Child Injury Lawyer Blog

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Grand Forks, Minnesota, a former day care owner (Marsha Brouillet) was sentenced for child abuse charges involving a head injury to a friend's child under her care. The child required a two day hospital stay for injuries resulting in bleeding in the brain and seizures. The mother of the 4 month old child senses that something was wrong with her child and the day care center and sought medical attention for her child. Furthermore, she removed her child from the day care center. The day care owner later admitted to shaking the child without supporting his head. The parents are thankful that the injuries were not worse and they were understandably upset that the day care owner would act in such a reckless and callous manner.

Day care center owners and employees should not work in a day care center or around children if they cannot handle the cries or demands of children. Babies, infants, toddlers, and children will cry. They can also be quite demanding and unreasonable. This comes with the territory. A safe and loving haven should be provided in a day care center. You can read more about this Minnesota matter at Child Suffered Head Injury at Day Care Center.

By Jonathan Safran, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Kansas and other states, children in day care centers are often times put at risk by unsafe day care center drivers. Some of these drivers even choose to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In Witchita, Kansas, a former day care owner was charged with driving under the influence. She later pled no contest to the charges. Police were tipped off as to the owner's intoxication by day care center workers who say the owner leave with children in a day care center vehicle. The day care center workers were concerned and contacted the police. Fortunately, no children were harmed by the reckless conduct of the day care owner but her actions certainly put the children in the vehicle at risk. In addition, any other drivers / passengers, pedestrians, and bicylists in the area of the day care center owner's driving were also put at risk. You can read more about this story at Former Day Care Center Owner Guilty of DUI Charges.

By Jonathan Safran, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

The Alphabet Street Learning Center was the site of child abuse incidents that led to the criminal prosecution and sentencing of a former day care worker. Pamela Coleman, age 42, was sentence to a one year prison sentence. At the sentencing, Judge Coleman stated that he was concerned about the future safety of her children including the one that she was pregnant with. The child victims at the day care center suffered injuries in the form of spiral fractures. These type of fractures typically occur when a child's arm is forcefully twisted. Children should be handled with care and not with force especially in a day care center. You can read more about this story at Former Wisconsin Day Care Worker Gets Prison Sentence for Child Abuse Incidents.
See also Spiral Fracture.

By Jay Foster, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Mississippi and other states, emergency rooms and pediatricians are called upon to treat children who suffer head injuries as a result of an ATV accident or incident. Dr. Shannon Smith is a pediatric rehabilitation doctor based in Mississippi. Dr. Smith is advocating for the passage of a law that would require helmets for children who ride ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles). You can read more about Dr. Smith's points and the dangers of ATVs at Mississippi Needs Tougher ATV Laws for the Protection of Children.

With or without a law in place, all owners of ATVs should exercise good safety measures especially when children are riding on the ATVs. Put a helmet on the child and properly supervise the use of the ATV. Just because the ATV is operated on a dirt road off of concrete does not mean that the child cannot be injured by an accident or fall off the ATV. Many serious head and brain related injuries can be avoided or lessened by the wearing of an appropriate helmet.

By Robert Chaiken, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Texas and other states throughout the nation, there is a danger in virtually every home - the bathtub. Leaving a toddler / small child unattended in a bathtub can lead to tragedy. In Houston, Texas, a 8 month old boy was left unattended for a period long enough to drown. The incident took place at approximately 5:20 p.m. While attending to some other children, the baby drowned. Parents and caregivers need to devote all their time and attention to the child in the bathtub due to the real and present danger of drowning. Since a child can drown in a very short period of time, there is no acceptable periods of inattention or lack of supervision when a child is in a bathtub. Unfortunately, many parents, who are loaded with responsibilities of work, housework, and other children, do not recognize the danger of the bathtub until it is too late. You can read more about this story at Baby Reported as Drowning Death in Houston, Texas.

By Jay Foster, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

A former day care worker at the New Beginning's Day Care Center in Moselle, Mississippi pleaded guilty to charges of child molestation and sexual battery. Derrick Williams (age 23) received the maximum criminal sentence according to Assistant District Attorney J. Ronald Parrish. The crimes involved the fondling of 4 and 5 year old girls who attended the day care center that was owned by Williams' mother.

It is certainly tragic that children were abused and neglected at a facility that should have been a safe haven and a place of education and fun for the children. It is quite unsettling that parents cannot trust that day care centers will provide for the safety and well being of children under their care. You can read more about this story at Ex Day Care Worker in Moselle, Mississippi Pleads Guilty to Crimes Involving Fondling of Children.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In the Blackhawk Area School District - Pennsylvania, a mother is upset over an incident that recently took place when her daughter was dropped off at the wrong bus stop without any supervision in the cold. Fortunately, the child did not suffer any serious personal injuries; however, the incident placed this child at risk where injuries or harm could have resulted. It appears that there was some kind of breakdown in communication or action on the part of the school, day care, and / or bus company that resulted in such a traumatic situation for this 7 year old girl and her family. While tragedy was avoided, this incident will be a good teaching point for the school, day care center, and bus company so that similar incidents are avoided in the future. You can read more about this story at Mother States that Daughter Was Dropped Off At Wrong Stop Without Any Supervision.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Child safety starts at home. A good article was posted at the website - www.doityourself.com on the issue of child proof door locks. Unfortunately, many children are injured in the home every day. Many of these personal injuries result when a child wanders out of the home or into an area of the home where the child does not belong. Installing appropriate child proof locks can provide a toddler / child from the every day dangers that present themselves in the home. Providing child proof door locks is one step among many that a parent, caregiver, and day care owner can take to prevent injuries to children. See 6 Reasons for Having a Child Proof door Lock in Your Home.

6 Reasons for Having a Child Proof Door Lock in Your Home

Childproofing your home is an important aspect of ensuring the safety and security of your children, and a child proof door lock is a valuable asset in this context. Young children are known for their sense of adventure, and every parent must be vigilant about the possible dangers this may lead to. Enlisted below are the most important reasons for having a child proof door lock in different parts of your home.

1 – Keeps Children Away from Danger
Children love to explore their surroundings, starting at very young ages. If the front door on your home can be opened by young children, the dangers they are exposed to are immense. It is crucial that you use a child proof door lock on the front door of your home, to avoid unsupervised explorations outdoors. Ensure that all the doors to the outside of your home, such as the patio door, side doors, garage doors and windows have child proof latches and locks on them.

2 – Protects Kids from Risky Situations in the Home
Areas such as the kitchen and bathroom are dangerous for unsupervised young children. Electric shocks, drowning, burns, falls, heavy items tilting over, etc are some of the most common risks that a young child may be exposed to. When you are not around, it is prudent to keep these areas out of the access of young children. In the kitchen, appliances such as refrigerators, ovens and knives are highly dangerous. An inquisitive child may try to climb inside a large appliance and become trapped. There is also a high risk of injuries and burns, which can eliminated with a child proof door lock.

3 – Keeps Appliances and Electric Devices Away from Kids
In the office, there are several sharp objects and substances such as ink or glue, which are potentially dangerous to young children. In additions, electrical devices and cords increase the risks of fires and shocks. An unoccupied office must be secured shut with a childproof lock.

4 – Reduces Chances of Finger Injury
A child who can open a door is more at risk of jamming his fingers in between and getting seriously injured. A child proof door lock can eliminate this risk, while at the same time keeping the child safely out of dangerous territory.

5 – Provides Security and Peace of Mind
If you do not have child proof door locks in your home, you must ensure the safety of your children by closely monitoring them at all times. It can be very stressful to do this, especially when you can be easily distracted by a visitor or a phone call. Child proof door locks are a reliable means of ensuring the safety of your children, even if they are out of your sight for some time.

6 – Allows Children to Explore the Unlocked Areas in the Home
Child proof door locks also afford peace of mind to young kids, because they can freely explore the safe areas in their home. A child who is told ‘no’ too often may show an inclination to become disobedient over time.

Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/6-reasons-for-having-a-child-proof-door-lock-in-your-home#ixzz0gROzPMNN

By Jeremy Vishno, Attorney, and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

A mother in Cantebury, Connecticut was recently arrested after she left her 11 year old daughter home alone for a week. The child's lack of supervision was discovered after she missed school. The mother initially claimed that she was visiting the State of Florida due to a death in the family but later admitted she was in Florida to see her boyfriend. Most people would probably agree that 11 year old children need supervision and that one week is way too long to leave a child to take care of herself. Others may argue that 11 year olds are mature enough to take care of themselves for this period of time. Fortunately, the 11 year old Connecticut girl did not suffer any personal injuries but one must wonder how the 11 year old feels about having a mother leave her for a week to visit a boyfriend. It was reported that the 11 year old girl went to live with her father in New York following this incident. You can see a video about this story at Police: Connecticut Mother Left Child Alone for a Week.

Of course, the mother will have the right to defend herself in the criminal proceedings through a private criminal attorney or a public defender. This story should be used as an illustration as to the importance of providing children with proper and consistent supervision. The failure to act as a responsible parent can lead to serious consequences.

By Kevin Leach, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

A young girl recently accompanied her mother to Washington Dulles airport to pick up a friend who was arriving from Argentina. A Customs and Border Protection K-9 unit dog that was undergoing training suddenly attacked the girl, knocking her over and clamping down on her pelvis. The dog refused to release, and was eventually subdued by its handler. The girl’s mother was also bitten by the dog when she tried to help her daughter. According to witnesses, the child did nothing to provoke the dog.

The child was taken to a nearby hospital and has reportedly been given twenty stitches in her torso. She has been released from the hospital and is being cared for at home. The mother was understandably upset after the attack, but doesn’t appear to have a problem with ongoing dog training efforts at the airport. She did say she believed that the handlers should take more precautions with dogs in training, such as muzzling them and keeping them away from small children.

It is a shame that an animal being trained to protect citizens attacked this young girl. She will no doubt be scarred both emotionally and physically from the attack.

Read more details about the child mauled by a customs dog at Dulles Airport at Report: Customs patrol dog attacks child at Dulles Airport.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, every five days a child dies in the United States from choking on food. That makes choking the number one cause of death for children under fourteen, although children under four are most at risk.

The group is now calling on legislators and manufacturers to put in place a system of labeling certain high-risk foods to warn parents of choking risks. It points out that there are many laws and regulations aimed at preventing children form choking on toys, but no consistent program for labeling foods that pose the same type of risk. In addition to lack of regulations, there is also no central repository for data on childhood deaths caused by choking on food. The Academy would like to see that change, as well.

Certain types of foods are more likely for kids to choke on. These foods are usually cylindrical and about the size of a child’s throat. Foods mentioned specifically included hot dogs, grapes, baby carrots, apples and peanuts. The Academy has released some tips for parents to deal with risky foods:

• Cut the food into smaller pieces so it is not the right size to block the child’s throat. This includes cutting hotdogs lengthwise and grapes into quarters.
• Don’t give small children hard to chew foods like hard candies, nuts and baby carrots.
• Keep children in an upright seated position when eating.

Read more about the American Academy of Pediatrics’ initiative to prevent childhood food choking at Labels urged for foods that can choke kids.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

A mother’s piercing screams brought the Washington state high school wrestling championships to a sudden halt in Tacoma recently. The woman’s seventeen month old child had just slipped through a gap in the bleachers at the Tacoma Dome, and had fallen twenty to thirty feet to the concrete below.

Amazingly, when medics reached the girl behind the bleachers, they found her conscious and moving about. She was rushed to the hospital, and is reportedly doing well, though her condition was not officially released.

A spokesman for the Tacoma Dome is calling this a freak accident, saying that the dome has been in existence for over twenty five years and this is the first time an accident of this nature has taken place. Immediately after the accident, Tacoma Dome employees searched the arena for gaps and taped over several as a temporary measure until more permanent modifications can be made. Investigators are now talking to witnesses to piece together what happened. They have said they will do whatever it takes to keep such an accident from happening again.

At the same event, a person fell through a ceiling tile in a restricted area, but was not injured badly enough to require a trip to the hospital.

To find out more about this harrowing accident at the Tacoma Dome, visit Child injured in fall from Tacoma Dome bleachers.