Will Your Window Screens Keep Your Child IN? NO!
Window screens are designed to keep bugs out, but you cannot rely on them to keep your child indoors.
An adult pushing on a screen may conclude it would keep a child from falling out the window. Don’t count on it. Children have an amazing way of getting past barriers in ways beyond our imagination.
And, don’t think your child is too short to reach the window sill. Even a very young child figures out early on how to move a chair and climb up on it to get where she wants.
Here are some tips from Safe Kids USA about preventing falls from windows:
Top Tips to Prevent Window Falls
* Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. For windows above the first floor, install window guards with an emergency release device in case of fire.
* Install window stops so that windows open no more than four inches.
* Keep windows locked and closed when they are not being used.
* Keep furniture away from windows so kids cannot climb to the ledge.
* If you have double-hung windows — the kind that can open down from the top as well as up from the bottom — it is generally safer to open the top pane, but growing kids may have enough strength, dexterity and curiosity to open the bottom pane.
* Do not rely on window screens to prevent falls.
* Keep windows locked when they are closed.
* Supervise children at all times, especially around open windows.
Sometimes, though, even when a parent does everything right, a young child falls out of a screened window because the screen was in poor repair or installed incorrectly or faulty in its design. If your child or a child you know was injured from a fall through a window screen, consult a Virginia child injury lawyer who can give you accurate information about whether your child has a claim for her injuries. Not every fall from a window is the fault of someone else, but some are. A Virginia child injury lawyer can evaluate the facts and advise you whether there is an at-fault person who could accountable for your child’s injuries.
I will be happy to answer your questions. Call me at 703-260-6070, send me an email at Sandra@RohrstaffLaw.com, or a fax to 703-260-6305. You can also contact me through our website, www.RohrstaffLaw.com. There is no charge for the consultation.
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