Los Angeles is a sprawling, diverse metropolitan area in California with an approximate population of 3.8 million, and it has its own particular issues related to school safety. While playgrounds can provide an area of recreation for children, they can also produce the potential for serious injuries created by negligence and hazards that are not identified. It is the responsibility of school districts and schools to keep kids safe from harm. When they fail to do this, liability can occur in the form of premises liability or negligence.
Table of Contents
Defective or Dangerous Playground Equipment
Defective or dangerous equipment is one of the leading causes of playground injuries. When playground equipment is poorly designed, manufactured from inferior materials, or improperly installed, it may unexpectedly break or otherwise malfunction during use, which can inflict serious injuries on children.
A Los Angeles playground injury attorney can explain how California’s product liability and premises liability laws may hold schools and manufacturers liable when a child suffers injury due to defective equipment.
Failure to Properly Monitor Activities
Negligent supervision on the part of adults occurs when they cannot observe or manage children adequately, and they allow rough play or unsafe use of equipment. Courts have recognized a special legal duty for schools to protect children. When children are injured as a result of the lack of requisite supervision, there may be a legal liability for not fulfilling their duty.
Inadequate Maintenance and Unsafe Conditions
Playgrounds must be maintained regularly to be safe. As they are used, wear and tear can create injury-causing equipment failure or cause dangerously hard surfaces due to failure to keep equipment and ground surfaces in the playground area. California law may hold schools liable if they neglect to do regular safety maintenance and repairs.
Design Problems and Age-Inappropriate Structures
High climbing walls or climbing walls that are inappropriate for small children are some examples of rising falls that expose small children to risk. Lack of safety rails or guard rails, and separation area zones into play areas also enhance risk for collision or accidents. The two levels of protection that schools have are to ensure that their playgrounds are in compliance with known safety standards and that they provide the equipment is designed according to particular ages, where their duty legally cannot be dismissed.
Environmental Hazards and Hidden Risks
There are environmental hazards and hidden risks that may represent unsafe play conditions. There could be sharp objects, broken glass, and litter around the playground area. Also, exposed electrical cords create an injury hazard. Poor lighting provides conditions where visibility could be a risk factor for accidents.
Schools are responsible for ensuring that their playgrounds and surrounding areas are as free from risks and hazards as possible. Failure to do this may provide evidence to support negligence claims.
In Los Angeles, guardians may qualify for damages when a child is injured on a school playground if it can be shown that negligence caused the injury. The school or other responsible party needs to have established a duty of care for the child, failed to perform the duty, and the injury was foreseeable.
Key Points Summary
- Faulty or defective playground equipment is a danger.
- Inadequate adult supervision is dangerous.
- Inadequate maintenance of the playground and unsafe conditions may lead to injuries.
- Design problems and age-inappropriate structures cause falls, injuries, and collisions.
- Environmental hazards in and around playgrounds are risk providers.
