Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Anthony Ferguson, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
The Lewiston (Maine) Sun Journal reports that an early morning fire claimed the life of 9-year old Taylor McQueeney. A candle used as a light source, after the Central Maine Power Company shut off the electricity to the apartment for non-payment, ignited a bed. The fire spread quickly. Taylor McQueeney had spent the night with her cousins, 18-year old Nathan Cote and 25-year old Justin Cote. Craig Austin, age 39, rented the apartment. According to police, the men ran an extension cord from a second floor apartment up to their third floor apartment to power a television and video games, but used candles for light.
Tanning studios / beds can cause harm to both adults and children. A 10 year old in South Wales (United Kingdom) recently suffered 70 % burns after spending just 16 minutes in an unmanned unsupervised tanning studio. The girl was later treated at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery. Doctors believe that the girl would have needed skin grafts had the girl spent a little bit more time in the tanning studio.
In Alabama, Florida, and other States, charter buses fill the roads. There have been several charter bus accidents and incidents in the news over the past few months. This has led safety experts and government officials to question the standards for bus manufacturing, maintenance and operation. In Montgomery, Alabama, a charter bus filled with children recently caught on fire. It appears that the fire started in the brake system and then spread to other parts of the bus. Fortunately, the passengers (adults and children) were safely evacuated from the bus. One of the adult passengers did need oxygen from smoke inhalation. Fortunately, serious personal injuries and death were avoided.
A two-year old Waterville, Maine boy suffered serious burns from a microwave oven fire at his home. It appears that the toddler placed nonmicrowaveable items such as a bottle of perfume and a metal fork into the microwave. A flash fire resulted when he started the microwave. The boy’s mother heard a pop and went downstairs to investigate. She found her son with clothing on fire. She patted the fire out. An ambulance transported the boy to Inland Hospital in Waterville. Once stabilized, he was flown to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Boston for further treatment of the personal injuries / burns suffered as a result of this fire.
The good news is that in Milwaukee, Wisconsin fire deaths have dropped this past year in comparison with years past. An article reported in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reported on the improved statistics as to fires in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at City of 
Parents, Allen and Nichole Hansen, are mourning the deaths of four of their children who recently died in a house fire. Abigal Ziel (age 14), Megan Hansen (age 7), Tyler Hansen (age 8), and Haylee Hansen (age 3) all died in the fire in the Town of Greeley, Iowa. Their older teenage brother and another family escaped the fire.