Summer Camp Injuries and Liability

Summer is around the corner and that means right now is the time parents are signing up for summer camps before the available spots fill up. Pittsburgh offers a lot of truly incredible summer camps for children of all ages. Gone are the days of one size fits all summer camps as camps are becoming more streamlined and geared towards particular themes and interests. Pittsburgh children injuries attorneys know that parents not only trust that their children are going to gain social and educational experiences at camp, but that their children are also going to be safe and well cared for. Unfortunately, children are not always safe and well cared for at summer camps and children sometimes sustain injuries in accidents caused by someone else’s negligence.

Types of Pittsburgh summer camps

With so many different types of summer camps, parents frequently find themselves dropping one child off at one camp and a second child off at a different camp because different camps are tailored towards different personalities and interests. See below for a variety of types of children’s summer camps offered in the Pittsburgh area.

• Science and technology camps involve many different aspects of science and technology such as robotics, coding, experiments, and drones.
• Performing arts camps are geared towards kids who love theatre and dramatics.
• Art camps involve learning about art techniques and art history.
• Horse camps where children learn to ride and care for horses.
• Museum camps focusing on history, art, and nature.
• Sports camps are geared towards a particular sport or a variety of sports.
• Parks and nature camps where children learn about nature and the environment.

Other activities

Summer camps have plenty of activities to keep children active and entertained such as playgrounds, hikes, bicycles, paddle boats, bounce houses, and ball pits to name a few. Unfortunately, with all of these fun activities and with the large number of kids attending camp, accidents are bound to happen. Many of these accidents are simply innocent accidents, but sometimes these accidents are caused by summer camp operators and counselors’ wrongful conduct.

Causes of summer camp accidents and injuries

• Negligently maintained or defective toys and equipment
• Poor supervision of children
• Poorly maintained camp facilities
• Improper activity protections and equipment
• Summer camp shuttle or van accidents
• Swimming pool accidents

Waiver

Most summer camps will require parents and guardians to sign a waiver that releases camps and camp counselors from liability for children’s injuries sustained at camps. Unfortunately, as Pittsburgh children’s injuries attorneys know, waivers often discourage parents from filing claims against summer camp companies because they assume that signing a waiver means that they are prohibited from filing a lawsuit for injuries their children suffer at summer camp. Waivers do release summer camp entities and individual camp employees from some types of liability, but not all liability.

If your child sustained injuries due to someone else’s wrongful conduct, they should be held accountable and your child should be compensated. Contact a personal injury attorney at Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman for a free consultation.