COMMON SCHOOL INJURIES AND CHILD DAY CARE INJURIES

No parent or caregiver wants their child to be a patient in pain needing to visit a trauma care center due to an emergency pediatric trauma case. With the new school year starting, it's back-to-school time and the county pediatric trauma center will see more students needing treatment or therapy due to common accidents sustained at school or daycare. Almost fifty percent of playground related injuries are severe. Most common school injuries that occur on school playgrounds include sprains and strains, lacerations, contusions, dislocations, fractures, concussions, head injuries, internal organ injuries, strangulation, amputations and death. All of these common playground related injuries can require emergency room visits or pediatric trauma care. Most common injuries occur due to faulty playground apparatus at day care institutions, schools and public playgrounds. Most of these hazards are caused by equipment that has protrusions or that entraps, entangles, crushes and tears body parts or causes falls or tripping.

Playgrounds that are not CPSI (Certified Playground Safety Inspector) inspected on a regular basis for safety are most prone to contribute to playground accidents.  The NPPS (National Program for Playground Safety) also has certified inspectors that follow guidelines for insuring that playgrounds are safe. They examine and scrutinize play areas and give assessment for durability of equipment, proper surfacing materials, developmentally appropriate apparatus and structures and safe environmental conditions.

SCHOOL PREMISES LIABILITY REPRESENTATION

Most common school accidents sustained on a school property, fall under a section of tort law known as premises liability. Simply stated, landowners are required to keep their grounds reasonably safe for children and those who may visit their property. If a dangerous condition exists that may cause a common injury to happen and require trauma center care, then an owner must also post safety signage or cordon off that area to prevent it from harming others. When due care is not exercised, more serious injuries take place and children can be hurt or even lose their lives. A premises liability lawsuit holds a property owner, organization or institution responsible for any injuries or damages that may occur on that entity's property.

Even though falls make up a substantial portion of the number of total injuries incurred on school grounds, faulty or dangerous equipment still poses a serious threat to children. Examples of the most dangerous conditions, as a result of negligence, that can cause school ground injuries in Alabama include:

• Broken or damaged play structures
• Unsecured play structures
• Sharp edges and pinch points
• Unmaintained school equipment
• Improper height of school play fixtures
• Defective school grounds equipment
• Developmentally inappropriate apparatus
• Improper surface materials
• Failure to post warning/caution signage
• Lack of supervision of children at play during school hours

Children represent the future of a family and when they are hurt at a young age, their potential in life can be cut short in a matter of seconds. The effects of childhood playground injuries, due to negligence, can last a lifetime. If your child has been injured in a school ground accident, seek the service of the top Alabama school ground accident lawyers at Wettermark & Keith, today. If negligence is established you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation for your child’s injury or loss.