Playground Accidents

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Playground Accidents

Resourceful playground accident lawyers in South Carolina who are committed to skillfully advocating for just compensation that covers your child’s fullest recovery.

If your child’s been hurt, it’s heartbreaking. If your child has been hurt in a playground accident that is due to someone else’s negligence, the situation is that much more difficult. If a playground accident leaves your child harmed, don’t wait to reach out to an experienced South Carolina playground accident attorney.

The Playgrounds Themselves

Playground accidents are often caused by problems with the playgrounds themselves.

Dangerous Playground Equipment

Children, being children, lack impulse control, and most fling themselves headlong into whatever they’re doing (without giving safety a thought). This is why playground equipment must be designed to protect children from themselves. Providing little ones with an open invitation to put themselves in harm’s way is a recipe for disaster, and playground equipment that falls into this (or any other) dangerous classification is, therefore, banned. Playgrounds that fail to keep up with recalls and other relevant warnings regarding playground equipment put children at undue risk. Common dangers include:

  • Trapping hazards, such as child-sized openings
  • Choking hazards, such as openings that are just large enough for a child’s head
  • Tripping hazards
  • Exposed hardware that can cause serious cuts, lacerations, and abrasions
  • Lack of guardrails where they’re needed
  • inadequate supervision (when it should be present, such as on school playgrounds)

Poorly Designed Playgrounds

Sometimes playgrounds, which are intended to welcome children and provide them with a reasonably safe environment to play, are designed in such a way that they, instead, put children at undue risk. For example, if the ground on which the playground is built is hard and unyielding – such as concrete or hard-packed dirt – it greatly increases the risk that injuries due to slips, falls, and trips will be serious. There are far more forgiving surfaces available that help protect children from the falls, trips, and tumbles they are susceptible to. Other factors that can render the playground itself dangerous include:

  • Metal equipment that is erected directly in the sun and becomes dangerously hot over the course of the day
  • Uneven playing surfaces
  • Equipment that is too tall or otherwise dangerous for its intended age group
  • Lack of adequate warnings
  • Playgrounds that are overly crowded with equipment, which makes keeping track of children more difficult

Poorly Installed Playground Equipment

Even if the equipment on the playground is ideal in every other way, if it isn’t installed correctly, it can lead to exceptionally dangerous accidents. It is generally difficult for a parent to determine if playground equipment is installed safely, which means that you have few options other than trusting whoever is responsible for the playground in the first place to be on the up and up. If you do see something that gives you pause regarding equipment installation, always err on the side of caution.

Poorly Maintained Playgrounds and Playground Equipment

Even the most carefully crafted playgrounds require regular maintenance, and when this maintenance is neglected, serious accidents can be the result. Common examples include:

  • Rusty or otherwise corroded metal parts, such as ladders, swings, and equipment bases
  • Rotting or otherwise deteriorating wood parts
  • Walkways and play areas that become slippery with debris that’s left unattended

Your Child’s Injuries

If your child’s been injured on a playground, the injuries suffered can be wide-ranging, but some of the most common include:

  • Broken bones, which are exceptionally painful, slow to heal, and can lead to serious complications
  • Traumatic brain injuries (including concussions), which – because they affect the brain – are both exceptionally dangerous and exceptionally unpredictable
  • Spinal cord injuries, which are very painful and can seriously limit the range of motion
  • Cuts and abrasions, which are very susceptible to dangerous infections

The Steps You Should Take

If your child has been injured in a playground accident, there are important steps you should take to protect his or her health and well-being and to help ensure that you receive the compensation necessary to provide your child with every opportunity to recover as fully as possible. These steps include:

  • Seek the immediate medical attention that your child needs
  • Take pictures and videos of all pertinent evidence at the scene
  • Gather any eyewitness statements and collect contact information
  • Consult with an experienced playground accident lawyer
  • Follow all the instructions and recommendations provided to you by your child’s doctors, including all follow-up appointments and any treatment and care from specialists or other medical professionals that are needed.

Determining Liability

Liability – as it relates to playground accidents – can vary considerably (dependent upon the kind of playground that’s involved). For example, a playground in a city park that isn’t intended to be supervised has no liability for accidents that are caused by lack of supervision. The playground at your child’s school, on the other hand, must be supervised (when children are on it during school hours), and the school may bear responsibility for any injuries caused by negligence. Consider the following:

  • Both private and public schools can be held responsible for injuries caused by any of the categories of negligence discussed above. If the school is public – and therefore a governmental entity – the path forward toward just compensation is more exacting but just as important.
  • When supervisors themselves are negligent in their duties, they can share liability or be found solely responsible.
  • Daycare centers are similarly responsible for protecting children from playground injuries.
  • Playgrounds in parks are the responsibility of whatever entity runs the park and playground, which can be governmental or private.

An Experienced Charleston Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

If your child’s been injured in a playground accident, it is a heartbreaking situation that requires immediate medical and legal attention. The practiced playground accident lawyers at David Aylor Law Offices in South Carolina are on your side and ready to offer help. Your child’s health is paramount, and the surest way to guarantee that he or she has the best chance of a complete recovery is with just compensation, so please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 843-548-1574 to schedule a free case evaluation today.

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