My kid got hurt on a playground. Who can I hold liable?
You can recover compensation when the school created the risk. At Sand Law, our attorneys and staff know that recess is the best part of the school day for many children. We also know that playgrounds and other recreational areas can be very dangerous places for children when reasonable safety standards are not upheld. Head trauma, broken bones and other serious playground injuries can be caused or contributed to by many different things, including:
Slipping on icy surfaces
Tripping on uneven sidewalks
Falling from slides, swings or other heights
Poor supervision or insufficient staff-child ratios
Defective playground equipment
Poorly maintained premises
Schools Have Insurance Coverage | You Have A Right To File A Claim
School is a place your child may love. Parents often feel like they are filing a lawsuit against the school and the teachers that contribute to their child’s happiness. It is important to remember that schools have insurance coverage. You are filing a claim against a policy, not the school.
You have a right to file a claim just as you would after a car accident. You can also obtain similar damages, including compensation to cover pain and suffering, medical expenses or wages you lost while helping your child recover.
Just like any other accident claim, the insurance company will try to underpay or deny your claim. Do not accept a settlement offer or make any statements before talking to an experienced child injury lawyer.
Childhood Injuries Have Long-Term Consequences
When a child suffers a severe injury while playing on the playground then they can suffer from the effects long into the future. A child’s body is still developing and any severe damage that they suffer from a playground injury can affect their development in a negative way. This can cause significant damages that can be at the center of a child injury claim such as disability, permanent damage, disfigurement, and much more.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
When a child falls on their head or suffers a blow to it while they are on a playground then they can suffer permanent brain damage. Traumatic brain injuries are known for how they can cause damage that interferes with a person’s cognitive functions. They are also known to cause permanent damage. For a developing child, brain damage can be especially bad and forever alter their ability to function. Even concussions suffered by children have been shown to have long-reaching effects as they grow up. Children can have problems succeeding in school and even functioning as a result of cognitive damage that affects concentration, speech, and their emotional state.
Spinal Cord Injuries
When a child falls from a playset on the playground, there is a chance that they can land on their back in a way that causes a severe injury to the spine. A child’s developing spine that suffers a severe injury can end up developing in a way that causes a number of problems down the line. For example, the alignment of the spine can become warped as a child grows shich can affect their posture and even endanger their spinal cord. Spinal cord damage is always dangerous since it affects our sensory functions and control of limbs and certain organs. Spinal cord damage can be permanent and lead to paralysis, incontinence, and loss of sensation.
Was Your Child Injured In A Playground Accident? Contact Sand Law Now.
If your child is injured in a playground accident at any private or public school in Minnesota, you should contact us immediately. We offer free initial consultations so that you can get legal advice without feeling pressured to make a decision.
Call us at 651-291-SAND (651-291-7263) or send us an email to schedule your consultation. We have offices in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Woodbury, and White Bear Lake but we can accommodate your needs when you cannot travel to us.
Sand Law, LLC