Accidents involving children are especially tragic because they can cause lifelong injuries that can impact a child’s entire life. We expect children to be safe at home, in school, or out in the community, but injuries can occur unexpectedly. In Florida, a state with high activity levels and numerous recreational areas, childhood injuries are, unfortunately, quite common. However, many of these injuries are preventable. If your child has been injured, understanding the causes of these accidents, where they often occur, and the steps you can take to seek compensation is important.

If your child is injured, however, what you will want to know is what you can do to protect your child. To discuss ways you can secure compensation to ensure you can provide quality medical care and support when your child needs it most, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free consultation. Our child injury lawyers in Hollywood, FL serve the entire Hollywood area, including nearby communities. Our compassionate, family-based law firm understands the importance of family and works hard to protect your children’s future.

Common Types of Childhood Accidents

In Florida, childhood accidents can range from minor cuts and bruises on a playground to serious accidents that cause permanent injuries. Some of the most common types of childhood accidents include:

• Traffic accidents. Car accidents remain one of the leading causes of injury and death among children in Florida. Whether in vehicles with family members, on school buses, or while riding bicycles, children are particularly vulnerable to accidents due to their smaller size. These accidents can result in everything from broken bones and cuts to more severe spinal cord injuries or brain trauma.
• Dog attacks. Dog bites, particularly from unfamiliar or unrestrained animals, are an especially big risk for children. Because children are smaller, they are more likely to suffer serious injuries from dog attacks, including facial injuries and deep lacerations. In addition, the trauma from such attacks can be psychological, requiring therapy for years. Children are more vulnerable to dog attacks because they often approach animals and like animals. They may not know how to act around any aggressive dog to protect themselves and a child’s small size and higher voice can provoke aggressive animals.
• Sports injuries. Whether it’s soccer, football, or even recreational games in the neighborhood, sports are a part of many childhoods. However, children can easily crash into each other when playing, get hit by a ball or stick, or fall. Sports injuries can lead to sprains, fractures, concussions, and other injuries. In some cases, a lack of appropriate safety gear or improper coaching can increase the risk of injury.
• School accidents. Accidents in schools can occur due to poorly maintained playground equipment, inadequate supervision, bullying, or unsafe older buildings. It’s the school’s responsibility to keep your child safe, and when a school is negligent your child can suffer fractures, head injuries, and other devastating injuries.
• Medical malpractice. Some children are injured in the first moments of life due to the negligence of doctors. Using forceps incorrectly or failing to take proper care during birth and delivery can lead to a host of permanent birth injuries that can affect a child’s prospects for life.
• Product-related injuries. Children use car seats, toys, helmets, and household products regularly, and when these products are poorly designed they can cause serious harm. Improperly designed child safety seats, for instance, can cause head injuries or internal injuries in a car accident. Unsafe toys can cause choking, burns, or other serious injuries.

As a parent, you do everything possible to keep your child, which is why it’s devastating if your child’s school, after-school sports program, camp, daycare, or other organization fails to take the same care. When your child is injured, reach out to child injury lawyers in Hollywood, FL. Pursuing a claim gives you the resources you need to care for your child’s injuries. It can also bring about changes that prevent injuries to other children.

Common Causes of Children’s Accidents

The causes of childhood injuries are often due to a combination of factors, many of which involve the negligence of others. The causes of these accidents can include:

• Negligent drivers. In Florida, busy roads contribute to a large number of accidents involving children. In cars, on bikes, or walking to school, children are at risk of being injured by reckless drivers. Inadequate safety measures, like not using seat belts or car seats, also increase the risk of childhood injuries.
• Unsafe products. Broken playground structures, dangerous toys, and defective safety equipment can cause harm. In some cases, manufacturers are responsible for these injuries due to unsafe designs or failure to warn parents of potential risks.
• Lack of supervision. Children require proper supervision at all times, particularly in environments like schools, pools, parks, or public spaces. When adults fail to supervise children or do so inadequately, accidents like falls or drownings can happen. In schools, for example, a lack of vigilance can lead to bullying, resulting in severe injury.
• Negligent property maintenance. Children are naturally curious, and this can get them into trouble. For example, children may approach an unfamiliar dog or try to pull its tail because they don’t understand they shouldn’t do that. They may enter someone else’s property and wander into a pool area because they’re curious about the water. It’s expected that property owners take care to prevent such situations by keeping their property properly maintained and secured.

Since children have less life experience, it’s expected that adults around them take extra care to prevent some of these dangerous situations. When adults and caregivers fail to do so, they can be held liable if a serious injury happens.