Common Playground Injuries
Playgrounds are a common attraction in schools, day cares, parks, and even restaurants, so it makes sense that children spend much of their time climbing, hanging, sliding, and swinging. Studies show playground injuries can be more severe for a child than automobile or bicycle accidents. On a playground, children are often suspended from the ground on monkey bars, jungle gyms, and slides. Equipment high off the ground makes falling and sustaining injury a frequent outcome for children. Additionally, most playgrounds are outdoors, which makes the equipment likely to weather, wear, and break. Natural deterioration and the near-constant use by children can make playground equipment unreliable and dangerous.
Hazards, such as falling to the ground from several feet up, protruding nails or screws, and rotted wood, are common in playgrounds. While these areas are great places for children to have fun and get healthy physical exercise, playgrounds can also lead to injury in the form of bruises, broken bones, scrapes, sprains, and concussions. In the worst cases, children can end up in the emergency room and sustain long-term injury. Although no parent can possibly predict when an accident will occur, knowing the most common ways a child can get hurt on a playground will allow supervisors to notice possible dangers and prevent them.
Types of Playground Injury
Playground injuries are most often caused by a lack of proper supervision or faulty playground equipment. Children are very curious and often lack the judgment to prevent an injury, making close supervision by guardians imperative at all times. Common ways children can hurt themselves on a playground include:
- Severe fractures from falls to the ground or unsafe equipment
- Concussions from falls or unsafe equipment
- Scrapes from sliding or skidding on ground
- Internal injuries from harsh impact or rough play
- Amputations from unsafe equipment or moving parts
As children are still developing, their bones can be frailer than those of an adult and be more prone to injury. It can be confusing to determine whether the supervisor, owner of the playground, municipal city, construction company, or equipment manufacturer is responsible for a child playground injury. A seasoned lawyer can help you navigate this landscape and guide you through the legal process.
Contact a Child Injury Attorney
Coming to terms with child injuries can be difficult for any parent. Products and premises designed for children have a responsibility to exercise extra care in their design, maintenance, and implementation. Similarly, those entrusted with supervising children have a duty to make their safety a top priority. At Ravid & Associates, P.C., our skillful personal injury lawyers believe those who fail in their responsibility should be held accountable. If your child was injured on a playground due to someone else’s negligence, don’t hesitate to contact our Michigan offices at (248) 948-9696 to discuss the details of your case.