El Paso Mother Sues Daycare Center After Heavy Locker Falls on Young Son
Suit filed by daycare injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm claims unsecured furniture and lack of supervision at Mini Me's Child Center injured little boy
EL PASO, Texas, Jan. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- An El Paso mother wants answers after her 7-year-old son was seriously hurt at Mini Me's Child Center in April 2023. Jameelah Becton is now suing the daycare center, claiming her son was not supervised when a large locker that was incorrectly anchored to the wall fell on him while he was reaching for his backpack. The suit alleges that the locker detached from the wall entirely, slammed her young son to the ground, and pinned him underneath, causing him to suffer a contusion to the left elbow and a severe concussion. The complaint states that it took two daycare workers to lift the heavy locker and free Becton's son from being trapped underneath it.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission conducted an independent investigation into the daycare incident involving Becton's son and determined Mini Me's Child Center was in violation of childcare licensing laws, according to the complaint. First, the locker was attached to the classroom wall incorrectly with simple screws, not the manufacturer's anchoring equipment. In addition, the state agency found the daycare center did not follow a child supervision requirement of keeping a watchful eye on children in its care; instead, daycare workers frequently allowed young children to retrieve items like backpacks from the locker without a daycare worker overseeing the activity.
"As a mother, it's infuriating to know my son's life was endangered while he was left alone to fetch his backpack from a locker," says Becton. "You expect a daycare to implement every safety precaution to protect the little ones, like my son, in its care, but that clearly was not the case."
Mini Me's Child Center had a history of failing to meet Texas daycare safety standards. According to the complaint, records show the state cited the facility eight times for endangering children of all ages—from allowing infants to sleep with bottles and blankets to leaving six children alone in a classroom—between May 2019 and March 2023, just a month before the incident with Becton's son.
"This scary incident involving our client's son emphasizes the importance of stringent safety protocols in daycare facilities," says Texas daycare injury attorney Russell Button of The Button Law Firm, who represents Becton and her son. "We are committed to holding Mini Me's Child Center accountable to protect other children from being hurt by preventable hazards like unsecured furniture."
The case is Jameelah Becton, Individually and as parent and next friend of H.D., a minor child, vs. MKG Inversiones, LLC d/b/a Mini Me's Child Center, Cause No. 2024DCV0235 in the District Court of El Paso County, Texas. A copy of the complaint can be accessed here.
About the Button Law Firm
The Button Law Firm (buttonlawfirm.com) is a Texas-based personal injury law firm that advocates for children and their families in meaningful litigation to make local communities safer. The firm focuses on daycare and child-related injuries such as abuse and neglect cases, bottle warmer burns, traumatic brain injuries, and catastrophic injuries. With attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, The Button Law Firm helps families move forward across the Lone Star State.
SOURCE The Button Law Firm
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