Child Injury Lawyer Blog
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.
A South Carolina girl suffered severe head injuries following a bicycle accident. Unfortunately, she was not wearing a bicycle helmet at the time of the injury. Skyy Nesbitt of Wellford, South Carolina fell off her bicycle and was then taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital Skyy is in a coma from these injuries
In Alabama and other states, roads are filled with teenage drivers. It is a big responsibility to get behind the wheel of a car. The teen driver is not only responsible for his or her own safety but also the safety of the passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. An automobile is a “dangerous instrument” that can and does cause wrongful death and personal injuries on a daily basis. In Alabama, one out of every eight teenage drivers in an automobile accident according to 2007 statistics. This amounts to 30,000 teens out of 250,000 teens according to the Alabama Safe Teen Driving Coalition.
In California and other States, bicyclists are injured every day on or near roadways. Bicyclists suffer serious personal injuries and in some accidents death due to driver inattention, distraction, and / or negligence. In some cases, the driver is subject to criminal prosecution for the wrongful death or personal injuries of the bicyclists. In California, Gaspar Reyes was sentenced to a one year suspended sentence and three years of probation for the death of a bicyclist, Kathy Marie Gienger. Reyes hit Ms. Gienger with a big truck while trying to make a right hand turn. Ms. Gienger was in the crosswalk at the time of the incident. Reyes claimed that he stopped but prosecutors wisely secured the photos that were taken by a nearby ATM at the Safe Credit Union. This photographs taken at 1 second intervals impeached Mr. Reyes’ claim that he stopped prior to making the turn.
A 13 year old boy recently died in a bicycle accident at the Plainfield Skateboard Park in Boy, 13, killed in bicycle accident at Plainfield skateboard park in Plainfield, Connecticut. Witnesses informed police that the boy was attempting a move at the top of the ramp when he lost control of his bicycle and hit his head. Unfortunately and tragically, the boy was not wearing a helmet.
Hawaii is a scenic State with many bicycle trails. There is plenty of good biking in Hawaii; however there are many areas where bicyclists are injured while biking through winding trails and roads and over high and steep terrain. The Honolulu Advertiser newspaper web site recently reported that a bicyclist was injured near Kaena Point when he crashed into a 20 foot ravine. He may have suffered a fractured limb in the incident. The man was riding with a group of other bicyclist at the time. He was later airlifted via helicopter and then transported over to an ambulance to be taken to a local hospital.
The Christian County (Missouri) Optimist Club hosts an annual event called Safetypalooza. This program promotes bicycle safety to children. The event provides children with important safety lessons for riding bicycle. Every year, children are unfortunately injured while riding bicycles in Missouri and other States. Safetypalooza is an important program that helps prevent serious personal injuries and wrongful death to children who ride bicycles.
When a lawsuit is filed on behalf of a minor child in Georgia, any settlement of the lawsuit may require the approval of the Probate Court where the child resides. 
Often in personal injury cases involving children, the defendant will claim that the child was contributorily negligent and his recovery is barred or must be reduced. In Georgia, children must exercise such care as his mental and physical capacities allow him to exercise in the actual circumstances of the occasion.