Playground Injuries
Taking a trip to the playground shouldn’t result in a trip to the emergency room, but unfortunately for 200,000 children each year, that is the case, as recently reported by Trib Live. Here in Pennsylvania, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh sees more than 430 playground injury cases in the ER annually, with injuries serious enough to admit 100 last year alone.
The most common injuries, according to the article, result from two things: lack of supervision or children playing on age-inappropriate equipment.
According to the article, improper supervision accounts for 45 percent of injuries, while 75 percent of injuries are associated with falls.
“When a fall does occur, it helps to have something underneath that will help cushion the impact,” noted the piece. “…play equipment should be placed atop material such as sand, pea gravel, wood chips, shredded rubber or turf.” The article also noted that each piece of play equipment should have elements that are spaced for a child of the appropriate age, such a the gaps in a railing, so that a child won’t get his or her head stuck.
Other potential dangers include clothing and items that can get caught in the equipment, resulting in injury or even strangulation. These include necklaces, purses, scarves and drawstrings, and even bike helmets. Removing them from the child will reduce the chance of injury.
If you or a loved one has been injured on a playground, and you believe there was negligence involved, you may wish to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options.