Many of us have young children or young nieces and nephews, and we are eager to get them on the path to riding their own bicycle or tricycle. Yet, riding even a tricycle can be fraught with dangers and the potential for injury.
Given the lack of data on tricycle related injuries available, a group of American pediatricians recently examined data from an injury surveillance database in the U.S. from 2012 to 2013. The study of emergency room visits, which comprised 9,340 tricycle-related injuries, has resulted in some startling findings, such as the fact that the head is the most frequently injured body part in children riding tricycles. The most common injury was a laceration or skin gash on the face. Some children had serious injuries including limb amputations, fractures and internal organ damage, with internal organ damage being the most common type of injury in three and five year olds, and elbows being the body part the most likely to suffer from a fracture.
The study showed that toddlers between the ages of one and two represented nearly 52 per cent of all injuries. It is important to note that most children don’t have the balance or coordination to ride a tricycle until around age three. Even at that age, children must be supervised and parents should help steer their child. Moreover, because children are seldom aware of safety concerns, parents and guardians must ensure that their children wear helmets and elbow pads whenever on a tricycle or bicycle, and make sure that they are riding on even ground, away from traffic and water.
Many legal and insurance issues can arise as a result of a child injured while riding a tricycle, such as whether the child is covered under the parent’s insurance policy or whether the loss of wages experienced by parents in tending to their child are covered. If the child is involved in an accident with a vehicle, it will be important to determine how to obtain adequate compensation for the child for his/her treatment.
Personal injury involving minors can be fraught with complexity. Thus, it is best to secure legal representation from one of our lawyers for advice and guidance. If you have any questions, book a free consultation or call 1-855-446-7765 for immediate assistance.
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