Playground Accidents

• Author: Charles E. Turnbow
• Pages: 539-557

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CHAPTER 24

Playground Accidents

§2410 Scope of Problem

Table: Distribution of Injuries in Children

§2420 Litigation

§2421 Basis of Liability

§2422 Timely Notification

§2423 Essential Parties

§2424 The Complaint

§2425 Case Evaluation

§2426 Standards

§2426.1 Industry Standards

§2426.2 Medical Societies

§2426.3 The Handbook for Public Playground Safety

Illustration: Playground Equipment Protrusion

Table: Depth of Playground Materials

Illustration: Use Zone for Slides

§2427 Inspection and Documentation of Accident Site

§2427.1 Inspection Team

§2427.2 Measurements and Testing

§2427.3 Layout and Dimensions

§2428 Accident Reconstruction

§2428.1 Video Tapes

§2428.2 Computer Re-enactment

§2430 Discovery

§2431 Interrogatories

§2432 Requests for Admissions

§2433 Requests for Production of Documents

§2434 Depositions

§2434.1 Eyewitnesses

§2434.2 Playground Supervisor

§2434.3 Maintenance Supervisor

§2434.4 Department Head – Parks and Recreation

§2434.5 Employees

§2434.6 Production Engineer

§2434.7 Design Engineer

§2434.8 Installation Contractor

§2440 Adult Supervision

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 PLAYGROUND ACCIDENTS §2410

§2410 Scope of Problem

Every 2½ minutes a child is seriously injured in a

playground accident. According to the United States

Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) through

its accident statistic facility, the National Electronic Injury

Surveillance System, each year 211,000 United States

children receive emergency department care for injuries

sustained on or about playground equipment. The cost of

the medical treatment alone is estimated to be in excess of

one billion dollars. The American Academy of Pediatrics

estimates that an additional 39,000 children in the middle

school age range are also injured.

Over 75 percent of all playground injuries are the result

of falls off equipment; falls from heights, especially from

climbing structures (such as monkey bars); and trip and

falls over equipment. About one-fourth of the injury-pro-

ducing falls occur on privately-owned or home equipment,

but most occur at school or public playgrounds.

Often the injuries are only bumps, scrapes or bruises, but

serious injuries from broken bones to fatal head injuries

can occur. The accidents are not always spectacular. For

example, a fall of just one foot onto an asphalt or concrete

surface can cause a fatal head injury, or a four-foot fall to

packed earth or grass can cause serious injury or death.

The CPSC reports that the injuries are more prevalent in children from five to 14 years. For 1994, the distribution of injuries

according to age are as follows:

Thus, the total reported playground injuries requiring hospital treatment for 1994 was 248,287.