Playground Injuries
Playground injuries are a leading cause of childhood accidents. Has your child been injured by dangerous playground conditions? The New York Times reported that researchers have found that children are more likely to be seriously injured on playground equipment than they are in bicycles or car crashes. Hospitals across the nation reported that over 98,000 children were brought to the emergency room in 1997 because of playground injuries. In addition, a higher percentage of children brought to the emergency room after playground accidents had serious injuries than children who were brought to the emergency room after car and bicycle accidents.
An owner of a playground may have a legal duty to protect your children from being injured on his or her property. Such owners are required by law to keep their playgrounds reasonably safe from any unsafe dangers that could potentially injure children including faulty equipment, old debris, or any other hazardous conditions that might injure a child. Playground owners may be responsible for ignoring unreasonably dangerous conditions on their playground or if they fail to warn of such conditions and an accident occurs. In addition, daycares and schools have a special duty to adequately supervise playground activities and to ensure the safety of children.
Playground Injury Prevention
There are safety precautions one can take to prevent playground injuries such as:
- Anchored Swings
- Shredded mulch surface
- Teach children to be aware of other children
- Teach children to avoid running, pushing, and shoving
- Teach children to use play equipment properly
- Look for parks that utilize plastic or rubber seats
- Children should wear comfortable but not loose clothing avoiding strings, hoods, and other articles of clothing that may get caught in the playground equipment.
If your child has been injured in a playground accident, it is important that you seek medical attention immediately. Then, speak to a lawyer. At the Ogletree Abbott Law Firm, we have the experience and understanding that is necessary in these types of cases. Call us toll-free at 1-800-779-4950 or, if you prefer, you can email us at Info@OgletreeAbbott.com. Call today and let us help you with your potential playground injury case.
