When you see your child having fun and playing joyfully on a playground, the last thing you want to witness is your child getting hurt by the playground equipment. But this happens many times throughout the year to countless children. According to a report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 4 percent of all emergency room visits are attributable to injuries sustained from playground equipment, and there are approximately half a million child injuries due to playground equipment each year. Playground injuries are a serious and all too common occurrence.
Any portion of a playground could be defective and could cause injury to a child. For instance, swings might be improperly attached to the main structure of the playground, a see-saw might be loose and could come unhinged, or a slide could be cracked or damaged. Any piece of plastic or metal that is sticking out of a jungle gym in a precarious and dangerous way could cause injury, or any pieces of plastic or metal that is mixed in with the ground covering (which should be a soft, safe material, such as wood chips, or recycled pressed-rubber) could injure a playing child.
Types of Defective Playground Equipment
Case studies have documented that child injuries resulting from playground equipment can happen for a number of reasons. Some of the most common forms of playground defects that harm children include:
- Playground equipment was manufactured in a defective or flawed way;
- Installation of the playground equipment was improperly done; or
- Playground equipment is improperly maintained, or allowed to be used when the equipment is in an unsafe or aged condition.
It doesn’t matter where the playground is located; whether it is in a public park, recreational center, daycare center, school, or private property, your child should be reasonably protected from dangerous conditions while playing on playground equipment.
In some cases, it may be unclear who exactly should be held responsible for the injuries of a child who was injured while playing on defective playground equipment. Fault might lie with the owner of the land where the playground is situated, or liability might lie with the company that manufactured the faulty equipment, or the person or company responsible for the installation of the equipment.
When You Need A Philadelphia Lawyer
If your child has been injured while playing on defective playground equipment, you need to consult with a Philadelphia defective playground equipment lawyer immediately. Your child should not have to suffer an injury – your child should be free to be a kid, and should be reasonably safe when playing on a playground.
The Philadelphia defective playground equipment lawyers at The Pearce Law Firm can help you and your family seek compensation for your injured child. We can help identify who should be held accountable for your child’s injury, and we will work closely with you to determine if the facts of your child’s injury case should be pursued with a personal injury claim. Contact The Pearce Law Firm today either online for a free initial consultation
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