An Ottawa Injury Lawyers Discusses What to do if Your Child is Injured
A playground accident is every parent’s worst fear. Unfortunately, each year over 28,000 children are injured at playgrounds across Canada and 10 percent of these incidents result in a hospitalization requiring serious medical attention. Though you never want to imagine something like this happening to your family, awareness can help mitigate the severity of the situation should one ever occur. Here are the steps a parents should take and how an Ottawa injury lawyer can help in the instance that a playground injury is sustained.
Causes of Playground Accidents and Injuries
The most common causes of playground accidents are:
- Lack of supervision
- Slips, trips and falls
- Poorly maintained equipment
- Child on child injuries
- Dog bites
From a legal standpoint, any incident where the injury is caused by negligence may be eligible for compensation. If your child sustains an injury due to negligence (i.e. a daycare provider isn’t supervising properly, the child falls because of a poorly maintained structure, etc.), an Ottawa injury lawyer can help you pursue a legal case under what is known as premises liability. Premises liability means that an owner of property with a playground on it has an obligation to make sure the structure is safe and if they breach this obligation they can be held liable for any damages that occur.
Steps to Take Following a Playground Accident
If you have determined that your child’s injury was the result of negligence, there are a few small but crucial steps you need to take:
1. Seek medical attention. The first and primary concern is always the child’s well-being, which is why treatment should be sought as soon as possible after the accident occurs.
2. Notify your provincial injury prevention centre, your nearest children’s hospital, or Safe Kids Canada (1-888-SAFE-TIPS, 1-888-723-3847). Ask if there are any accident report forms you can submit.
3. Collect evidence. This may include photographs, medical documentation, police reports, bills and witness statements. The evidence that you need to produce can also vary depending on your case, so it’s best to consult an Ottawa injury lawyer to help with the procurement of necessary documents.
Though each incident is decided by the court on a case-by-case basis, consulting with an Ottawa injury lawyer will give you a good idea of whether your case is eligible for compensation or not. The playground is meant to be a fun place and any accidents that occur on one can be traumatizing for both the child and the parents. Though legal pursuance may not change what happened, it can help make an unfortunate situation a little easier.
