Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for children accounting for over two million injuries each year.
Children’s Falls Pose Dangers
Every year, more than 2.5 million children are treated by physicians for fall-related injuries. Each day, about 8,000 children end up in hospital emergency rooms for fall injuries that need immediate medical attention. While toddlers are particularly vulnerable because their motor skills are not fully developed, older children face slip and fall injuries due to school and outdoor activities.
Young children are often injured at home or in a daycare setting, while older children are more frequently injured on a school playground or outside. In both cases, injuries are often due to a lack of proper adult supervision. Home settings and school grounds pose fall dangers to children because of uneven and slippery surfaces, torn carpets, spills and debris on floors, loose stair railings, defective playground equipment, and poor lighting. Adult supervision is essential to prevent slip and fall accidents that result in facial lacerations, fractured or broken bones, back and spinal cord damage, head trauma, and brain injuries, which can have long-lasting consequences.
In some cases, children’s injuries from a slip and fall are caused by the negligent actions of another person. Perhaps it’s a babysitter or nanny caring for a baby or toddler, or a teacher or camp counselor supervising school events or outdoor activities. When accidents and injuries are caused by negligence, slip and fall lawyers can pursue legal action against the at-fault party. When an outside party is responsible for childcare and supervision, that party can be held liable for economic damages such as:
- Present and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation and therapy expenses
- Loss of future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Severe emotional distress
- Loss of capacity to enjoy life
When children’s accidents and injuries occur, it’s important for parents to seek medical attention, take pictures of the injuries, and report the accident to responsible parties. Parents should get documented medical reports from physicians that explain the diagnosis and necessary procedures performed. These may include diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs that show the extent of the injuries. This information will be necessary when filing an injury claim or personal injury lawsuit. In Illinois, the statute of limitations to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date of injury or date of death in fatalities.
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