Maybe not. In Mississippi, a child's injury claim is often not on the same clock as an adult's claim, so you may still have options even if it happened months or years ago.

What you need to prove right now is straightforward: what happened, who was responsible, and how the injury has affected your child since then.

Start gathering:

• Daycare incident reports and any messages, emails, or app notifications from the Olive Branch facility
• Medical records from the first visit forward, including pediatricians, ER, specialists, therapy, and imaging
• Photos of the injury and the hazard, especially if it involved a broken playground surface, unsafe flooring, or a pothole or frost-heaved lot
• Names of staff and witnesses
• Billing records and insurance statements
• School records showing missed days, behavior changes, learning issues, or activity restrictions
• A timeline showing ongoing symptoms, treatment, and setbacks

For a private daycare or private school, Mississippi's general injury deadline is often 3 years, but a minor's own claim can be treated differently because the limitations period may be paused during childhood. A parent's separate claim for things like medical bills can expire much sooner, so delay still matters.

If the injury happened at a public school or government-run program, the rules can be much shorter under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. Those cases can involve a formal notice requirement and a 1-year deadline, which is a major difference.

If a settlement is offered for a child, it usually is not final just because a parent signs. In Mississippi, minor settlements usually require court approval, often through the DeSoto County Chancery Court if the child lives in Olive Branch.

Mississippi also uses pure comparative fault, so even if the daycare blames your child in part, that does not automatically wipe out the claim.