Was Your Child Injured Because the Playground was Unsafe? Contact a Lawyer to Discuss Playground Safety
A children's playground should be one of the safest places for children to be. Adults responsible for designing, installing, maintaining and supervising playgrounds should know well the fondness that children have for climbing, jumping and swinging. Falls and bumps should be expected and planned for.
Playground Safety Guidelines
- Soft ground surfaces should protect a child from injury by falling
- Nets and other safety features should be built into the design
- No protruding nails, screws, faulty parts or unsafe equipment should be accessible to children
- Wading pools in small parks should be properly fenced and supervised
- Children on playgrounds should be protected from bullies and sexual predators
- Children on a playground in a daycare, at school or at a summer camp should be watched and protected from potential kidnapping
- First aid kits should be readily available if possible to deal with the inevitable scraped knee or elbow
If your child was seriously injured or killed while on a playground, please understand how seriously we are prepared to advocate on his or her behalf. Jacobs & Jacobs is a family-friendly and family-centered law firm where children and their parents have a special place. Our attorneys are prepared to investigate the facts of your claim and help you pursue compensation.
What You Can Do To Minimize the Risk
Playgrounds are fun places for kids. We all loved them growing up. However, like everything in life, going to a playground comes with certain risks. But what can we –as parents (or grandparents) – do to minimize that risk? Here are a few tips which fall within 2 main categories:
Inspect the playground, before your child uses it.
- Does it appear to be well maintained, or is some of the metal rusted, some of the wood splintered or is there broken glass on the ground?
- Are there any sharp objects projecting from any of the equipment, or on the ground (sticks, rocks, etc)?
- Is there a soft surface in the event a child falls (such as sand, wood chips, or shredded rubber)?
- Do the platforms and ramps have guardrails?
- Is the top of any of the equipment above 12 feet?
- Is the 'big kid' equipment spaced far enough from the 'little kid' area.
Most importantly, is there a place where adults can sit which gives them an unobstructed view of the kids who are playing and is close enough to allow an adult to intervene in time to prevent dangerous activity from causing an injury?
Instruct your child about playground safety. It may seem obvious, but kids need to be told thing like:
- Don't stand on swings.
- Don't go down the slide head first.
- No roughhousing on the playground equipment.
As a parent, you mush instruct your child on the proper use of each piece of equipment. In addition, you must instruct him/her to alert you, or the adult supervising them, if any kids are not using the equipment properly.
Support When Your Family Needs It Most
Call or e-mail our law firm to discuss your injuries or a loved one's wrongful death in Connecticut. If you are unable to come to our office, we will come to your hospital room or home. We are willing and able to help you and your family through this.
Free consultation with a New Haven lawyer serious about playground safety
