What You Should Know About Playground Accidents
Posted on: 25 May 2015
If your child was injured while playing in a playground, it can be hard knowing who to sue for their injuries. The following information gives you more insight into playground injuries and what you can do about them.
Injuries Your Child Might Experience
Before you start learning about potential lawsuits related to accidents, you should be aware of the common accidents that occur at playgrounds. Many accidents occur simply from playing, such as climbing, running, swinging, and sliding. Others are related to the playground equipment not being sturdy enough or many other considerations. Some injuries that might happen at a playground include:
- Fractured or broken bones
- Bruises and burns
- Lacerations
- Internal injuries
- Dislocations
- Head injuries
What May Cause the Injuries
Aside from simply having an accident due to the child's excitement, there are some other causes of playground accidents that could be the fault of someone else. Here are the two main causes of playground accidents that may be grounds for a liability lawsuit:
Inadequate maintenance of equipment – Depending on where the playground is located, it is either the school or the city department that is required to maintain and repair playground equipment. Poor design of the playground or lack of maintenance are common causes of accidents. This could be anything from a screw coming loose on a jungle gym, to wood equipment rotting and deteriorating. Nails or screws may also be poking out of equipment, which can cause a laceration injury.
Lack of proper supervision – The other common cause of accidents on playgrounds is lack of supervision. If it was a public playground and someone else was supposed to be watching your child, you might be able to sue them for damages. However, the school is responsible if your child was injured due to lack of supervision at the school playground.
Knowing Who to Sue
A big question in regards to playground accidents is deciding who to sue if your child is injured. The first thing you need to do is find out the cause of the accident. If it is from lack of supervision or due to the playground itself, then you should have a case. When figuring out who to hold liable, you need to first determine who is responsible for the playground. This could be a school, the city or county, or the federal government if it is a national park. You should also find out who designed the playground, as that is also someone that might be held responsible. Contact a local attorney, like Michael B. McCord, if you have questions.
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