Playground Injuries: A Part of Childhood

Everyone can remember playing on a playground as a child. Whether the slide or the swings were the toys of choice, each child remembers playing somewhere. Playgrounds provide a lot of benefits to children. They provide exercise, allow for socialization in an unstructured environment, and they give an opportunity for children to use up some of their energy. Unfortunately, there are a number of playground studies that show that as much fun as they are, there is a high possibility for injury.

Every year, doctors across the country in emergency rooms treat more than 200,000 children under the age of 14 for injuries that stem from time on a playground. These are the children treated by emergency room doctors, not the children who experience minor scrapes and bruises while playing.

Of the roughly 200,000 emergency room injuries, roughly 45% of them are severe. Severe playground injuries include broken bones, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations. Nearly 75% of nonfatal injuries that are related to playground equipment occur on public playgrounds, with the majority of these occurring at schools and at daycare centers.

While playground injuries are serious, they are typically truly accidents. Kids are prone to falling when they play. Unfortunately, there are some injuries that could have been prevented. In injuries that occur at day care centers and on school playgrounds, it is frequently possible that more supervision by a teacher or caregiver could have prevented the injury. In other situations, faulty or badly designed playground equipment can also be at fault.

If your child has been injured on a playground as a result of unsafe equipment or lack of adult supervision, contact the Lake Geneva playground injury lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier at 1-800-275-1729 to discuss your situation and to determine your legal options.