Playground Safety Information
Recently, our firm settled a case where a 2 year old child was severely injured on the playground at his daycare center when some older children decided to play a joke on him.
The lack of supervision is a leading cause of many injuries on the playground. The National Program for Playground Safety states that “…Supervision is more than watching. Supervisors should provide support for children’s play and know how to respond to emergencies…”
School playgrounds need to be age appropriate. N.P.P.S. recommends that playgrounds be separated as follows: PreK, K-2nd grade, 3rd and 4th grades and 5th and 6th grades.
In addition, regular inspections should be made of the playground for sharp objects such as broken glass and any equipment should be closely monitored for missing parts, loose connections, sharp edges and other hazards.
Play equipment should be located on a surface which acts as a cushion for the children playing there. Such surfaces include: sand, pea gravel, wood chips or rubber chips.
The reality of life is that when children play, they are going to fall. The goal is to keep injuries to a minimum. However, if your child is injured on a playground, you have legal recourse. Obviously, the most important thing is to seek medical care for your child. You also need the advice of an attorney who is familiar with playground accidents. Your attorney will get witness statements, send investigators to the scene for photos and will deal with the insurance carrier for the playground.
Our firm has been representing the victims of accidents for over 25 years and I have had the privilege of working with some of the best attorneys in this country If your child has been injured at a playground, I invite you to fill out an online consultation form or engage in an online chat. Don’t wait.
Good, bad or ugly, tell us what you think of this blog!
