Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Benjamin A. Klopman, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Washington D.C. and other areas, infant deaths from accidental strangulation and suffocation rose over a twenty year period between 1984 and 2004. These deaths resulted from a parent, adult or another child accidentally strangulating or suffocating the infant while sleeping in the same bed or area with the infant. Some families have the infant in bed because there are no other beds in the home for the infant or parent. Others do it out of habit, culture or tradition. Whatever the reason, many infants are the unfortunate victims of strangulation and suffocation incidents that can be easily avoided. You can read more about this study at Suffocation / Strangulation Deaths on the Rise According to Medical Study.
Parents have a special responsibility and duty to raise their children and provide for their health, safety and welfare. Driving children around town on drugs is truly a dangerous situation. Furthermore, drug use and abuse distract from a parent’s responsibility to supervise their children. Judgment is certainly impaired from drug use. In Oregon, William and Tracy Duncan were arrested on charges of possession of meth and for child endangerment after officers found children who ranged in age from 5 to 10 years old without seat belts in the vehicle. At the time of the arrest, both parents were under the influence of methamphetamine.
Parents and caregivers who smoke often try to blow the smoke away from their children. This provides a false sense of safety to parents who think that they can keep harmful smoke from their children. Unfortunately, there is another danger to children beyond second hand smoke. It is being called “Third Hand Smoke” which refers to the gases and particle that cling on smokers’ hair, clothing, furniture, car seats, and other objects. This residue, to which children are exposed, includes heavy metals, carcinogens (cancer causing agents), and even radioactive materials that a child may ingest.
For children in Georgia injured by prescription and over the counter drugs, Georgia’s Governor wants to deny them their right to recovery if the drugs were FDA approved. In an effort to encourage business in Georgia, Governor Sonny Perdue has proposed a grant of civil immunity to pharmaceutical companies from lawsuits seeking recovery for damages caused by drugs that had FDA approval. Apparently believing that the FDA is infallible and only approves safe drugs, the Governor seeks to make Georgia a more attractive state for businesses, including the biotechnology companies. This proposed legislation, however, fails to recognize the many instances when the FDA grants approval but later pulls a drug once various harmful effects are discovered in mass use by the public.
The Associated Press has reported that a lawsuit has been filed by the parents of Heather Harkness for her wrongful death. The surgeon, anesthesiologist, and hospital were named as defendants in the lawsuit. Heather Harkness, age 16, died as a result of alleged medical malpractice during a surgery for
Lawsuits and insurance claims filed on behalf of children bitten by a dog are controlled by 
In Iowa and Other States, teenagers are taking steroids to try to get one step up on the competition in sports, body building and other pursuits. Medical studies have shown that steroids can have serious long term medical effects on teenagers and adults as well. In Gilbertville / Mason City, Todd Gerleman was arrested for giving his teenage son steroids. According to news reports, it was the father’s idea and plan to provide his son with steroids to get his son more interested in sports.