Playground Injury Statistics For Pennsylvania Residents

December 8, 2014

Playground injury statistics for Pennsylvania residents

Research has shown that emergency departments treat 200,000 children aged 14 and under each year who were hurt on a playground. Of those injuries, 45 percent of them involve severe fractures, concussions or internal injuries. The vast majority of injuries that did not result in death occur on playgrounds located at schools or daycare centers. Out of 147 children who died as a result of playground injuries between 1990 and 2000, 20 percent died due to falls on the playground’s surface.

The majority of those who died in that time period were killed on a home playground. Statistics showed that children between the ages of 5 and 9 were more likely to be taken to the emergency room for injuries suffered on playgrounds. Girls were statistically more likely than boys to be injured on a playground.

Kids who liked to climb on equipment were more likely to suffer an injury on a public playground, and kids were more likely to hurt themselves on the swings while using a home playground. Playgrounds in poorer areas were generally more hazardous compared to playgrounds in more affluent areas. Typically, playgrounds in poorer areas had more trash, rusty equipment and play surfaces that were generally damaged and unsafe.

When someone is injured on a playground or any other location, the owner of the property may be liable to pay for costs related to the injury. This means that a property owner may be asked to pay for medical bills and other long-term care costs for the injured party. In addition, it may be necessary to compensate an injured person for lost wages and punitive damages. Talking to a premises liability attorney may make it easier to pursue legal action against a negligent property owner.