NYC Personal Injury Lawyer » New York City Playground Accident Lawyer

New York City Playground Accident Lawyer

New York City families are busy and active, often spending time at one of the city’s 1,700 playgrounds and parks. New York City’s public and private schools and daycare centers also have busy playgrounds.

Playgrounds are a great way for children to spend time being physically active outdoors and form lasting friendships. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most common places where children suffer serious injuries. While nothing can prevent children from all the scrapes and bumps of childhood, many serious playground accidents are preventable and occur due to negligence. In some cases, the negligence is not on the part of the parent or babysitter, but on those responsible for playground design, repair, and maintenance.

Schedule a free consultation with an NYC premises liability lawyer today — call (212) 564-2800.

What are the Most Common Causes of Playground Injuries In New York City?

According to data from the National Safety Council, over 200,000 children are brought into hospital emergency rooms each year due to playground injuries. About 80% of these injuries are caused by falls.

When a school or public playground is in ill repair and poorly maintained, the chances of a child suffering an injury escalate. The most common causes of playground injuries in New York City include the following:

• Falls from jungle gyms, monkey bars, and other climbing structures
• Poorly maintained or broken playground equipment and structures
• Incorrectly assembled playground equipment
• Lack of child-friendly ground surfacing
• Inadequate supervision
• Design flaws in playground equipment
• Burns from metal or dark-colored equipment
• Broken glass, sharp metal, and dangerous debris
• Collapsing or tipping swingsets and other playground equipment
• Child entrapment or strangulation caused by clothing caught on projecting equipment parts
• Overcrowding on playground structures

Adult supervision helps to minimize the risk of serious playground injuries, but even the most vigilant adult cannot prevent all injuries, especially when playground equipment is unsafe or in ill repair.

What Types of Injuries are Common In New York City Playground Accident Cases?

Childhood injury studies show that playgrounds remain one of the most common sources of injuries to children despite growing awareness, increased safety regulations, and improvements in industry standards. The most common types of injuries from NYC playground accidents include the following:

• Fractured extremities (35% of playground injuries are bone fractures)
• Soft-tissue injuries, such as sprains and tendon injuries
• Cuts, scrapes, and bruises
• Deep lacerations
• Traumatic brain injuries, ranging from mild concussions to severe injuries with permanent impairment
• External head, facial, and dental trauma
• Neck and back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Accidental strangulation

Tragically, about 15 children die each year from playground injuries, nearly all of which are preventable with reasonable care.

Who Is Liable for Playground Injury Damages In New York City?

If a child’s playground injury could have been prevented with reasonable care, the injury victim’s family may be able to recover compensation for their losses through a claim against the liable party. Common liable parties in playground injury cases include the public school system, city park agencies, or private property owners. In some cases, a product liability claim against the manufacturer of defective playground equipment recovers compensation for damages.

It takes an investigation from an experienced slip and fall attorney in New York City and substantial evidence to determine the liable party and make a compelling claim showing that the responsible party failed to uphold their legal duty of care to maintain safe premises for children.

How Can a New York City Playground Accident Lawyer Help?

Most playground injury claims are filed against a property owner’s insurance or a government entity.  Lawsuits against government agencies have additional requirements and deadlines. All compensation claims against liable parties require careful and compelling evidence.

Contact The Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel for legal representation throughout the process of your claim.