Home >  Information A-Z >  All Kids Information Articles >  Liability on your Property

Liability on your Property

Having other children get hurt on your property is never a good thing—on top of the fact that you likely feel bad that the child was hurt while under your care, there may be medical and legal liability that you have to deal with as well. The parents of the injured child may place blame on you emotionally as well as financially, and most people can’t afford to have something like this happen.

While there is no way to guarantee that this situation will never happen (aside from never having children at your home), there are a few ways to try to avoid it. And, in case these don’t work, there are a few ways to try to avoid being held liable in the case that a child is hurt on your property:

• Watch carefully—
While this may seem like a given to most people, it is something that should be repeated. You should always watch other people’s children much more carefully than you do your own. While it is good to watch your own children like hawks on a regular basis, you should be even more attentive when the child isn’t yours. It’s not that you want other children to get hurt less than you want your own child to get hurt, it’s simply that it’s never a good position to be in when someone gets hurt under your care. Think about it from the opposite side: if your child were to get hurt, would you prefer it be at your own home, or at a friend’s house while another parent is supposed to be watching them? Even though you don’t want your child to get hurt at all, you would feel better, and blame it simply on the fact that accidents just happen, if it were under your care. If it happened while someone else was responsible for your child, you may feel as though they are partially to blame for the accident. This is the same way the other parent might feel if their child was to be hurt under your care.

• Release Forms—
When having children over at your house for any reason, if you know that the children might do something that could cause them to be injured (of course, all children can be injured doing almost anything, but this is referring to those accident-prone activities, such as pools and trampolines), you should have their parents sign a release form. If you will be having a birthday party for your child and you have a trampoline, you should send release forms with the invitations to jump. If the parents don’t send the signed release form (stating that if an accident were to occur, you would not be held responsible), their child will not be allowed to jump on the trampoline. While this may be cumbersome, it can protect you from many problems if a child were to get hurt. Otherwise, if you didn’t do this, and the children jumped and one fell off and was hurt, the parents may say that they didn’t know you had a trampoline and didn’t want their child jumping on it in the first place. If this is the case, you will be responsible for medical bills, etc.

Copyright 2010. All educational materials are the sole property of Kid First Internet and are available for the benefit of our parents. Duplication or use of any material requires the express consent of Kids First Internet.

Click Here to Browse Safety Products

Browse information articles by category:

Babies
Toddlers
Kids
Health and Safety
Nutrition and Feeding
Bathing
Behavior and Discipline
Diapers and Potty Training
Playtime activities and toys
Clothing
Napping and Nighttime

View All Articles

Kids Bedding Information Center:

Nursery and Crib Safety
Allergy Information
Kids Bedding Gift Giving
Bedding Themes
Crib and Nursery Sizes
Typical Prices
Bedding Production
Cleaning
Materials and Fabrics
Boys Bedding and Girls Bedding

Kids and Baby Bedding Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best kids bedding brands? A look at some of the best kids bedding sets.

What comes in the different crib and nursery sets? Know exactly what you are ordering - before you order.

How do I choose the perfect kids bedding gift? Here are three simple rules for picking out a wonderful kids bedding or baby bedding set!

How can I create a safe nursery? A short article on safety and kids bedding and baby bedding.

How do I clean my kids bedding? Tips and directions to make your kids bedding set last forever.

How long does it take for my kids bedding purchase to arrive? Read about why it is important to order kids bedding several weeks in advance.

Why buy kids bedding or baby bedding online? Learn why we can offer the best prices on kids bedding.