Summertime is a wonderful time for parents and their children to get out of the apartment and enjoy the good weather. Playgrounds and public parks are a big part of that summertime tradition but parents need to know that these “kid-friendly” locations can cause more than scraped knees or bruises. 75% of all non-fatal playground accidents in New York City occur in public playgrounds.
Every year there are about 200,000 children treated at emergency rooms across the country for injuries sustained on play equipment. The number of fatalities related to playground accidents in New York City is extremely low (there are only 15 deaths reported nationwide) but non-fatal accidents can have serious and long lasting consequences.
45% of playground accidents in New York are result in:
- Bone fractures
- Internal injuries
- Concussions
- Amputation
The highest risk of injury for children is between the ages of five-years-old and nine-years-old Girls are more 10% likely to get hurt than boys.
Data also shows that playgrounds in low income areas of New York City are likely to be the most dangerous, suffering from poor maintenance, improper or incomplete repairs, and spotty inspections.
Climbing apparatuses are the most dangerous type of play equipment in New York City Playgrounds. Falls from these can lead to any of the severe injuries mentioned above–even when the playground has approved safe play surfaces (like rubber) installed. Regulations do require a minimum depth for playground surfaces and limit the height of climbing equipment.
Swing sets are the next most dangerous piece of playground equipment and can cause strangulation–the #1 type of at-home fatal play equipment accident. This occurs when a child’s clothing or hoodie drawstring gets snagged.
The City of New York has the responsibility for maintaining the public playground equipment. If your child has been injured on faulty or broken public playground equipment or on play equipment at someone’s home, your child may be entitled to compensation. Contact an experienced New York City playground accident lawyer. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 today.