Hobbsr: Salt and Ice Challenge Can Cause Serious Injury

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Salt and Ice Challenge Can Cause Serious Injury

While watching the latest fad internet challenge is usually exciting, one new challenge is more concerning than anything else. The salt and ice challenge should just be avoided, as it is dangerous and is practically guaranteed to lead to injury.

Unlike the ALS ice-bucket challenge, which had some rather minor liability concerns, the salt and ice challenge is a legal nightmare. Parents need to read up on this one in order to educate their children on why they should avoid this challenge. In fact, schools and anyone in contact with youngsters should be aware of the dangers of this innocent sounding challenge.

Salt and Ice Challenge

So what is it? The salt and ice challenge involves an individual putting an ice cube on top of some salt on top of their skin. While this sounds innocent, it, like the cinnamon challenge, has a hidden danger that can cause serious injury.

The salt causes the ice's temperature drop even lower than it already is, and even a short exposure can lead to frostbite and permanent damage to the skin. Like other nonsense dangerous challenges, children have been seen attempting this despite not being aware of the permanent adverse consequences. Areas of the skin exposed to frostbite that become permanently damaged can lose sensation, feel leathery or different, and stop growing hair or appear discolored.

Liability for Injuries

If you or your child has been injured as a result of the salt and ice challenge, you or your child could potentially have an injury action against someone else if trickery was involved. Although kids playing pranks on each other is nothing new, when pranks lead to injury, especially permanent injury, the pranks stop being excusable as kids just being kids.

While parents are rarely liable for the children's actions, they can be held liable for negligent supervision and under other related civil theories and even criminal charges. Additionally, if the challenge occurs at school, schools could also be liable. However, most likely, due to the nature of how an injury would occur as a result of a child doing one of these challenges, there may not be anyone to hold liable at all.

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