Child Injury Lawyer Blog

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

As 24-year-old aspiring actress was arrested in Canada after the woman allegedly abducted a 1-month-old baby girl. Michelle Marie Gopaul, of New York, is accused of faking a casting call for babies in an elaborate scheme to abduct an infant. She remains in a Canadian jail and faces charges of abduction of a minor, according to Toronto police. After moving to Canada, Gopaul allegedly placed an advertisement on the popular internet website Craigslist offering $15,000 for a newborn to acting in a Bollywood-style film. She posed as a casting director and waiting in a Toronto building for the parents to arrive. Gopaul allegedly abducted the infant after the child's mother let Gopaul take the infant into a different room. Gopaul fled with the child in a taxi. Luckily, the baby girl was found unharmed a few hours later. Gary Batasar, Gopaul's laywer, stresses who presumption of innocence and says there is no evidence at this point that shows Gopaul did anything wrong. To read more on this story please see Infant abducted after woman places fake ad on Craigslist.

Fortunately, this child was not harmed or killed in this incident. Gopaul is entitled to an attorney and to defend herself against the charges pressed against her. Sometimes websites such as Craigslist can be advantageous to some consumers. However, people using these sites should always keep in mind that fraud and misrepresentation are committed by many people who use Craigslist and / or other technology as a springboard for their crimes.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Back over accidents can cause serious personal injuries to children. Unfortunately, back over accidents continue to be reported all of the United States, Canada, and other areas. When a driver is backing a vehicle out of a driveway, parking space, or parking lot, it is often difficult to see small children who may be standing, walking or sitting behind the vehicle. While supervision of children is key to keeping them out of these dangerous situations, close observation and attention should be exercised any time that a driver is backing a vehicle out of a driveway, parking lot, or parking space. Taking a few extra moments and due care can make a world of a difference.

In Clark's Harbour, Nova Scotia, a 2 year old child suffered serious personal injuries when the child was hit by a vehicle that was backing out. It was reported that the child suffered a serious head injury and was air lifted to a hospital in Halifax. You can read more about this story at Toddler Facing Serious Personal Injuries After Being Struck by a Car.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Toys can provide a child with hours of fun play time. Toys can also present a choking or health hazard for children. Fisher Price is a major toy manufacturer and distributed. "Little People" has been a big success for the toy company for many years. Health Canada is advising parents to go through toy rooms and boxes to see if any pre-1991 "Little People" are located. The toys pre-1991 were and are small enough to create a serious choking hazard for small children. An article posted at The Vancouver Sun provides more details and a photograph comparing the older "Little People" versus the new and definitely improved "Little People". The post 1991 "Little People" have a wider base and certainly would be more difficult to impossible for a child to swallow.

It is also important to note that supervision by a parent, care giver, or day care worker is also helpful in reducing the incident of choking and other incidents that take place during play time.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

A medical study in Pediatrics - Delayed Identification of Pediatric Abuse- Related Fractures - reported that doctors often miss the signs of child abuse and neglect. The study found that doctors, especially those who were not pediatricians or pediatric specialist, often misdiagnosed child abuse type of fractures for accidental fractures. This was especially the case when the victim / patient was a boy. The report indicated that there was a delayed recognition of abusive fractures in children. When a child is abused or neglected, time is often of the essence in removing the child from a dangerous living environment or from the dangerous person whether it is a parent, teacher, child care giver, older sibling, or another child. You can read more about this study at Doctors Overlook Signs of Child Abuse.

Parents should seek medical attention from a pediatric specialist if possible when dealing with fractures that take place at day care centers, schools, and other areas. It is important for a parent to get a clear diagnosis of the injury including the probable cause of the injury.

By Will Brown, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

The Canadian Press recently published an article that contained some interesting information regarding city design, roads, and playgrounds. A city in Canada was compared to a similar city in Sweden. The incidents of child deaths and injuries in Sweden was lower due, in part, to city design, road planning, and playground safety. One important difference is planning for cars or vehicles and planning for pedestrians, bicyclists, and children. You can read more about this topic at Improving Design of Environment Reduces Child Injury and Death.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Violent crimes including fights and domestic violence can lead to serious injuries to babies and small children. In Winnipeg, Canada, a fight reportedly took place in an apartment complex. During the fight, a baby boy suffered serious personal injuries when he was stabbed at the Shaughnessy Heights Public Housing Complex. The boy is only 8 months old. This incident shows the dangers of fighting especially when children are present. You can read more about this most unfortunate incident at Fight in Winnipeg Apartment Complex Leads to Serious Child Injuries.

By Stephanie F. Brown, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

The website Craigslist.com in Atlanta is under investigation by law enforcement agencies for its use as a child prostitution site. A non-profit child advocacy organization claims that in February, 2009, 176 girls were advertised on Craigslist in Atlanta, Georgia. The FBI has filed charges against two individuals for taking nude photographs of a 17 year old girl and then uploading them onto Craigslist. According to the FBI charges, the two individuals who were charged worked for two days as a prostitute, providing her earnings to the two individuals who have since been charged.

Craigslist reached an agreement with the attorneys general of more than 40 states, including Georgia, in November, 2008. Under this agreement, Craiglist requires posters of erotic services to pay a fee and give a valid credit card. While this agreement had an initial impact on the number of erotic postings, the number of erotic postings of children has since risen again. To read more about this story see Problems with Craigslist Pornography and Child Prostitution.

By David Hollingsworth, Canadian Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Canadian medical researchers have reported that children with arthritis are at higher risk for fractures. The medical study demonstrated that vertebral (spinal) fractures were associated with this higher risk population of children. Arthritis in children is commonly associated with abnormally low bone mass called osteopenia. This, in turn, can progress to osteoporosis which is also called brittle bone disease. The study was reported in the Journal of Pediatrics. The research was conducted through the Montreal Children's Hospital.

Children with arthritis and other pre-existing medical conditions may be a greater risk for injury. As such, parents, caregivers, teachers, day care workers, and sport coaches should exercise due care in the supervision of these children. Just because a child is at risk does not mean that injuries are unavoidable. It only means that the child is more vulnerable for injury.

You can read more about this story at Canadian Researchers Report Higher Incidence in Fractures for Children with Arthritis.