Understanding Park & Playground Accidents in Brooklyn | Law Office of Irene H. Gabo
Park and Playground Accidents in Brooklyn
Whether it’s a scorching summer day or a snowy winter afternoon, local parks are sure to be teeming with activity no matter the season. Throughout the year, children, the elderly, and everyone in between regularly occupy local parks and playgrounds to enjoy the outdoors. For kids, time spent at the park comes with the promise of adventure, and adults can certainly appreciate that parks allow children to release any pent-up energy. With all these apparent benefits, it’s no surprise that there are upwards of 100 parks in Brooklyn alone.
When visiting a local park, we expect a safe and secure environment for anyone there. Department of Parks and Recreation in New York City and its employees have tried to maintain a safety standard in play areas, but only with limited success.
Can You Sustain an Injury on a Brooklyn Playground or Park?
In short – yes. There are a variety of dangerous hazards and defects in almost every park that can lead to severe injuries. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 200,000 kids are sent to emergency rooms yearly with playground-related injuries, usually resulting from poorly managed play equipment. Children and adults alike have become victims of slip and fall and trip and fall accidents in Brooklyn parks year-round.
Frequent visitors of local Brooklyn parks have reported unsafe park conditions, including:
- Broken equipment (slides, ladders, tunnels, etc.)
- Misaligned mats and padding
- Rusty gear
- Uneven pavement
- Protruding screws and nails
- Inadequate lighting
- Overgrown tree branches
- Insufficient security
- Failure to maintain public facilities, such as bathrooms
There are also seasonal hazards to consider. In the wintertime, there have been reports of icy conditions, slippery mats, and uncleaned snow piles that can be a hazard to children while at play in Brooklyn parks. In the summer, children with soaked clothing from the sprinklers can carry unwanted water into bathrooms, creating slippery floors, and intense heat from the sun can result in hot metal slides that can reach burning temperatures.
These unsafe conditions can cause severe injuries. If you or anyone you know has been the victim of an accident in Brooklyn parks or playgrounds, contact the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo at (800) 560-0214 for a free consultation to see if you qualify for compensation for your injuries.
Who Might Be Liable for the Injuries in Brooklyn Parks or Playgrounds?
Parks in Brooklyn and across New York are managed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. This is an agency responsible for preserving the safety of parks and playgrounds in Brooklyn. New York City and the Department of Parks and Recreation have previously been accused of negligence by victims of accidents across different playgrounds.
These entities, their contractors, and even vendors may be held responsible for injuries sustained by you or your loved ones, if they were negligent. But what does negligence mean?
Park or playground negligence refers to an instance in which a reasonable standard of care regarding people’s safety in a particular area wasn’t exercised. Negligence in park or playground areas that may lead to injuries include:
- Securing playground equipment improperly causing children to stumble or trip
- Failing to warn the public about slippery surfaces
- Failing to fix equipment fully, leaving exposed nails and screws
- Not taking appropriate care tree branches or trees
- Failing to install or repair lighting in parks
- Failing to warn civilians of hot surfaces
- Failing to clean wet or messy areas creating slippery floors
- Failing to provide enough security to protect children at play
- Ignoring previous complaints about known hazards in parks
- Failing to have proper personnel to maintain a park or playground
When park negligence causes injuries, the negligent party may be obligated to compensate for damages sustained by a victim. If someone suffers from a slip and fall accident, trip and fall accident, or any other injury that results from the City of New York or the Department of Parks and Recreation’s negligence, they might be eligible for reimbursement.
Scheduling a free consultation with our skilled attorneys at the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo by calling (800) 560-0214, can help you get the compensation you deserve for an injury sustained at a Brooklyn park.
What Compensation Can You Collect When Injured on a Brooklyn Playground?
Accidents in a Brooklyn park often fall under the category of premises liability. Premises liability cases arise from accidents and injuries that occur on the property of others. In a premises liability case that involves personal injuries, you might be entitled to collect compensation for:
- Medical expenses incurred
- Future medical expenses
- Lost future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death
There’s no telling exactly how much any given trip and fall or slip and fall accident case is worth without hearing the facts of the claim and understanding the extent of the injuries.
Call The Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C., if You are Injured at a Brooklyn Park or Playground
If you or somebody you know suffered an injury in any Brooklyn playground, call the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo at (800) 560-0214 for a free consultation. Our experienced Brooklyn playground accident lawyers can help you collect compensation for injuries relating to the Department of Park’s negligence.
But don’t wait. Claims involving municipalities have an extremely short statute of limitations – the time in which you need to file a proper notice of claim. Failure to do so in a timely manner means your claim is barred, and you may lose your right to personal injury compensation.
We don’t know how long you have left to file a claim until we hear the specific facts of your case.
Call us at (800) 560-0214 at the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo to protect your right to obtain damages after being injured at a Brooklyn playground or park.
Sources:
https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/playgrounds/public-playground-safety-checklist
