Tampa Park & Playground Injury Lawyer
An afternoon at the park may sound like fun for many children and parents, but dangers abound. In the United States, more than 200,000 children under the age of 14 are injured enough to seek medical treatment in emergency departments every year. On public playgrounds, most injuries occur on climbers, while on home playgrounds, swings cause the most injuries.
If your child is injured at a park or on a playground, you may have legal options. Contact the Tampa park & playground injury lawyers at Anderson & Anderson to learn more.
Can I File a Lawsuit if My Child is Injured on a Playground?
If your child has been injured on a playground, you may wonder if you can file a lawsuit. This depends on the circumstances involved. If your child is injured on a playground in your own backyard, then you will likely be liable unless you can prove some sort of defect. If there is a defect, and it led to your child’s injuries, then it’s possible to sue the manufacturer for its negligence. This is because the playground manufacturers and distributors have a duty to ensure the products are safe for the public to use.
Keep in mind that most park injuries occur due to a lack of supervision. If young children are not monitored, they may engage in risky behaviors. This means that while on a playground at a school or daycare center, parents expect that staff will supervise their children. Negligent employees may fail to take appropriate action and a child could get seriously injured or even killed. In these situations, the parent can file a lawsuit for compensation.
Common Causes of Injuries
Many accidents can happen at a park or on a playground. They include the following:
- Getting a limb stuck in equipment
- Misuse of equipment
- Climbing too high
- Poor maintenance
Poor maintenance is a broad term that can mean a variety of things. The owner of a property is responsible for maintaining the park or playground. Loose nails, rusty equipment, and rotting wood are examples of poor maintenance. So are defective chains, a lack of guardrails, and dangerous ropes. Poor maintenance can lead to falls from swings with defective chains, puncture wounds from nails or screws, and falls from platforms and ramps.
Liability in these cases can be complex. The liable party could be a school, daycare facility, city, county, private organization, manufacturer, or builder. Seek legal help so you can file a claim for compensation.
Contact Our Tampa Park & Playground Injury Lawyers Today
Your child should feel safe when playing on park equipment. Defects or poor maintenance can lead to damaged equipment as well as serious injuries to users.
Has your child been injured on playground equipment? If so, seek legal help right away. The Tampa park & playground injury lawyers at Anderson & Anderson can help you get compensation for your child’s medical bills and other damages. To schedule a consultation, fill out the online form or call 813-251-0072.