By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
A government study reported that approximately 100 children died and 2000 were injured as a result of vehicle backover accidents in 2007. The study was released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The study was in response to a 2008 law that required the tracking of backover incidents, power window strangulations, and heat exposure injuries / deaths.
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
What is a vehicle blind zone? What is a vehicle backover accident? Children in all States are at risk for injury or death from vehicle backover accidents. A vehicle blind zone is the area behind a vehicle that a person (the driver) cannot see from the driver’s seat. The higher and larger the vehicle – the larger the blind zone.
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Distracted and negligent drivers cause accidents every day in various States. Many safety groups, parents, and child safety advocates would like to see laws banning the use of cell phone / mobile phones while driving. These proponents of changes in the law of many States believe that the banning of cell phone / mobile phones will lead to a decrease in distracted drivers as well as automobile accidents and trucking accidents with related personal injuries and wrongful deaths.
By Stephanie Brown and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Georgia, a parent can be held liable for the negligence of a child driving an automobile that is maintained by the parent for the use and convenience of his family. If the parent, as the owner of the car, has given permission to his child to drive the car and has relinquished control of the car to the child then the parent can be held liable for injuries caused by the child as long as the child was in the car when the accident occurred and the car was being used for a “family purpose.”
By Jeremy Vishno and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Derby, Connecticut, an 11 year old boy had just received his first new bicycle for Christmas. It was a BMX style bicycle, with grinding bars and front handle bars that could spin completely around, allowing for all sorts of cool tricks. A special brake mechanism allowed the handle bars to spin completely around so that riders could perform “extreme” tricks while the front wheel is off the ground, such as a “bar spin.” Unfortunately, when the bicycle was assembled at the store that sold it to the boy’s mom, the brake cables were not properly attached to the discs above the wheel and below the handle bars. A few days of riding and the boy was ready to try some jumps with his friends. On his first jump, he flew only a short distance, but when he tried to stop the bicycle with the front brakes, nothing happened! The fence that loomed just ahead was too close for him to avoid, and he struck it head on. On impact, the boy’s body moved forward off his seat, striking the base of the handle bars, where the brake discs, hard steel plates, were located. This impact caused serious personal injuries: a severe laceration of the boy’s penis and scrotum, requiring immediate hospitalization, surgery and anti-biotics. A lawsuit was filed against the manufacturer, the toy store and the company that assembled the bicycle for the store.
By Stephanie Brown and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Parents and caregivers of children who receive compensation or monetary settlements for personal injury cases should pay attention to the issue of qualification for benefits. Typically, a special needs child receives federal and state benefits based on disability as well as income requirements. If a child receives the proceeds from a personal injury settlement, these funds in a standard bank account could disqualify the child from some of the government benefits in place prior to the injury. Government benefits of this nature include Medicaid and Social Security Income benefits.
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
I found a very helpful and resourceful site called www.kidsandcars.org dedicated to child safety and the prevention of injuries and death from non-traffic motor vehicle related incidents. “Non-traffic motor vehicle related incidents” – What is this referring to? It refers to any incident in which a child is injured or dies involving a vehicle that is not in an automobile accident or crash. This would include but not limited to the following:
By Thomas J. Duff and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
KCCI Des Moines Iowa TV Station did an excellent study and program on distracted drivers. Distracted driving can result from common everyday activities that do not exactly combine well with the physical and mental requirements of operating a motor vehicle. While driving, many people eat, sing, talk, read, check e mail, text, and multi-task. Motor vehicles in many states are referred to as “dangerous instrumentalities” since a minor mistake or a second or two of inattention can lead to serious adult and child injuries and, in some instance, death.
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