Personal Injury Lawyer
Children love playgrounds. They love playing on the rides, running around, and playing with other children who are also there. Not only are playgrounds fun, but they are also emotionally and physically healthy for children, offering social interaction with other children and a place to be physically active.
However, even though playgrounds are a positive place for children, they can also be a dangerous places, too. If there is a problem with any of the playground equipment, such as a defective or broken part, a child can suffer serious injury. What type of legal recourse does a family have if their child is injured because of playground equipment? A personal injury lawyer can review your case and advise what legal options are available.
Playground Injury Statistics
According to national statistics, each year, more than 200,000 children end up in hospital emergency rooms because they have been injured from injuries sustained at playgrounds. One of the most common injuries that bring children to the ER is falls. In fact, playground falls make up 45 percent of these hospital visits. The second most common playground injuries are those caused by playground equipment. These injuries are responsible for 25 percent of emergency room visits.
Some of the most common issues with playground equipment injuries include:
- Equipment that is broken
- Equipment that has not been maintained properly
- Equipment that has not been assembled properly
- Equipment that tips over
- Equipment that was poorly designed
The most dangerous playground equipment is:
- Monkey bars and jungle gyms, responsible for 35 percent of injuries
- Swings, responsible for 30 percent of injuries
- Slides responsible for 20 percent of injuries
Types of Injuries Suffered
The most common playground injuries suffered by children are fractures. Other types of injuries include cuts, bruises, and sprains. One of the most serious types of injuries is internal organs, especially injuries to the brain. There are more than 20,000 children who suffer concussions or other type of brain injury because of playground accidents.
Playground Accident Liability
When a child is injured in a playground accident, there are different parties who could be held liable for the incident. These include:
- Owner of the playground – The owner or party responsible for maintaining the playground could be liable if they failed to inspect, maintain, repair, or replace playground equipment that has any issues.
- Manufacturer of the playground equipment – The company that designed and/or produced the equipment could be held liable if it was defective, such as a design flaw or an issue that occurred during the manufacturing process.
- Equipment installers – The company that installed the equipment could be held liable if their employees failed to endure the equipment was secure and would not tip over, break, etc.
Contact a Personal Injury Law Firm
If your child has been injured because of defective or dangerous playground equipment, a personal injury lawyer can help you and your family hold those liable for the injuries responsible.
Thanks to each personal lawyer from Disparti Law Group for their insight into legal options when children are injured at playgrounds.