Bright Horizons at Legacy ignored Texas daycare laws aimed to protect young
children, according to lawsuit filed by The Button Law
Firm
PLANO,
Texas, July 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A
North Texas mother is suing Bright
Horizons at Legacy, claiming her 20-month-old daughter was poisoned
by drugs in a vape pen on her first day attending the daycare
center in January. Jocelyn Carter
claims a caregiver at Bright Horizons at Legacy noticed the child
had a pink vape pen in her hand and saw smoke coming from her mouth
and nose. However, Bright Horizons at Legacy endangered the
toddler's life by not seeking immediate medical attention for the
child or reporting the incident to Carter or the authorities as
required by Texas daycare laws,
according to the complaint. Because of the daycare center's
negligence, the toddler experienced swollen, red, and puffy eyes
and cheeks, and developed a persistent cough that led to
vomiting.
The lawsuit states a worker at Bright Horizons at Legacy told
Carter her daughter was "a good sleeper" when she questioned why
her daughter's face was inflamed at pickup. The lawsuit continues
that it took Bright Horizons at Legacy eight days to tell Carter
the truth about what happened to her daughter. After seeing
Carter's daughter with the vape pen, a caregiver quickly took
the vape pen from the toddler's hand and confronted another
caregiver, who put it in her pocket, according to the suit. The
complaint alleges the incident was not reported
because the caregiver who witnessed the incident did not know how
to report incidents and was afraid she may get in trouble.
"I am furious that Bright Horizons at Legacy knew my daughter
could be poisoned by drugs in a vape pen, but they chose to do
nothing and remained silent," says Carter. "My daughter is my
world. I don't want to imagine what might have happened if I hadn't
rushed her to a doctor as soon as I sensed something was off."
Carter got the Plano Police Department involved. Their
investigation revealed Carter's daughter could have inhaled up to
40 mg of nicotine from a Lost Mary model OS5000 disposable
electronic vape pen, per the suit. (The Texas Poison Center Network
states children ingesting small amounts of nicotine can turn
fatal.) A separate investigation by the Texas Health and Human
Services Child-Care Licensing Division and the Texas Department of
Family and Protective Services substantiated Carter's claims
against Bright Horizons at Legacy. The agencies cited the daycare
center for neglectfully supervising the toddler and failing to meet
the requirements of a mandatory reporter of suspected child abuse
and neglect because a caregiver witnessed the incident but did not
report it to the proper authorities.
"Negligent practices at Bright Horizons at Legacy failed this
family by endangering an innocent toddler's life," says daycare
injury lawyer Russell Button of
The Button Law Firm, who represents Carter in this lawsuit.
"Hard-working parents like Ms. Carter expect daycare centers hire
responsible caregivers and provide a safe environment. Bright
Horizons at Legacy did neither, causing a little girl to
suffer."
The case is Jocelyn
Carter, Individually and as next friend of G.C., a minor
child, vs. Bright Horizons Children's Center, LLC d/b/a Bright
Horizons at Legacy, Cause No. 429-04808-2024 in the District
Court of Collin 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.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mother-accuses-plano-daycare-center-of-poisoning-toddler-with-drugs-in-vape-pen-302206864.html
SOURCE The Button Law Firm