How much fun is too much fun? A look at child safety incidents in 2014 might give you an idea. When it comes to protecting your children, sometimes storing the matches out of reach and encouraging them to “look both ways” just isn’t enough. Check out this overview of accidents involving kids over the last year.

An Independent Slide

In an incident that was simply too close for comfort, a giant inflatable slide was whooshed 3 stories into the sky of Sparks, Nevada at a Fourth of July carnival. The slide landed three hundred feet away from its original position, according to witnesses.

Luckily, there were no children on the slide during the time of flight. Ironically enough, however, the carnival employees had just finished safety checks and were about to invite more children onto the slide. One child had been on it only minutes before the slide blew away.

This marked the third bouncy house accident over the course of three months.

A Not-So-Amusing Amusement Park

It turns out that Six Flags Magic Mountain doesn’t have the best relationship with its environment. One Monday in July, four people were seriously injured at the Six Flags ride in Santa Clarita, California when a tree fell on the tracks.

Two of these individuals were taken to a local hospital, while the other two were left dangling 20-30 feet above the ground for hours. Firefighters eventually rescued the dangling riders.

This was the second roller coaster accident that week. Only days before the incident, on June 30, a SeaWorld San Diego ride lost power and left its riders stranded for hours.

Danger Care

Several tragic events in August led to the deaths of children due to unlicensed daycare facilities. The first was a 2-year-old girl who was scalded by her bathwater at 9:30pm in Houston. The caretaker did not call 911 or take her to the hospital for several hours, as she was unaware of any harm.

The poor little girl had second and third degree burns on 60% of her body. In a chilling response, her mother’s screams could be heard throughout her apartment complex later that night.

Later that week in Houston, a 2-year-old boy was found dead in his crib for reasons unknown. There was no evidence of foul play. However, the caretaker was also not licensed, and prompted police to further investigate the facility.

Finally, in Wilmington, an 18-month-old child died after being kept alive on life support for several days. The cause of death was injuries from physical abuse that left the child brain dead after cutting off blood flow to her head.

The 22-year-old mother left the child at what she believed was a state-licensed daycare facility, where the injuries occurred. It was later discovered that the caretaker wasn’t licensed, which launched a full criminal investigation by police.

Go-Kart Mayhem

One teen’s day out went from thrilling to killing when she crashed her go-kart into a fence and died from fatal injuries. In a Formula Junior solo race, 14-year-old Kierstin Eaddy could not stop at the finish line. Instead, she seemed to accelerate, leading her to crash through a fence.

An experienced autocross racer with the Sports Car Club of America at the time, Kierstin was wearing her helmet and safety gear for the race. The crash, however, stripped her of her helmet as she came to a stop in a large field. She was airlifted to Harris Methodist Hospital, where she tragically died of her injuries.

The Wheels on the Bus Runaway and Crash

Apparently, you can’t even trust that your kids will get home safely from school anymore. There have been some ridiculous school bus accidents in 2014, some leading to multiple injuries and hospitalizations.

In late April, a mishap occurred that did not result in injuries, but was no less terrifying. A bus driver simply walked off the bus after handing the keys to one of the children. The driver explained her frustration was due to noisy children not listening to her commands to calm down.

Later in 2014, further negligence led a runaway bus to hit one child on its way into a ditch. The incidence was a result of the driver forgetting to place the bus in park as he left for the restroom. Fortunately, the child’s injuries were non-life-threatening and would fully recover.

What do these events say about child safety today? Simply put: Accidents happen. You can keep your kids in houses that are filled with more than air and do avoid go-karting as a hobby, but people will always make mistakes.

If your child has been injured due to negligence, then it’s important that you speak with an experienced personal injury attorney today.

*Image courtesy of Dinh Van Lanh