A Look at Common Child Injuries We Advocate For
As parents, our greatest hope is to see our children grow up safe, happy, and healthy. We teach them, protect them, and try to keep them out of harm’s way. But sometimes, despite all our best efforts, a child suffers a serious injury. When this happens, it’s a terrifying moment, and it often leaves families with overwhelming questions: “How did this happen? And what comes next for my child?”
At Child & Birth Injury Lawyers our firm understands these questions deeply. While we have extensive expertise in the profoundly complex area of birth and child injuries, our mission extends to protecting children who have suffered harm from many other types of negligence. We have and are serving clients nationwide, we know that no matter how your child was injured, if it was due to someone else’s mistake or carelessness, they deserve justice and the support they need to heal.
Let’s talk about some of the most common, and often preventable, types of child injuries our firm sees and helps families navigate. These aren’t just legal categories; they represent the real-life struggles of children and their families across the country.
Car Accidents: A Leading Danger for Our Little Ones
When a driver isn’t paying attention, is speeding, or is simply driving recklessly, children are incredibly vulnerable. Car accidents remain a heartbreakingly common cause of serious injury and even death for children. Children, especially little ones, can suffer severe head injuries, spinal trauma, broken bones, or internal injuries in these collisions.
Consider this: motor vehicle traffic injuries are the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children aged 5-9 and 10-14 . And for our smallest passengers, car seats are life-savers, reducing the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers. Yet, many children are still injured from defective car seats and airbags. These aren’t just “accidents”; they’re often the direct result of negligence or improper safety measures.
Premises Liability (Unsafe Property): Dangers in Everyday Places
We expect places like playgrounds, stores, and even a neighbor’s yard to be safe. But unfortunately, injuries often occur due to unsafe conditions on someone else’s property. This includes:
- Falls: Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injury for children aged 19 and under, accounting for about 8,000 emergency room visits every day. This often happens on poorly maintained playgrounds with broken equipment or inadequate shock-absorbing surfaces.
- Swimming Pool Accidents: These are particularly tragic. Drowning is theleading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4. An average of 358 children under 15 fatally drowned in pools or spas annually between 2019-2021, with 75% of those victims being younger than 5 years old. Most fatal drownings (81%) happen in residential settings, like home pools, often due to lack of fencing or supervision. These are often preventable tragedies.
Dog Bites & Animal Attacks: Emotional and Physical Scars
A dog bite can be a terrifying experience for a child, leaving not only serious physical wounds and permanent scarring but also profound emotional trauma. It’s incredibly common: more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the U.S., and children are disproportionately affected, accounting for over 50% of all reported cases.
Younger children (ages 5 and under) are at especially high risk for bites to the face, and these attacks often come from a dog known to the child (around 90% of cases, Source: PMC study on pediatric facial dog bites). When pet owners fail to control their aggressive animals, they must be held accountable.
Premises Liability (Unsafe Property): Dangers in Everyday Places
We expect places like playgrounds, stores, and even a neighbor’s yard to be safe. But unfortunately, injuries often occur due to unsafe conditions on someone else’s property. This includes:
- Falls: Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injury for children aged 19 and under, accounting for about 8,000 emergency room visits every day. This often happens on poorly maintained playgrounds with broken equipment or inadequate shock-absorbing surfaces.
- Swimming Pool Accidents: These are particularly tragic. Drowning is theleading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4. An average of 358 children under 15 fatally drowned in pools or spas annually between 2019-2021, with 75% of those victims being younger than 5 years old. Most fatal drownings (81%) happen in residential settings, like home pools, often due to lack of fencing or supervision. These are often preventable tragedies.
Dog Bites & Animal Attacks: Emotional and Physical Scars
A dog bite can be a terrifying experience for a child, leaving not only serious physical wounds and permanent scarring but also profound emotional trauma. It’s incredibly common: more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the U.S., and children are disproportionately affected, accounting for over 50% of all reported cases.
Younger children (ages 5 and under) are at especially high risk for bites to the face, and these attacks often come from a dog known to the child (around 90% of cases, Source: PMC study on pediatric facial dog bites). When pet owners fail to control their aggressive animals, they must be held accountable.
Defective Products: When Toys and Juvenile Products Turn Dangerous
We trust that products made for our children are safe. But sadly, thousands of children are treated in emergency rooms each year due to dangerous products. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), over 200,000 toy-related injuries were reported in 2022 alone.
These injuries can come from:
- Choking hazards on small parts, especially for children under three.
- Lacerations and burns from sharp edges or malfunctioning electronic toys.
- Eye injuries from projectile toys.
- Toxic exposure from toys containing lead or harmful chemicals.
- A less talked about fact: Companies like Nationwide Children’s Hospital reported a 400% increase in hospitalizations for magnet ingestion after certain small, powerful magnets returned to the market. When manufacturers or sellers put profits over safety, children suffer.
School & Daycare Accidents: Where Trust is Broken
Parents place immense trust in schools and daycares to keep their children safe. While no environment is entirely risk-free, many injuries in these settings are preventable and result from negligence. This includes:
- Negligent Supervision: Children wandering off, or injuries during recess or sports due to lack of adequate adult oversight.
- Unsafe Equipment: Broken playground equipment, old sports gear, or hazardous classrooms.
- Slip and Falls: Often due to unaddressed wet floors, cluttered hallways, or uneven surfaces.
- Sports-Related Injuries: While part of playing, 47% of Emergency Room visits from schools or daycare centers were related to sports injuries in a recent reporting year. This can be due to improper supervision or old equipment.
- School Bus Accidents: The National Safety Council (NSC) reported approximately 127,800 school bus accident-related injuries over the past decade in the U.S. Often, these are due to driver negligence or lack of proper training.
Sports & Recreation Injuries: Beyond the Game
Children participating in sports gain so much, but sometimes serious injuries occur due to preventable factors. While many sports injuries are accidental, some are linked to:
- Unsafe Coaching: Improper techniques, pushing children too hard, or ignoring safety rules.
- Defective Equipment: Helmets, pads, or other gear that fails.
- Poorly Maintained Facilities: Uneven fields, hazardous courts, or unsafe gymnasiums.
- Concussions: These are a significant concern. An estimated 400,000 concussions per year in children under 18 are sport-related. A recent study found concussion rates among football players aged 5-14 were higher than previously reported, with 5% sustaining a football-related concussion each season. These require careful management and can have long-term effects.
No matter the specific type of injury, our firm’s in-depth understanding of these common child injury types, their causes linked to negligence, and their profound impact allows us to build robust legal strategies. We secure expert medical testimony and effectively advocate for the comprehensive compensation your child and family deserve. If your child has been injured due to someone else’s mistake, please reach out.
