Children love to wander through and explore their surroundings. In most cases, this natural desire to explore is good for kids in the Denver region. They can learn about the world and develop an appreciation for nature. However, a child’s curiosity can also put them in harm’s way if they interact with what is called an attractive nuisance on someone else’s property.
Attractive nuisances are items or property features that appeal to children and tempt them to enter someone’s property for a closer examination. Unfortunately, many of these items are dangerous to kids and often lead to injury.
What are some attractive nuisance examples?
Almost anything can attract children. Fortunately, most of these things are usually harmless. Common attractive nuisances that may result in injury to your child include:
- Water fountains
- Swimming pools
- Tunnels and wells
- Equipment or machinery
- Pets, livestock and other animals
- Stairs and pathways
- Construction projects
Even if your child entered the property uninvited and suffered an injury, you may still qualify for a premises liability claim. The law knows that kids do not always understand the dangers of wandering onto unfamiliar property. As such, the attractive nuisance doctrine places a special responsibility on property owners to take reasonable steps to protect these little wanderers from harm.
For example, say your neighbor’s property contains an old well in the back yard, and the owner has seen kids exploring around the well. Because the property owner knows that children may come to play near the well, they must take steps to secure or cover the injury hazard to keep kids safe.
If your child suffered an injury because of an attractive nuisance that could have been better secured, it is time to learn more about premises liability and injury law.