Who can you sue if your child gets hurt on a Tampa playground?

One of the biggest fears parents face when taking their child to a Florida park is that they’re going to get hurt. That’s why it’s a victory each time that their son or daughter leaves a playground with nothing more than a scratch or bruise. More serious injuries can happen at Tampa parks, however.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 200,000 children are hurt on playgrounds across the United States each year. Data published by the National Playground Safety Institute, shows that trip, entanglement and protrusion hazards are often to blame for these injuries. Inadequate spacing between equipment, insufficient fall zones and entrapment in openings also result in children getting hurt.

If your child gets hurt, then you may wonder if you’re able to sue someone for their injuries. Before that question can be answered, it’s important to determine what factors led to their accident.

It’s possible that you may be able to sue the government entity or organization responsible for maintaining the playground for negligence if they failed to keep it safe. If defective equipment resulted in their injuries, then you may also be able to sue the designer, manufacturer or installer of that equipment for their negligence.

Proving liability in a playground injury case isn’t impossible, but it’s not easy either. Determining whether negligence occurred and who to file the lawsuit against isn’t always clear cut. Suing government entities often involves a multi-step process that must be carried out within a short window of time or you may lose your right to file suit. A premises liability attorney can help you determine liability and advise you if you have a valid legal claim.