Summer vacation is an opportunity for children to get out of school for a few months and enjoy themselves, but their risk of injury remains high. Many children are seriously injured during summer break, and concerned parents should contact a law firm to check if their child has a legal right to compensation. A negligent property owner or product manufacturer could owe your family compensation for any injuries to your child. Call Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys. Our Atlanta personal injury lawyers review some of the major risks children face in the summer months.
Swimming Pool Accidents
Spending an afternoon at the pool is the best way to beat the Atlanta heat. Unfortunately, swimming pool accidents are all too common, and some children can end up with life-changing injuries in near-drowning accidents.
Children are injured in all sorts of ways:
- Slip and falls or trip and falls. A child could hit their head and then fall into the water. Unless the child is immediately rescued, they could drown.
- Rough play. Children can play rough with each other in the water, and a child could be hurt and almost drown.
- Lack of lifeguards. When there are too few lifeguards, then children cannot get rescued in time when they are in distress.
- Defective slides or springboards. Children can be hurt by any defect in the pool equipment. A diving board might break, sending a child spiraling toward concrete.
Parents can help protect their children by teaching them to swim as soon as they are old enough. Also watch your children instead of relying on a teen sibling to do so, since your teen could have their nose in a phone all afternoon.
If tragedy strikes, call our office to discuss any pool-related accident. You might have a legal case against the owner of the property for failing to watch children or for failing to maintain the swimming pool area.
Grills and Barbecues
Grilling is dangerous, as is open pit barbecuing. Often, an adult sets the grill too close to where the children are playing, and a child will accidentally burn themselves. Even worse, a child could topple a grill if they accidentally run into it and the grill overturns on them.
If you intend to grill or use a campfire, then make sure the area is partitioned so children cannot easily get near the grill. Also have someone always stationed at the grill to shoo away any children or immediately respond to a burn.
Toy Accidents
Dangerous toys enter the marketplace every month of the year, but children play with them more during the summer. Toys are defective for various reasons, but with many toys the risk is that a small piece will break off, which a child swallows. Young children can choke after swallowing a small piece of plastic.
Other toys are dangerous because they use batteries which could electrocute a child or even catch on fire.
Remember to read safety instructions before letting your child play with a toy. You should also stay updated on the most recent recalls. When a toy injures other children, the manufacturer often pulls it from the marketplace and invites parents to return the toy for a full refund.
Often, we can file a product liability claim when a defective toy injures a child. Remember to keep the toy and any product packaging for our inspection.
Trampoline Accidents
Bouncing on a trampoline is a fun activity, but these are dangerous toys. A child can bounce off the trampoline and land on the ground, suffering concussions, fractures, neck injuries, and more.
Most trampolines come with netting to keep the children inside the trampoline so they don’t go flying off. Make sure your trampoline is working properly and don’t let children use one that is falling apart.
Also, try to group children of similar sizes so they jump together. Some injuries happen because a larger child lands on a smaller one, causing fractures and soft tissue injuries.
Bicycle Accidents
Riding a bicycle is a common activity in the summer, especially for preteens. Unfortunately, a bicyclist can suffer horrifying injuries in a crash. At best, a child will walk away from an accident with a skinned knee. At worst, your child could suffer a serious traumatic brain injury or broken bones.
To help protect children:
- Have them fitted with a helmet and ensure they wear it whenever they go out. Helmets reduce the risk of brain injury and death.
- Make sure your child has a bicycle which is the right size and have it serviced at the start of the summer.
- Teach your child how to ride with traffic and how to cross the street.
Unfortunately, dangerous drivers do not slow down around children, and they could clip any cyclist when trying to pass. Each year, more than 200,000 children end up in the emergency room for bicycle related injuries.
Summer Trips
Motor vehicle collisions are a year-round problem. But you might get into an accident when going on a family vacation. The stress of traveling long distances often forces adults to drive for too long, leading to fatigue. The adult behind the wheel might also make errors because they are not familiar with the road.
Parents can reduce the risk of accidents by giving themselves plenty of time to reach their destination. That will reduce the risk of drowsy driving. If necessary, break a trip up over multiple days and sleep in a motel or campground.
Also ensure your children have enough to do so they are not fighting or peppering you with questions. Young children are a serious source of distraction on trips.
If another driver caused your collision, you can submit a claim on their liability insurance for compensation. A member of our team can gather evidence and negotiate a settlement.
Call Our Law Firm for a Free Consultation
Summer should be a time to relax and recharge for the next school year, but many children will end up in the hospital after an accident. To see if you have a right to compensation, contact our law firm at (404) 529-3476. In a free consultation, we can discuss the accident which injured your child and review if you can make a claim for compensation.