Did Your Child Suffer a Finger Injury? Here’s What You Need to Know
As leading personal injury lawyers in Orange County, we’ve worked with all kinds of accidents, injuries, and victims. Child injuries are by far the most upsetting. If your child suffered an injury that never should have happened, we can help you hold the negligent party responsible. To request a free consultation with our team, reach out by calling 949-409-0055 or filling out the online contact form below. We have been proudly servicing clients throughout Costa Mesa, California, and the surrounding areas.
Serious Finger Injuries Children Face in California
Children get hurt — it’s just part of growing up. But there’s a difference between a child getting hurt because they were goofing around and a child getting hurt because an adult failed to create a safe environment. As a good parent, you try your hardest to ensure your kids enjoy a hazard-free space, but you can’t always be around.
If you’re like most parents, you have to work, which means you have to leave your kids with someone else. Whether that person is a family member, teacher, babysitter, or daycare worker, they are responsible for ensuring your children’s safety. One of the most common injuries we see resulting from caretaker negligence is finger injuries.
At Case Barnett Law, our Costa Mesa child injury lawyer takes all child injuries seriously. Some people may think that finger injuries sound like no big deal, but that’s not the reality. In addition to being extremely painful, finger injuries can cause lasting damage that requires expensive treatment. This blog will outline the steps you need to take if your child suffers a finger injury under someone else’s care.
Did your child suffer an avoidable injury at school or daycare? That’s unacceptable. Luckily, we handle a wide range of child injury cases. Contact us online to start the conversation.
What Is a Finger Trap Injury?
Finger injuries, sometimes called “finger trap injuries,” commonly involve doors, although they can be caused by many things. Small children sometimes put their hands between the door and doorframe when it is open, not realizing that their hands will be trapped when the door closes. The resulting injuries range widely in severity and require different treatments.
3 Types of Finger Injuries
Unless you are a health care professional, you shouldn’t try to assess your child’s injury on your own — seek medical attention to ensure the best possible outcome. However, you do need to be aware of the different types of injuries that may occur.
1. Severed Finger
In the most extreme cases, a finger trap injury can cause a child’s finger or fingertip to be severed. If this is the case, it’s critical to find the severed digit and put it in a plastic bag of ice. The child and finger(s) must be taken to the emergency room immediately so that a surgeon can attempt to reattach the severed part.
2. Broken or Fractured Finger
In most finger trapping scenarios, the resulting injury will be a broken or fractured finger. The broken bone might pierce through the skin, or the finger may just look deformed or bruised. With these injuries, movement is extremely painful. In the event of such an injury, head to the emergency room immediately.
3. Sprained or Strained Finger
When it comes to finger trap injuries, a sprained or strained finger is the best-case scenario. If it is possible for the child to move their finger, albeit painful, that’s a good sign that it’s not broken. However, you should still seek immediate medical attention to make sure the injury is not more severe than it initially looks.
Who’s to Blame for Finger Trap Injuries?
You may be thinking, “Everyone smashes a finger from time to time — does it really warrant a lawsuit?” Depending on the details of the situation, it might.
Here’s the thing about personal injury lawsuits: They serve to maximize the victim’s chance of healing, not to make someone rich. Imagine your child severed a fingertip at daycare and was rushed to the hospital to have it reattached. After admittance, general anesthesia, and the actual surgery, you’ve racked up thousands in medical bills. Should you be on the hook to pay them?
If a negligent caregiver, daycare, or school caused your child’s injury, that party should be held financially responsible — not just for the medical bills, but for any loss resulting from the incident. If you decide to sue, your Orange County personal injury lawyer may be able to help you recover compensation for economic and non-economic damages, including the following:
- Bills from additional therapies and follow-up appointments
- Expenses related to changing caregivers
- Pain and suffering
- Deformity
At the end of the day, caregivers are responsible for what happens to the children they watch over. Unlike a scraped knee or bumped elbow, adults can easily prevent serious finger injuries by using door finger guards or door stoppers — or just by not letting children have access to doors without supervision. With so many easy solutions to choose from, failing to choose any prevention method is a clear sign of negligence.
Case Barnett Law: Top Orange County Child Injury Lawyers
Just like children depend on parents to keep them safe, their parents depend on caregivers to set appropriate boundaries and create a secure environment. When they fail to do so, children can suffer tremendous pain and distress, and parents are left to pick up the pieces. For working-class families, the financial strain of medical bills can be too much to handle.
At Case Barnett Law, we’re in the business of looking out for injury victims and their families. We do everything in our power to make sure that the party responsible for the accident is the one liable for damages — not the person who was hurt. We’re dedicated to getting justice for every type of personal injury victim, but especially for child victims.
If your child suffered a serious finger trap injury while in someone else’s care, it’s important to talk to an experienced child injury lawyer. Before you say you can’t afford a lawyer, remember this: We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t get paid unless and until you do. Ready to get started? Contact us online to schedule a free consultation, or give us a call at 949-409-0055.
