Playgrounds and traumatic brain injuries

On behalf of Steven Crell of Steve Crell Law posted in Personal Injury on Friday, May 6, 2016.

Data compiled by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control shows that children under 14 are suffering TBIs on playgrounds at an increasing rate. It is believed that the increase can be attributed to children spending more time on playgrounds and increased awareness of TBI and its effects. This heightened awareness may prompt Indiana parents to take their children to get looked at by a doctor when they may not have in the past.

The researchers found that boys accounted for 58.6 percent of all cases studied while roughly half involved children between the age of 5 and 9. Children playing on monkey bars or swings were most likely to suffer a TBI. The study was published in Pediatrics Medical Journal, and the researchers offered some suggestions as to how the injury rate could be lowered.

One was to look at the surfaces children play on as well as the design of the equipment that they use. While the numbers weren’t surprising to those in the medical community, it could help doctors better understand the long-term effects of a TBI. In cases where children aren’t treated, it could set the stage for depression or other disorders in the future. Parents are recommended to take their kids to be seen by a doctor anytime they suffer a blow to the head.

Children who are injured in playground accidents may suffer a variety of injuries. These types of accidents could occur because of negligent maintenance of the equipment, and they could also be caused by a defective swing or monkey bars. A personal injury attorney representing the parents of a child who has been hurt in this way can review the available evidence in order to determine the party or parties that should be held financially responsible.