Elite Erie, Pennsylvania, Playground Accident Attorneys

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer. If Your Child Has Sustained Injuries in an Erie Playground Accident That Was Not Their Fault, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Secure the Compensation Your Family Needs and the Justice Your Child Deserves.

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Even when schools enforce strict safety procedures, it is difficult to stop children from making mistakes. When young children play tag, climb atop equipment, and explore the outdoors, minor injuries are almost inevitable. For most American parents, playground accidents are a risk inherent to childhood, one we have all taken, and learned from.

However, playground accidents can have consequences beyond a child’s scraped knee or wounded pride. When children are left to their own devices, unattended by reckless classmates, or alone on an unsafe slide, parents are forced to pay the price. With the costs of health care reaching record highs, a serious injury could leave families teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

However, you do not have to risk bankruptcy. If your child was injured in an Erie playground accident, your family could be entitled to significant compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has committed to providing unparalleled client service. Our experienced team of attorneys could help you protect your family’s financial well-being and advocate for your child’s rights. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

The Understated Risks Of Unmaintained Playgrounds

Erie’s long winters keep students inside for much of the academic year. When the weather warms up, children are often eager to return outside.

However, playgrounds can harbor unexpected hazards and unseen risks. According to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, playground and park-related accidents are a leading cause of preventable injury among school-aged children. In a recent report, government researchers found the following:

1. Each year, an estimated 200,000 children aged 14 or younger require professional medical treatment for playground-related injuries;
2. About 45% of all playground-related injuries are severe; and
3. Approximately 75% of all nonfatal playground-related injuries occur on public playgrounds, with most occurring at schools or in daycare centers.

While any child could be injured on or around a school playground, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have highlighted certain risk factors. These risk factors include the following:

1. On school and public playgrounds, children are the most likely to sustain injuries on climber equipment;
2. Swings are more likely to injure children playing at home; and
3. Students who attend less well-off school districts could be endangered by trash, corroded equipment, and poorly maintained play spaces.

Playground-related accidents often result in no lasting damage. However, serious accidents still happen with alarming regularity. Even for parents with comprehensive health insurance policies, the costs of a child’s broken bone, traumatic head injury, or internal organ damage could be significant, casting an entire family’s financial future into uncertainty.

If your child was injured in an Erie playground accident that was not their fault, you could recover your losses through a personal injury lawsuit. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you investigate the circumstances of your child’s injury, construct a compelling case for compensation, and negotiate a fair settlement with the school’s insurance carrier. Please call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to an attorney and schedule your 100% free initial consultation.

Common Playground Accident Injuries

Playground-related accident injuries can range in severity: they may be minor, moderate, or severe. In some cases, playground accidents can even be life-altering.

While playground injuries vary, some injuries are more common than others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most frequently-reported playground-related injuries include the following:

1. Concussions and other traumatic head injuries;
2. Broken or fractured bones;
3. Joint dislocations;
4. Internal organ injuries; and
5. Lost limbs and appendages.

Some injuries, like broken bones, can heal with time. Nevertheless, they can still strain parents’ pockets. A child who receives treatment at a local clinic, such s UPMC Hamot or St. Vincent Hospital, could incur medical expenses exceeding $30,000.

Liability And Playground Accident Injuries

Every parent likely understands that children need little excuse to get themselves into trouble. While the overwhelming majority of playground-related accidents can be attributed to children’s notoriously poor decision-making, some injuries have more treacherous and systemic causes, including institutional negligence.

Another party could be liable for your child’s playground accident injury if any of the following elements can be established:

1. Inadequate Maintenance: The Consumer Product Safety Commission has found that over 80% of all playground-related accidents are caused by either inadvertent falls or equipment failure. At the same time, it can be difficult for school districts to maintain playground equipment safely. Pennsylvania law requires that all property owners, landlords, and lessees keep reasonably safe premises. When children are involved, entities are often held to a higher standard of care.
2. Improper Design: Since playground equipment is intended for use by children, it must be designed to accommodate children’s physical and cognitive limitations. Unfortunately, many schools have older playground equipment that was not engineered to modern safety standards.
3. Insufficient Supervision: School districts owe their students a legal duty of care. Under Pennsylvania state law, education officials must proactively provide students with protection from reasonably foreseeable harm. Since young children can endanger themselves on or around playgrounds, parents should expect their children to be monitored during recess and other recreational hours.

Depending on the circumstances of your child’s Erie, Pennsylvania, playground accident, a personal injury lawsuit could help your family obtain compensation from defendants such as:

1. A negligent schoolteacher or staff supervisor;
2. A public school district;
3. A private school board;
4. A municipal parks administrator, such as Erie County Parks & Recreation;
5. A playground equipment installation contractor; and
6. A playground equipment manufacturer.

Collecting the evidence needed to win an inadequate maintenance, improper design, or insufficient supervision premises liability claim could seem like a challenge. However, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has the legal experience needed to prevail, whether in insurance negotiations or in a jury trial. Our highly experienced team of Erie, Pennsylvania, personal injury attorneys know what it takes to create a compelling, evidence-based claim for compensation. Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a playground accident attorney and schedule your free initial consultation.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Erie, Pennsylvania. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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