Children are curious about the things around them. They’re often spontaneous in what they do. Their decision-making skills aren’t finetuned yet, so they won’t always make the best decisions. This becomes an important fact if the child suffers an injury due to succumbing to temptation on another person’s property.
Another thing that children often don’t realize is that other people’s property is off limits. They may see a neighbor’s swimming pool or swing set and think they look fun, so they go to explore them. It’s up to the property owners to secure these items that might be attractive to children.
What is an attractive nuisance?
An attractive nuisance is anything on a property that’s appealing to children. Homeowners and other property owners are required to take reasonable precautions to prevent children from being harmed by those attractive nuisances. This includes steps like putting up a fence with a locked gate around a swimming pool, which is something that’s actually mandated by building codes and other laws, depending on the location.
One of the key points regarding an attractive nuisance is whether the person who was harmed could have foreseen danger from their actions. In the case of children, the answer to that is usually that they couldn’t foresee it. When a trespasser who knew better suffers an injury, they may not be able to take legal action regarding any injuries they suffer while trespassing on the property.
When a child is harmed on another person’s property, their parents may choose to seek compensation for the injuries suffered. There are time limits in Mississippi for these matters, so be sure to act swiftly if you’re going to seek compensation.
