Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
USA Today recently reported results from a survey on bullying. The media attention devoted to the issue of bullying has resulted, at least in part, from reports of teens committing suicide following incidents or time periods of bullying by peers. Many such instances involve the ridicule of a student for his or her sexual orientation. For instance, Justin Aaberg from Minnesota hanged himself in his bedroom. It was reported that Justin was the frequently bullied or ridiculed for his sexual orientation. It is a shame that children as well as adults engage in bullying activities that are only meant to tear someone down. The results as you can see can be deadly and can forever change the lives of family members left behind in the wake of the bullying acts. You can read the results from the bullying survey at USA Today Survey – Most Teens Admit to Hitting Someone in Anger and Other Statistics.
With summer gone and fall festivals quickly uproaching, parents should get informed on how to keep their children safe during the season. Since Halloween is right around the corner, below are some safety tips for parents and their children to keep from getting tricked on Halloween.
Due to safety concerns, Fisher Price is recalling more than 10 million toys and high chairs in the United States and Canada. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), two of the recalled products involved injuries. A majority of the items being recalled is the Fisher-Price Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricycles; a total of 7 million were recalled, 150,000 of those being in Canada. The CPSC is aware of 10 reported child personal injuries caused by this toy, 6 of which required medical attention. The problem with the strikes seems to be a protruding plastic key near the seat that children can strike, sit or fall on, leading to injuries that can cause genital bleeding.
In Novato, California, school officials closed down three playgrounds at schools to further study the playgrounds for safety precautions. Experts will be consulted to determine what modifications need to be made to make the playgrounds safer for children. One child was reported to fall from the structure which, in turn, caused a fractured arm. Another child also fractured an arm while another suffered from a dislocated shoulder. It was reported that 6 children suffered broken bones after falling from these structures in just a 3 week time period. Officials will evaluate the height of the structure, the number of children that have been playing on the structure at one time, and the manufacturer specifications for the structure.
A Pittsford, New York day care center is being investigated after a child came home with a fractured skull. To this day, parents still do not know how the incident happened. After the incident, a local news team learned that the day care center, Storybrook Child Care, was cited for serious violations. In May, the little boy was sent home with a head injury and the day care did not report or document the incident. The boy’s parents discovered the injury by giving him a kiss on the head one day. After stumbling upon their son’s injury, the parents immediately rushed their child to the hospital; the infant’s head had begun to swell and he was diagnosed with a skull fracture.
Recently, a new interactive Web tool has been designed to aid those families that live on farms in obtaining information on what to consider when designing or constructing a play area for their children on the farm. The guide highlights key elements of injury prevention such as fencing, ground cover, supervision and proper distancing between play structures. If you would like to visit this interactive guide please see 
New research, conducted by researchers with the Center for Injury Research and Police at Nationwide’s Children Hospital, suggested a dramatic increase in the number of youth athletes in the US who have sustained basketball-related traumatic brain injuries. For example, Nationwide’s Children Hospital reported a 70% increase between 1997 and 2007 in children who were treated in the emergency room for brain injuries that occurred while playing basketball.