Some 200,000 children are injured each year on playgrounds. These children, ages 14 and younger, are injured so severely that they require emergency treatment. These injuries cost over $1 billion annually. Approximately 75 percent of the nonfatal injuries happen on public playgrounds, and about 70 percent of all fatal playground injuries take place on home playgrounds.
Most injuries occur on climbers at public playgrounds, while those occurring at home happen on swings. Injuries include things such as fractures, dislocations, internal injuries, concussions, amputations, and even death.
If your child was injured on a school or daycare playground due to poorly maintained or faulty equipment, the establishment could be responsible for your child’s injuries. An Atlanta premises liability attorney may be able to assist you in getting monetary compensation to assist in paying medical bills and other expenses that stemmed from the accident.
Establishing Playground Negligence Liability
The liability of an overseer or property owner of a playground can be established through numerous theories that may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Negligent supervision: especially if small children are the ones playing. This duty of supervision applies to the owner who brought the children to the playground such as a school or daycare facility employee.
- Product liability: stems from faulty items such as slides that don’t have adequate rails or sides, climbing walls that aren’t properly constructed, or playground equipment that isn’t appropriately maintained for safety.
- Surface materials: such as rubber mats, that aren’t adequate or that are not composed of loose fill such as shredded wood.
Negligent Parties in Playground Accidents
Children presume that jungle gyms, swings, slides, and other such playground equipment are safe for them to play on. Unfortunately, defective playground equipment, poorly maintained equipment, or inadequate supervision while playing on the equipment can result in needless injuries. When this happens, the responsible entity should be held accountable.
In some cases, premises liability, including playground accidents, can be due to multiple parties that may share responsibility for the crash. Some of the parties that could be liable for your child’s injuries include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Private or public school.
- Daycare Center.
- Manufacturer of the playground equipment.
- Local city.
Sadly, if your daughter or son has been injured on a playground, they may have suffered a concussion, head injury, broken bone, or another injury due to the negligence of one of the above parties. Some of these injuries may result in your child missing school or suffering problems with their growth plates. Medical bills may quickly pile up. That’s where a premises liability attorney can step in and help.
Seek Assistance from a Georgia Premises Liability Attorney
If your child has been injured in a playground accident, we can review your case and determine if you may be entitled to financial compensation for their injuries. The attorneys at Council & Associates, LLC have years of experience dedicated to recovering damages for children, including those injured in premises liability accidents. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
