How Much Child Supervision Is Necessary On The Playground?

If your child was injured on the playground, the issue of supervision is likely to crop up when you are pursuing compensation for your child's injury. This is because children are supposed to be closely supervised on the playground, and adequate supervision should prevent the majority of playground injuries. Here are some of the factors that determine the level of supervision necessary to keep kids safe on a playground:

Age of the Child

Younger children require a high degree of supervision than younger ones. For example, a preschooler on a swing requires active and constant supervision while a teenager may not require that level of supervision. Therefore, the court will scrutinize the exact activity or activities the child was engaged in to determine whether they had age-appropriate supervision.

The Abilities of the Child

Children with disabilities, either physical or mental, require more supervision than those who don't have to deal with those disabilities. For example, a kid with a physical disability may not have the strength necessary to navigate into and out of a swimming pool. Such a child requires close supervision to avoid swimming-pool injuries even if their age mates can handle themselves safely around the pool.

The Number of Children

It is more difficult to supervise a dozen children on the playground than a couple of kids on the same playground. Therefore, the number of children the daycare has to handle determines the level of supervision necessary. With many children, an accident can occur in the twinkle of an eye. For example, if the staff member in charge of the supervision turns their back on a kid, they can jump into the pool and incur injuries. However, if a supervisor is in charge of two or three kids, it is easy to keep an eye on them at all times.

The Nature of the Environment

The court will also evaluate the inherent risks of the environment in which the injury occurred. Risky environments necessitate stricter monitoring than relatively safe areas. For example, kids in a daycare located near a busy road require closer monitoring than those in another daycare far from roads. Another example is a daycare with a swimming pool, which necessitates strict evaluation due to the inherent danger of the pool.

After determining the level of supervision, you will also have to connect it to the injury. This means you have to prove that adequate supervision would have prevented your child from getting hurt. It is not an easy task, but having an experienced injury attorney to guide you will make it easier. Contact a personal injury lawyer for more information.