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The personal injury team at Simpson Millar have recently conducted a study into children’s playground accidents, gathering evidence from local councils and authorities to support the study. This involved looking into the various types of playground accidents and whereabouts in the UK they are likely to occur.
This article will reveal the findings and provide information on how to get support should you or your child have received an injury.
Where is the most dangerous playpark?
When reviewing the councils with the highest levels of accidents and complaints combined, it appears that Eastleigh in Hampshire tops the table of the UK’s most dangerous public playparks.
With a combined total of 240 complaints and accidents being reported between 2019 and 2022, there’s no wonder this historic Hampshire town was found as the worst area for children’s accidents.
In 2021 alone, the council received 88 complaints in relation to the safety of the equipment in their playgrounds.
Where are the safest playgrounds?
Moving on to the areas with the safest playgrounds, it was found that 23 councils have had zero complaints and accidents recorded at their parks between 2019 and 2022.
Leicester City Council, who manage 184 parks in total, and Camden Borough Council who manage 155, were amongst some of the safest areas. Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire were ranked in the top 5 of lowest number of accidents and safety complaints.
However, the West Midlands was found to have the safest playgrounds with the lowest number of accidents and complaints.
What is the most common cause of vandalism?
While the maintenance of these sites is clearly important, many of the councils advised that complaints and repairs were often related to vandalism issues.
Whilst vandalism is mostly intended to damage property, the motivation behind it can be very different. Individuals may want to convey a certain message or express frustration and unfortunately, this form of damage is often targeted at public spaces, such as playgrounds.
The common complaint of playground equipment damage was cited numerous times throughout the findings.
What support is there?
If you or your child have previously been injured in a public playground, you have three years from the date of the accident to make a personal injury claim. However, it’s always recommended to seek medical and legal advice as soon as possible.
Ensure to gather any relevant evidence to support your claim, from eye-witness statements, photos and CCTV footage. Even if you are partly responsible for the accident, you may still be entitled to compensation.
