The Dangers Associated with Defective Playground Equipment and Design
Playgrounds are undoubtedly an excellent resource for parents who are looking to keep their kids active and entertained, and many parents likely have fond memories of taking advantage of their local schoolyard or park playground for various games and activities.
If you are of a certain age, you can still remember playgrounds with gravel instead of recycled tires on the ground and equipment made from steel instead of plastic. While playgrounds have certainly become safer over the past few decades, there is still the potential for kids to get seriously injured when they are involved in playground accidents. When these accidents are the result of defective playground equipment or a poorly designed playground, kids and their parents may be entitled to financial compensation.
Examples of playground hazards that can cause serious injuries include the following:
-Exposed hardware
-Poorly anchored equipment
-Ladder defects
-Loose screws or fasteners
-Inadequate ground cushioning
-Entrapment hazards
-Inadequate warning signs
-Poor maintenance or construction
-Defective equipment
-Negligent playground design
Not Every Playground Accident Is Actionable
If you had a relatively active childhood, you probably remember falling or tripping and ending up with a skinned knee or even a broken bone. Physical activity inherently puts a person at risk of injury, and many playground accidents are attributable to a child’s own clumsiness or carelessness.
In some cases, however, the playground hazards only exist due to someone else’s negligence or carelessness. For example, no child should go do down a slide normally and end up with a significant laceration and scarring because someone did not tighten a screw sufficiently. Because the distinction between accidents caused by negligence and those that could not have been prevented is difficult to spot, victims should always have their case reviewed by an attorney.
Contact a Minnesota Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you child has been hurt while playing at a playground, you should have an attorney review your case. In some cases, you and your child may be able to recover compensation for any losses that you have suffered. To schedule a free consultation with one of our Minnesota personal injury lawyers, call McEwen & Kestner, PLLC today at 651-224-3833 or send us an email through our online contact form.
