A personal injury attorney in Grand Rapids, MI represents parents of children who were seriously hurt due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness. Sometimes, these cases can be complicated because the injury occurred during an experience in which the youngster was willingly participating. That might be an athletic activity or indulging in their own somewhat reckless behavior.
Claim Disputes
A child might be hurt in a public school setting, for example, but the school and insurers might dispute the claim if the child was behaving in an unsafe way. Parents of children who have been instructed not to jump off playground equipment and do so anyway may have difficulty with a successful insurance claim. A personal injury attorney in Grand Rapids, MI may be necessary to build a persuasive case against the school for lack of playground supervision.
Relevant Statistics
The need for emergency room care for children who have suffered playground injuries is more prevalent than many people might think. Annually, more than 200,000 youngsters of age 13 and under receive this type of care after being hurt on a playground. About 10 percent of them have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic Brain Injury
These children might have fallen from a height or may have been hurt while roughhousing. Sometimes playground equipment is faulty and breaks. In other cases, children experience a head injury while playing a sport during physical education or middle school athletics. These incidents also occur when kids crash while riding their bicycles without a helmet, or fall during gymnastics or while skateboarding. Whether or not the school is liable can be a matter of dispute depending on numerous factors.
Even a minor concussion is considered to be a traumatic brain injury. More serious brain injuries can cause ongoing symptoms for a few weeks or even longer. When the school is considered liable, their insurance should pay for medical expenses and any other care the youngster needs. The issue of liability is based on aspects like negligence involving inadequate supervision or faulty equipment. Parents who want legal representation can contact an organization such as Bleakley Law Offices, P.C.
