Playground Injuries

There are few things that are more satisfying than being able to sit back and watch your children playing in a playground. You assume your children will be safe however unfortunately playground injuries are more common than you may realize.

Concerns have been raised about the number of playground injuries since the 1970s and various safety measures have been introduced in an aim to reduce the number of playground injuries reported.  However there are still a great deal of playground injuries sustained annually, approximately 40,000 per year.

If your child has sustained injuries whilst in a playground which were caused through no fault of their own, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim for compensation. Depending on the property where the playground accident occurred, the personal injury claim could be covered under a commercial insurance policy of homeowners insurance policy.

There may be many reasons why children sustain playground injuries:

• Faulty playground equipment
  
  
• Unsafe play surfaces
  
  
• Failure of the playground equipment to comply with industry standards
  
  
  

The surface of a play area should be soft and of sufficient depth to be able to cushion a child's fall.  If this is not the case, the playground owner or manager could be legally liable for any playground injuries that arise as a result.

In reporting the accident, make sure you provide details of any medical treatment provided to your child.  Also make sure you keep a note of any witnesses and also take photographs of the injury and accident location.  It is important to ensure you photograph the exact cause of the accident if it is possible to do so i.e. the faulty equipment. Also make clear to your doctors how the accident happened, honestly explaining what you believe caused the playground injury, i.e. steps broke, etc.

Personal Injury Claim

This is clearly an emotional time for you and your family. If an offer is made at all without having retained injury counsel, it is not uncommon for insurance companies or other negligent parties to offer you a settlement far below what your child's injuries will end up costing your family in medical and therapeutic care. It's important to have a qualified child injury attorney on your side to look out for your family's best interests and to ensure you receive a fair settlement.

If your child has been seriously injured in a playground accident, then contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at our firm for a caring, compassionate, and honest review of the playground injury claim.