Indianapolis Parents: Look out for Defective Playground Equipment!

May 9, 2018 | Children's Injuries

Public playgrounds are a great way to enjoy quality family time in the Indianapolis area. Public playgrounds allow children to engage in physical play and develop social skills—all without cost to parents. These playgrounds, however, can also pose a serious danger to children.

Defective Playground Equipment Could Harm Children

While any type of physical activity carries some risk of physical injury, this risk can significantly increase when children play on defective playground equipment. For this reason, parents should always look for defective or shoddily constructed equipment to keep their children safe from harm.

Some injury hazards to look out for when your child is at a playground:

• Exposed screws or rivets
• Metal surfaces that may get too hot to touch
• Missing shock-absorbent materials
• Gravel
• Inadequate falling space
• Potential entrapment hazards
• Pinch points
• Loose swing seats

If you notice any of these issues, keep your child away from the playground, because a single problem can often signal more problems. Report the issue to the person, agency, or entity responsible for maintenance.

Playground Injuries Can Be Serious

All adults can remember skinning a knee or getting a small cut while playing at a playground as child. Remember, however, that on playgrounds children can incur extremely serious and even long-term injuries that profoundly affect their future quality of life. Serious injuries that kids can sustain at playgrounds include:

• Traumatic brain injuries – These injuries can occur when children hit their heads on objects or strike their heads when they fall. Serious traumatic brain injuries can result in life-altering memory problems and cognitive difficulties.
• Spinal cord injuries – The spinal cord is responsible for transmitting signals between the brain and the rest of the body. If damaged, it can disrupt the transmission of these signals, which could potentially paralyze the body below the site of the injury. Falls, sharp objects penetrating the back, or other incidents that cause damage to the spinal cord or the vertebrae that surround it can cause spinal cord injuries.

If your child is injured in a playground accident, seek medical attention as soon as possible. In addition, if you believe that a dangerous playground condition caused your child’s injury, document the condition by taking pictures of it as soon as you can. Finally, talk to an attorney before engaging in any discussions with an insurance company.

Call Indiana Personal Injury Attorney Merry Fountain Today for a Free Consultation

If your child was injured at a playground, contact Indianapolis child injury lawyer Merry Fountain. Merry is a skilled advocate for injured children. If you are looking for an injury law attorney in the greater Indy area—Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Kokomo, Lebanon—she’s here to help! You can call her anytime at 1-888-242-HURT (4878), or simply click Tell Us About Your Case for a free consultation.