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ChatDid you know that over the past decade, 175,000 school injuries have ended in trips to the ER? As a back-to-school injury attorney, my firm routinely works with injured children and their families to fight for the compensation they deserve.
While September brings exciting new things — new teachers, classes, learning opportunities, and memories — it also brings injuries. Call us if your child is injured on the way to, from, or at school!
Things like new class routines, bus routes, and sports teams send school injury statistics soaring in the early months of a new school year. That’s why in today’s blog article, we review three common back-to-school injuries we see in our back-to-school injury attorney at law practice. Our goal is to raises awareness and ultimately prevent these injuries, especially in our Rhode Island and Massachusetts communities!
1. School Bus Accidents
When we see our children off to the school bus each morning, we trust that they are in good hands. After all, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), school buses are typically the safest mode of transportation for children to get to and from school. However, things can go wrong in the blink of an eye.
According to the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2011-2020, 218 school-aged children died in school transportation-related accidents. Of those children, 44 we’re occupants of the school-transportation vehicle, 83 were occupants of other vehicles, and 85 were pedestrians.
Many factors can contribute to a child’s school bus injury. The bus driver may be driving negligently (speeding, texting, etc.), the bus itself may not be properly maintained, or another vehicle could potentially cause an accident. In all these instances, someone else – the bus driver, school district, or other driver – cause a child injury.
As a back-to-school injury attorney, we encourage parents and guardians to teach their children proper school bus behavior. Make sure children know to stay seated facing forward and keep distracting behaviors to a minimum. While some accidents are unavoidable, proper bus safety practices may limit your child’s injuries.
2. Pedestrian Accidents
For some children, it makes sense to walk to school. The child may live close to the school, not have bus transportation, or otherwise want/need exercise. While most children walk to school without incident, accidents happen and increase in the back-to-school months.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, more than 40 children in the U.S. are hit by a vehicle while walking every single day. That’s thousands of severely injured children each year. Due to children’s smaller size and lack of familiarity with traffic laws, they are at a higher risk of injury.
We urge all parents and guardians of children of all ages to discuss safe walking habits. We suggest teaching children to look both ways before crossing the street at a marked crosswalk, to put their phones down while walking, and to be extra vigilant of vehicles that may not see them (drivers backing out of parking lots, driveways, etc.).
Many parties can potentially be at fault when you child is injured in a pedestrian accident walking to school. Call us to discuss your options!
3. Slips, Trips, and Falls on the Playground
School playgrounds are a common and generally safe place where school-aged children can run off some energy and play with friends around lunchtime. However, playgrounds have potential to lead to serious accidents. It’s estimated that 220,000 children each year are treated in hospitals for injuries sustained on playgrounds.
Some of the most common playground injuries include fractures, sprains and strains, internal organ injuries, dislocations, and concussions. These injuries stem from a plethora of accidents including falling, losing balance, and tripping on uneven or poorly maintained surfaces.
The best way to avoid injury is to always supervise children at recess, inspect equipment and make sure safety measures are in place, and teach your children playground safety and etiquette!
Some back-to-school injuries are preventable… many are not. Call us today if your child is injured and enjoy the back-to-school season safely!
It’s Good to Know Mike Bottaro – 24/7 Top-Rated Personal Injury Help
At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, we care for people. Attorney Mike Bottaro and his award-winning legal team handle all types of personal injury cases throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We can even help on cases in other states as well. We pride ourselves on our honesty, integrity, and results. Contact us 24/7 in any method you prefer for a fast, free, and confidential consultation about your case. Text or call us at 401-777-7777 or fill out our free and confidential online form. We are here to serve and help you!
