Recess is often a child's favorite time of the day while they're attending daycare. Being active by running around or playing with friends is essential to foster a child's development. However, when children are unsupervised, playgrounds pose extreme safety risks for young children. Without the proper care and supervision from daycare employees, kids can be seriously injured.
Causes of Child Injuries on Playgrounds in Texas
Most parents and caregivers understand the importance of constantly supervising young children in their care. If adults lose focus for even a second while monitoring children on a playground, serious injuries can occur. This is why daycares must hire qualified caregivers who are trained in proper supervision techniques.
When daycare workers fail to watch children on the playground closely, the following injuries may occur:
- Head and spinal injuries: Children may fall from tall playground equipment like monkey bars or the top of slides if they are not supported by caregivers. This can lead to head and spinal injuries if young children land on a hard surface.
- Punctures: If playground equipment is not properly maintained or caregivers are not paying attention, sharp edges or protruding screws can pierce a child's skin and cause deep lacerations.
- Entanglement: If children play on non-age-appropriate playground equipment or use toys while on the playground, they can become entangled in the equipment and potentially strangle themselves or cause other serious injuries.
- Broken Bones: Broken bones can occur from collisions between children on a playground, falling off playground equipment, or falling while running.
How Playground Injuries at Texas Daycare Facilities Can Be Prevented
In addition to closely watching children to prevent severe injuries from occurring on a playground, daycare workers should follow these additional safety practices:
- Spotting or assisting children who are playing on tall playground equipment
- Not allowing younger children to play on a dedicated playground meant for older children
- Conducting regular inspections and maintenance of playground equipment. The playground safety checklist created by the Texas Department of State Health Services is a good resource for ensuring caregivers properly inspect equipment.
Steps to Take If Your Child Was Seriously Hurt on the Playground at a Texas Daycare
Anytime your child gets hurt, it can feel overwhelming—you are trying to calm them down and seek help. You may not know what to do next after taking your child to the pediatrician or emergency room for medical treatment. Our daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm have created a FREE guide explaining what to do if your child is seriously hurt on the playground. Recommended steps include:
- Requesting the daycare provide an incident report.
- Reporting the incident to the state. You can do so by clicking here.
- Requesting a safety change if the playground equipment was the cause of your child’s injuries.
- Contacting the knowledgeable daycare injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm by calling 214-699-4409 or filling out a contact form. We will be ready to listen and advise your family on the best approach to hold the daycare accountable and get justice for your child’s injuries.
To download a full copy of our guide, 5 Steps to Take After a Daycare Injury, click here.
Contact The Button Law Firm After a Playground Injury at Daycare Occurs
Our team of experienced and compassionate daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm is dedicated to advocating for you and your family if your child was seriously injured while on a playground at a Texas daycare facility. Our legal team is recognized on the prestigious Texas Super Lawyers list, and we can guide and help you move forward after a traumatizing incident involving your child. We work on contingency, meaning we don’t charge you or collect any upfront fees to get started on your case. Call us at 214-699-4409, email us at [email protected], or fill out the contact form below for a free case evaluation.
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