Compensation For Child Injured On Swing In Park
Our firm recently represented a young boy who was injured while playing in a local park. The child was using one of the park playground’s swings, when the seat cracked in half and he fell onto the hard ground below fracturing his wrist. His parents called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital where an X-ray showed that he had sustained a non-displaced Colles fracture (distal radius) to his wrist.
The child was unable to return to school for almost two months following the accident, and had difficulty holding a pen properly for some time afterwards, which negatively impacted both his handwriting and his all-round academic performance. His parents were dissatisfied by the local council’s response to the incident, and subsequently decided to seek advice.
Our Legal Advice
Bartletts Solicitors went on to make a claim on behalf of the child’s adult representative against the local council in question. In correspondence with its insurers, we argued that the council was legally liable for the child’s injury due to its poor maintenance of the park playground, specifically by allowing the swing seat to deteriorate into a dangerous condition.
The local council had breached the duty of care that it owed to children using the swing, as it was clearly not safe to use on the day of the accident. Lack of maintenance meant that the swing’s seat was in a defective state and could have cracked at any time, and this was the direct cause of the child’s injury. Within three months of starting the claim, the insurers accepted liability on behalf of the local council, and the injured child received £3,500 in compensation (invested in a court funds account until he reaches the age of 18).
Children’s Accidents in Park Playgrounds
Accidents in park playgrounds normally involve children falling from swings, climbing installations, slides and roundabouts. While most of these accidents are the result of normal play among children, misuse of equipment, or poor supervision on the part of adults, others are caused by the poorly maintained state of the playground, including damaged and defective play equipment. This is usually the fault of the local council or private playground operator, and where this is the case it will be possible to claim compensation on behalf of an injured child.
Solicitors for Children’s Accident Claims
If your child has been injured while using a swing or similar piece of playground equipment, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to offer free and reliable legal advice from solicitors with expertise and experience in children’s accident claims.
Make a free compensation enquiry today
For specialist advice on your personal injury claim, call us now on Liverpool 0151 227 3391 or Chester 01244 645830 or Wrexham 01978 360056 or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will soon be in touch.
