Playground Accidents

In the last 20 years, both New York and Connecticut have passed numerous laws relating to playground safety. Among the most widespread changes are laws requiring soft, rubberized surfaces beneath playground equipment to guard against falls.

Another change has been an increased use of safety netting.

While these, and other laws have reduced the number of playground accident injuries, they have, unfortunately, not eliminated them entirely.

Among the most common causes of playground and school yard accidents are the following:

1. Failure of teachers to properly supervise children; and
2. Broken playground apparatus; and
3. Hard or unsafe ground surfaces; and
4. Unreasonably dangerous playground equipment.

Our New York, Fairfield and Westchester County playground accident lawyers have experience with all four types of common playground accidents set forth above.

Despite the number of laws which have been passed in recent years to limit the number of serious playground injuries, playground accidents continue to occur.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), hospital emergency departments have treated approximately 250,000 children for playground related accidents last year alone.

According to the CDC, approximately 45% of those accidents were bone fractures, amputations, internal bleeding and head trauma, including concussions.

Children between five to nine years old were at the highest risk for serious injuries from playground accidents.

On public playgrounds and school yards, most of the serious injuries occur due to climbing equipment.

A New York City study found a disproportionate number of injuries caused by broken equipment in low income areas. In many cases, schools try to blame the children themselves for risky behavior.

Fortunately, our Manhattan, Stamford and White Plains playground accident lawyers are aware of this typical defense raised by schools.

Our Manhattan, White Plains and Stamford playground fall lawyers know that New York laws require teachers to exercise the same minimum standard of care to their students that a parent owes to their child.

Moreover, our Manhattan, White Plains and Larchmont playground accident attorneys know that a school or a teacher’s inadequate supervision (resulting in child’s injury) can be established a number of different ways, including the teacher/student ratio, the safety training given to the teacher, whether the school or teachers have followed posted signs on playground equipment (including age requirements) and where teachers do not interfere in instances in which a child is doing something obviously dangerous to themselves or others.

Our Manhattan, White Plains and Stamford playground accident lawyers have helped numerous clients in New York communities including the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn and Westchester communities like Elmsford, West Harrison, Mamaroneck, Larchmont, Port Chester, Pleasantville, Bronxville, Mount Vernon, Yonkers, Harrison, Tarrytown, Greenburgh and Irvington and the Connecticut jurisdictions like Byram, Danbury, Stamford, New Haven, Norwalk and Greenwich.

Accordingly, if you or a loved one has been injured in a playground accident, do not hesitate to call our Manhattan, Stamford and White Plains playground accident lawyers right now. They are available 24/7 and the consultation is free.