Is the playground where your child goes to play safe? Surprisingly, about 15 kids a year die in playground accidents, which is why it is so important that these play areas are properly maintained. It doesn’t matter whether the playground is a public area or in a school, a mall, or inside a local McDonald’s. Playground owners must make sure that equipment and rides are safe to sue and that there are no hazardous conditions that could cause serious child injuries or deaths.
If your child got hurt while playing at a playground, you may want to speak with a Boston injury lawyer to find out whether you have a case. Common playground hazards:
• Inadequate supervision • A poorly designed playground area • Blacktop, asphalt, concrete, soil, packed earth, soil, or grass surfaces
• Trip and fall hazards on the ground, such as tree roots and stumps • Age inappropriate playground equipment • Playground equipment are placed too close together • Inadequately maintained, broken, or defective playground equipment • Lack of bucket seats for tot swings • Entrapment hazards on playground equipment • Choking hazards, such as loose screws or other parts that a young child might decide to swallow • Nails or other sharp objects coming out of playground equipment • Broken glass or sharp objects buried in a sandbox • Inadequate security that can lead to sex abuse and other violent crimes against kids • Entanglement hazards that the drawstrings on a child’s clothing or his/her shoe laces can get caught on. This can lead to Boston trip and fall and entanglement accidents • Elevated platforms that lack guardrails
About 200,000 playground accidents take place every year. You may be able to hold the playground owner, the party responsible for supervising your child when the Boston playground accident happened, or the manufacturer of a piece of defective playground equipment (this would be a Massachusetts products liability case) liable for your child’s Massachusetts personal injuries.
PlayGround Safety, KidsHealth
Public Playground Safety Handbook, Consumer Product Safety Commission (PDF)
More Blog Posts:
Dorchester Toddler Dies After Driver Accidentally Leaves Him in Day Care Van for Several Hours in 80 Degree Weather, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, September 17, 2011
$7M Boston Medical Malpractice Verdict Awarded in Newborn’s Massachusetts Wrongful Death, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, August 31, 2011
Boy Dies Following Shrewsbury Drowning Accident at Summer Camp, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, July 29, 2011