Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Steven Smith, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Manhattan, New York, the Office of Special Narcotics arrested Akwasiba Radellant, age 36, for running a drug den out of an apartment that also served as a day care center. Ms. Radellant, of course, is entitled to representation from a private criminal defense attorney or the public defender. Ms. Radellant claims that the marijuana did not belong to her and she had no knowledge of its presence in her apartment. Prosecutors, however, believe that Ms. Radellant was involved and had knowledge of the drugs in the apartment since a digital scale was obtained as evidence. In addition, plastic bags were covering windows to the apartment as well. Ultimately, this case will result in a plea deal or a trial. The evidence and witness statements must be analyzed by each side to determine how the case will be pursued or defended.
In an effort to keep kids out of foster care, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services is giving abusive parents accused or suspected of abusing their children a second chance to be good parents to their children. Experts call the experiment, run by the nation’s largest county-run child welfare program, one of the most promising experiments for child welfare. However, it is not without risks; it does place children back into homes that have been deemed unfit.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recently imposed new regulations on manufacturers of baby products. Industry insiders speculate that the new rules were prompted by a recent rash of baby product recalls.
A Massachusetts five year old boy and his seven year old sister were visiting family recently when the visit turned tragic. The family’s pet bullmastiff charged the children, wounding the little girl and seriously injuring the little boy. The dog reportedly attacked without warning or provocation, as the family was leaving the house. The child suffered serious facial injuries from the attack and was taken to the hospital. The dog, a 2 ½ year old, is under the supervision of animal control officers and will remain in quarantine until the owners make a decision on what to do with the animal.
A serious defect with restraint straps has led IKEA to recall its “Leopard” style baby highchair. Parents, who own a Leopard highchair, are advised to stop using it right away and return the chair to IKEA. They will receive a full refund. According to a store press release, the chair has problems with its snap locks, which could cause the seat to fall out from under a child while it is sitting in the highchair. Loose snaps would also pose a choking hazard for small children. The company has received eleven reports of defective restraint straps, and one report of an injury related to the defective straps.
A medical study in Pediatrics –
When word first came out that Christopher Kayden Roedel had been struck and killed in a traffic accident, police said that no charges would be filed in the case. The child was struck by a pickup truck as he was running across a busy street after dark and was pronounced dead at the scene.