Playgrounds can be a dangerous place for kids if there is defective equipment
on the premises. Recently, the family of Alexis Durant filed a Texas playground
accident lawsuit suing the owner of a Houston McDonald’s for injuries
she sustained while playing at the eatery.
According to Durant’s mother, on July 24, the 2-year-old was choking
on and soaked in her own blood when she emerged from the tunneled slide
in the McDonald’s “PlayPlace” area. The toddler, whose
lower lip was seriously gashed when it got caught on an exposed end of
a bolt as she was going down the slide, is scheduled for plastic surgery.
The family’s Texas child injury lawsuit comes one year after another
family sued the owners of another McDonald’s in the Houston area
because of a similar accident. In that Texas playground injury complaint,
the family of 6-year-old Dominic Sierra claims that he sustained a gash
to his head when he got stuck on an exposed screw while going down a slide
on May 25, 2010. The gash was deep enough to reach his skull.
Sierra’s family is accusing McDonald’s chain owner Janus Unlimited,
Inc. of inadequate inspection of the playground. They also claim that
when they asked the manager for help, she refused to provide any and would
not contact 911.
Meantime, McDonald’s has issued a statement maintaining that it
is committed to doing everything possible to make sure that its PlayPlaces
are safe for kids.
Playground Accidents
With about 200,000 playground injuries and about 15 playground fatalities
a year, it is important that premise owners and the manufacturers of playground
equipment make sure that there are no safety hazards that could place
a child at risk of serious injury or death. Proper maintenance, safe playground
design, and using defect-free playground equipment is important. Some
playground injuries have been so serious that there are kids who have
ended up with serious traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries,
broken bones, and blindness.
If your child was injured in a playground accident, you may have reason
for filing a child injury lawsuit against the property owner, equipment
manufacturer, or the party in charge of supervising the kids while they
were on the playground.
Playground Injuries At 2 Houston McDonald’s Draw Lawsuits, Click2Houston, July 27, 2011
Playground Injuries, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Playground Safety Guide, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
PlayPlaces & Parties, McDonald’s
More Blog Posts:
Playground Accident Death: Girl’s Family Wants “X-Wave” Banned, Product Liability Law Blog, August 24, 2010
Back to School Reminder: Playground Accidents Can Lead to Serious Child Injuries, Product Liability Law Blog, October 13, 2009
Playground Accidents Are Leading Cause of Injury to Elementary School Kids, Product Liability Law Blog, October 13, 2009
