, vehicle accidents, or other acts of negligence.

Liability Can Be Different When a Child Is Injured

When an adult is injured, liability often focuses on whether the injured person acted reasonably and whether another party caused the accident. When a child is injured, the analysis can be different because children are not held to the same standard of judgment and responsibility as adults.

In some cases, adults and property owners are expected to anticipate that children may:

• Run into streets or parking lots
• Climb on structures or equipment
• Enter areas that may appear interesting but are dangerous
• Act impulsively or without recognizing risk

Property Owners May Be Responsible for Dangerous Conditions That Attract Children

Property owners may be held responsible for injuries to children caused by dangerous conditions on their property, even if the child was not supposed to be there. This concept is often referred to as an attractive nuisance.

Examples of conditions that may attract children include:

• Swimming pools
• Trampolines
• Construction sites
• Abandoned buildings
• Machinery or equipment
• Retention ponds or drainage areas
• Unsecured ladders or structures
• Apartment complex play areas

Property owners may be required to secure or protect these types of hazards because children may not fully understand the danger involved.

Dog Bite Injuries Involving Children

Children are often more vulnerable to dog bite injuries because they are smaller, may not recognize warning signs from animals, and are more likely to be bitten on the face or upper body. Depending on the facts of an animal attack case, pet owners, landlords, apartment complexes, or others responsible for controlling the animal could potentially be liable for a child’s injuries.

Negligent Supervision in Schools, Daycares, and Youth Programs

Many child injury cases involve situations where an adult or organization was responsible for supervising children at the time of the accident. Schools, daycare centers, camps, and youth programs may have a responsibility to provide reasonable supervision and maintain safe environments.

Child injuries may occur in situations involving:

• School playgrounds
• Daycare facilities
• Summer camps
• After-school programs
• Sports practices or games
• Field trips
• Apartment complex playgrounds

Many schools, camps, sports leagues, and youth programs require parents to sign liability waivers before a child can participate in activities. However, these waivers do not always prevent injury claims, especially in situations involving negligent supervision, unsafe property conditions, defective equipment, or other preventable hazards. Whether a waiver applies often depends on the specific circumstances and the cause of the injury.