Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Stephanie Brown, Attorney, and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In an effort to deter sex offenders from further crimes and to monitor their computer activities, the State of Georgia passed a law that requires sex offenders to disclose their passwords for internet, e mails, and screen names to authorities. It is estimated that there are 16,000 registered sex offenders in the State of Georgia. Legislators, who approved the law, have taken the position that the law is for the protection of children. Opponents to the law state that it is a violation of the privacy rights of the sex offenders. We expect that the law will be challenged on privacy issues and will go before the Georgia appellate courts for review at some point in time in the future.
For decades, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned about the dangers of crib meshing. Between 1978 and 1985 when crib meshing was more common, CPSC records document 15 deaths. While deaths related to meshing have fallen over the years, about 50 babies die annually due to defectively designed cribs. Just two months ago, the CPSC announced the recall of 600,000 drop side cribs manufactured by Delta Enterprise Corp. after the death of an 8-month-old baby who suffocated when the drop side of his crib detached. The recall announcement is available at the CPSC’s website at 
Teenagers like to have fun. Sometimes teenage fun is a prank on a friend, neighbor, or strangers. Pranks like throwing fruit, vegetables, rocks, eggs, and litter can literally lead to serious injuries and death. The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch published a very good article on this topic. The article cited several instances where a teenager, who thought he or she was playing an innocent or not so innocent prank, was seriously injured or shot by a person who was not in on the joke or prank. A teenager with a prank in mind can often be mistaken for a dangerous intruder, burglar, or criminal. The following tragedies were reported:
Nevada lawmakers are aiming at criminalizing text messaging while deriving. Seven states have taken the initiative and have out lawed text messaging while driving. Some other states outlaw text messaging for younger drivers.
The New York Times reported a recent study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef about child deaths world wide. The statistics are quite interesting and astounding at the same time. The study estimates that accidents kill 830,000 children every year which is an almost equivalent to every single child in the city of Chicago, Illinois. The report, which collected date from developed as well as poor countries, was a breakthrough study in that it was a worldwide study. The statistics in poor countries was not as accurate or plentiful as that in developed countries like the United States, England, and Australia. Nevertheless, the study did gather and present data so that efforts can be made country by country as well as worldwide to attempt to prevent the accidental and preventable deaths that take place every year.
Day Care Centers and Residential Day Care Centers in the State of Texas are regulated by the