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Children & Fast Food Restaurants: Possible Personal Injuries That Can Occur

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Fast food restaurants often offer a family-friendly environment, with a wide variety of meals catered just to children. Even though a majority of the time these meals are safe and fun to eat, sometimes an injury can occur. If your child is injured at a fast food restaurant, it's important to step back, look at the facts, and see if there is a potential case. Once your child has received the proper health care, you can move forward with personal injury attorneys.

The following four types of injuries could occur with your child at a fast food restaurant. Different elements of each injury will help determine whether you have a viable case.

Toy Defects

A lot of children's meals at fast food restaurants come with a small toy. These toys are often marketing tie-ins with popular TV shows, movies, or brands. In some cases, a poor design can lead to injuries on the child. One of the more dangerous situations is when a small part of a toy can lead to choking. If your child has choked on a toy, the result could lead to permanent throat damage, hospitalization, or possible death.

When a defect like this occurs, the fast company will often recall the toy to prevent future injuries. This is where your case could get more complicated. The date of the injury and the date of the recall can have huge differences on the implications of your case. Your attorneys will often have a stronger case if the injury occurred before the recall. If the recall did occur, then your attorneys will see if the restaurant still distributed the toy or if the recall was widely showcased through your local restaurants.

Playground Injuries

A lot of fast food restaurants offer play areas for children to enjoy before or after eating a meal. A child can get seriously injured at these play areas. Sometimes these injuries may be at fault of the restaurant. A personal injury attorney will determine if the restaurant is liable for the injury.

One of the first things to consider is the state of the playground. Was it properly cared for? Were there broken areas or dangerous situations that a child could have been a part of? The playground may not have had proper signage to indicate unsafe areas or proper age limits.

Food Injuries

The meals that children enjoy at fast food restaurants could also be the cause of injuries. One of the most common causes for this type of injury is food burns. If the food is served too hot, it can easily burn a child and cause severe burns on their body or mouth.

Improperly prepared foods could also injure a child. For example, if a food is undercooked, a child may suffer food poisoning or other ailments. If food is overcooked, hard edges could knock out teeth or do damage to the jaw. Food contamination could also create problems for your children. A child with a peanut allergy could consume burgers or fries that were contaminated with nuts. The restaurant would likely be liable for an injury like this.

Meal Wrapping & Boxes

Children are often treated special enough at fast food restaurants to get their own special boxes for the meals. The colorful designs are a special treat, but they could also be the cause of injury. Sharp edges on boxes can easily cause cuts. A lawyer can determine if the boxes are too sharp or feature pointed edges that are deemed dangerous for children.

The packages for toys and other extras could be choking hazards, too. Without a proper warning, a child may accidentally choke and have to be hospitalized for injuries.

If an injury does occur at a fast food restaurant, it's a good idea to keep as much information as possible. This includes the receipt, food packages, and any toys that came with the meal. Your attorney can help establish the case with as many details as possible. You can discover more about what compensation you may be entitled to by consulting with a personal injury lawyer.


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