Sorry to hear about your helper.
A few things about table saws in particular and power tools in general.
1) accidents can be avoided with proper technique. Stay alert and learn what is a safe cut and what isn't.
2) Table saws must be aligned correctly. Check the manual that came with it for instructions for your saw. One key thing is the fence to blade alignment. If the blade and fence are not aligned you can pinch your workpiece which can cause dangerous kickback.
3) Never crosscut something using a miter gauge in conjunction with the fence.
4) Use blade guards when possible
5) Use common sense
6) Don't work when distracted, angry, exhausted or frustrated.
7) Don't rush, think about every cut you make.
8) RTFM - Read the fine manual.
Just a few tips.
Quick story - I got my first real cabinet saw. It was a huge 600lb, 220v, 3HP beast. I was anxious to try it out. I wired it up, installed the blade and made a few test cuts. I ignored my 1,2,5,7 and 8 above. My test cuts went fine. I needed to make some brackets for a valance. I cross cut to length and used the fence to set my measurement (BAD BAD BAD). well, my piece started to wobble trapped between the blade and fence and then shot out and hit me in the gut. It ripped a hole in my t-shirt and left a bloody welt. The other half (the piece broke in half) hit the shop wall 12 feet behind me and left divot in the drywall. Needless to say I read the manual, learned what is a safe cut and what isn't and aligned my say correctly. I could have been hurt much worse.