Florida Playground Injury Attorney
Playground injuries happen much more frequently than many parents and caregivers in Florida like to think about, and kids can sustain severe and even life-threatening injuries in these accidents. Depending upon the particular facts of the case, the owner or manager of the premises where the playground accident occurred may be liable for your child’s injuries, or the maker of the playground equipment could be responsible. One of our experienced Florida playground injury attorneys can speak with you today about your case.
Learning more About Playground Equipment Injuries in Florida
Playground equipment accidents and injuries can be extremely serious. The following are key facts and figures concerning injuries on playground equipment in the U.S. from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Emergency departments see more than 200,000 children every year under the age of 15 with injuries sustained on playground equipment;
- Approximately 45 percent of all playground equipment injuries are severe injuries that include bone fractures, concussions and other forms of traumatic brain injury, traumatic amputations, and international injury;
- Around 75 percent of all nonfatal playground equipment injuries happen on public playgrounds, including at public parks and public schools;
- Between the ten-year period from 1990 to 2000, a total of 147 kids in the U.S. sustained fatal injuries in playground accidents;
- When children suffer deadly injuries on playground equipment, the leading cause of death is strangulation, followed by falls from heights down to the surface of the playground;
- Girls statistically sustain playground equipment injuries slightly more frequently than boys;
- Children between the ages of 5 and 9 are most likely to seek treatment in emergency departments for playground equipment injuries; and
- Climbers on playgrounds are responsible for the highest number of injuries on public playgrounds, while swings are the cause of the highest rate of injuries on at-home playgrounds.
Beyond these facts, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) reports that falls from heights and injuries on slides are among the most common causes of playground injuries that require treatment by health care providers, followed by teeter-totters and seesaws, and playground equipment that is rusty or damaged.
Preventing Playground Equipment Injuries in Florida
How can caregivers, parents, teachers, and others prevent playground equipment injuries in Florida? The AAOS recommends the following:
- Close supervision by a responsible adult;
- Improved playground design, including safer playground surfaces and playground plans;
- Careful playground equipment installation; and
- Regular playground equipment maintenance, including the removal of any debris on the playground, additional maintenance anytime there is heavy rain or snow, and careful inspections to identify rust, corrosion, deterioration, or loosening of equipment.
When parents and caregivers are choosing playgrounds for kids to use, it is important to avoid any parks or playgrounds that have concrete or asphalt, as well as hard-packed soil. In addition, young children should avoid using any playground equipment that has gaps large enough for the child’s head to fit in order to avoid serious strangulation injuries.
Contact a Florida Playground Injury Lawyer
Do you need assistance with a playground injury claim? Our Florida playground equipment accident lawyers can speak with you today. Contact Halpern Santos & Pinkert, P.A. to learn more.
