KinderCare, the nation's largest child care chain, was hit with a $3 million personal injury verdict after an employee at its Tampa Bay Florida area day care center broke the leg of a ten month old toddler because he wouldn't stay put. Two million dollars of that award represents punitive damages against the company.
If there was anyone that shouldn't be working with kids, it's Stacey Doty. According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times, Doty worked as a child care provider with KinderCare for approximately seven years. One day, she was changing the diaper of a ten month old boy, but became frustrated when the boy would not stay still. She bent his leg back so far that it broke. His parents brought a personal injury lawsuit against KinderCare.
During the trial, their Florida personal injury lawyerwas able to show the jury not only how Doty broke the child's leg, but also other instances of her inappropriate behavior – some of which had been reported to KinderCare management – such as:
KinderCare did little to address the situation and did not have video cameras installed in the center – which resulted in the jury awarding the family $3 million in damages. Two million dollars of that award was for punitive damages against the child care chain, $750,000 of the award was for the child's future pain and suffering as he may have suffered brain trauma and another $250,000 was for medical expenses. Doty went to prison and is no longer working in child care services.
Damages in personal injury cases can include past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, pain and suffering, punitive damages and more. A personal injury attorney can review your situation, evaluate your options and determine the damages for which you might be entitled. However, every state has its own statute of limitations for filing personal injury cases. While its four years in Florida, it can be as little as one year in other states.