Articles Posted in Washington State

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By David Wolf, Child Injury Lawyer

https://www.childinjurylawyerblog.com/files/2016/08/Amusement-Park.001-300x279.jpegIt is common to see fairs, amusement parks, and festivals in just about every community on a regular basis. When a person visits an area with amusement rides, it is the rightful expectation of the the visitor that the rides are safe, that the rides are inspected, and that the rides are well maintained.  Unfortunately, for some visitors, including children, a fair, theme park, amusement park, or festival is the site of an accident or incident that causes serious personal injuries.  When a ride breaks down or malfunctions, a person can be put at great danger for personal injuries.  This applies to both adults and children.  For each State, there is a division of government that regulates and inspects fairground rides and amusement park rides.  Typically, the duties and responsibilities for inspection fall under the Department of Agriculture but it does depend on the specific State laws and regulations.  Regardless of the particular entity charged with this responsibility, it is vital that business owners, property owners and promoters comply with the applicable laws, rules and regulations. Furthermore, additional steps should be taken to make sure that the rides are safe and well maintained.  When the ride is in operation, it is important that all safety measures are taken with respect to the overall control of the ride and the individual seats and ride units.  All latches should be secured and seatbelt should be worn as provided.

When an adult or a child is injured as a result of the negligence of a fair, amusement park, theme park, festival, and / or the seller, distributor, or manufacturer of the ride, a case or claim can and should be brought on behalf of the injury victim.  David Wolf is a personal injury attorneys with over 26 years of experience.  He has handled personal injury cases on behalf of children in many communities.  He is the author of 11 books including the book titled – The ABCs of Child Injury – Legal Rights of the Injured Child – What Every Parent Should Know.  This book has a section on Theme Park and Amusement Park Personal Injuries.  You can get this book for free at The ABCs of Child Injury
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By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Blog

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In schools, day care center, and summer camps, children should be cared for in a safe environment by trained and caring individuals.  The top priority for all child care facilities should be the safety of the children.  Each and every child care worker should act in the best interest of the child.  For some children however, the summer camp, day care center, or school is the site of horrendous and unforgivable acts of neglect, abuse, and molestation by the very caregivers hired and paid to watch over the children.  When a child is neglected, abusee, or molested, a civil case or claim can be pursued on behalf of the injured child through the proof of the following elements:

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By  David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Handcuffs - Criminal - Child AbuseIn Washington and other States, parents rely on day care center to provide a safe, clean, and healthy environment for their children during working hours.  Parents, with children in day care centers, should visit frequently and at odd times.  In other words, a parent should visit at different times of the day in order to see how the staff is supervising the children under their care.  The staff in the morning may be different than the staff in the afternoon.  Furthermore, if the day care center staff believes that a parent could walk in at any moment of the day, this may, in turn, make the day care center staff more attentive to the duties and responsibilities at hand.   For most children, day care centers, schools, and summer camps provide that certain educational environment that certainly contributes to the growth and happiness of a child.   Unfortunately, some child care providers use their position of trust and access to abuse and neglect the very children that they are responsible for supervising and protecting from harm.   Certainly, the good child care providers outnumber the bad ones; however, one bad child care provider who abused and neglects children is frankly one too many.  Day care centers should carefully screen all day care center employees with background checks that are not only completed by an electronic search but also follow up calls to work and personal references.  Once hired, day care center employees should be trained and supervised.
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School Bus - BlueBy David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In the State of Washington and other States, schools and day care centers transport our most precious and important passengers – our children. In doing so, the school and day care center drivers have a legal responsibility to drive in a safe manner, obey traffic regulations and signs, and otherwise use their best efforts and judgment to get the children from one place to another.  One of the easiest tasks is the responsibility to make sure that all children are removed from the bus at the appropriate stop and certainly by the end of the run.   While this is a somewhat simple task, it is one that is commonly overlooked by day care center / school bus drivers and attendants.  It certainly requires more that merely checking the rear view mirror or completing a quick glance towards the back of the van or bus.  A school bus driver should conduct a visible sweep of the school bus. In other words, a school bus driver should safety park the bus and then get out of his or her seat and walk from the front of the bus or van and look in every seat and aisle all the way to the back and make sure that all children are removed from the bus.  It is also a good way to see if any children left any items on the bus like book bags, books, lunches, sports equipment, mobile phones, etc.  It is also a good idea to conduct a visible sweep two times for good measure.  If there is both a school bus driver and an attendant, then it is recommended by some school and child safety experts that each person (the school bus driver and the attendant) conduct the visible sweep of the bus.

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playground tire swings empty
By Sara Schlafstein, Law Clerk and David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In the State of Washington as well as other States, playgrounds provide children a place to have fun and be active.  Playgrounds allow children to move around, use their imagination, and interact with their friends.  To have fun, playgrounds should be a place where there can be a certain amount of adventure.  This must be tempered with safety and adult supervision.  Unfortunately, playgrounds can be the site of serious personal injuries or even the death of a child when equipment is in disrepair, equipment is not age appropriate for the children in and around the playground, equipment is dangerous, and / or there is a lack of supervision.   While most playgrounds are designed with safety in mind and provide a great environment for children, adult supervision should always be provided because most playgrounds have swigns, ropes, monkey bars, and / or elevated areas in which a child can be injured.  Furthermore, children need to be supervised to make sure that the playground is being used as designed.  Furthermore, any time that children play in the same area, there is always a risk of rough play, bullying, and other acts that can and do lead to the injury of a child.

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By Sara Schlafstein, Law Clerk and David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

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In Vancouver, Washington and other cities, children can often be found on school, public, and day care center playgrounds. Physical activity is an important part of the school day and can help enhance the education experience for children. It is important when children are in the playground that safety precautions are taken. Day care center works, teachers, and staff members should provide attentive supervision. While mobile phones are great tools, mobile phones can also be a distraction for adults charged with the responsibility of playground supervision. All parts of the playground should be supervised.

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By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

U.S.%20State%20Map%20Washington.jpgIn the State of Washington, children are the unfortunate victims of personal injuries that are caused by automobile accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, playgroud injuries, school injuries, and other incidents. When a child is injured, a parent is faced with many challenges in dealing with the medical care, insurance issues, and, yes, legal issues that may arise in any given case. When a child is injured, it is important for a parent to stay calm and get the support of family and friends when getting through this most difficult period for the child and the immediate family. A Child Injury Lawyer can help guide the parent through the maze of issues and challenges that present themselves in most cases.

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By Lee Tucker, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

State%20Map%20Washington.jpgIn the State of Washington and other States, children are the unfortunate victims suffering from personal injuries as a result of an automobile accident, pedestrian accident, trucking accident, or bicycle accident. When a child suffers personal injuries from an automobile accident or these other accidents, a parent is often faced with the challenges of getting medical bills paid and treatment in place. Furthermore, when a child is injured as a result of the fault of another person, the child is entitled to pain and suffering compensation related to the injuries caused by the accident. It is important for a parent to consult with a Washington Child Injury Lawyer when dealing with these issues and the other insurance and legal issues that arise in these cases. It should be noted that Washington law requires that vehicle owners carry a minimum of $25,000 in Bodily Injury liability insurance. This coverage can provide compensation to the injury victim for medical bills, pain, suffering, and other damages. There are other forms of insurance available in the State of Washington but these coverages are optional. These include Medical Payment Coverage, PIP (Personal Injury Protection) Coverage, and Uninsured Motorist Coverage. While Bodily Injury Coverage is required under Washington Law, many vehicle owners allow the coverage to lapse or otherwise fail to secure and maintain the required insurance in the State of Washington.

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By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

hand%20gun%20with%20bullets.jpgAccidental shootings unfortunately and tragically take the lives of children in the United States. Our country has a proud history of the right to bear arms. It is a constitutional guarantee. Many gun proponents argue that no laws should impinge on the constitutional right to bear arms. Others, however, argue that some restrictions and safeguards should be put in place for the protection of children and others. Any gun laws can bring out a heated debate. Frederick Rivara is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Wahington. Dr. Rivara wrote an article for the Seatte Times that advocated for the implementation of CAP (Child Access Protection) laws in the State of Washington as well as other States. An important issue is how to protect children from access to guns kept in the home and other locations. Dr. Rivara points out that gun, cable, or trigger locks effectively decrease the incidents of deaths from guns in the home. Child safety should be a universal goal and mission for all parents, schools, day care centers, and the community. Unfortunately, whether it is a gun that is not properly stored or other dangerous item or condition, children are injured every day due to a lack of safety precautions. Yes, some children are injured due to an unforeseeable accident or incident; however, it should be pointed out that many child injuries are preventable with due care and common sense. See Gun Safety – Doctor Advocates fro CAP (Child Access Protection Laws).

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By David Alan Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

education%20school%20day%20care%20school%20bus%20with%20big%20black%20front%20mirrors.jpgIn the State of Washington, children are passengers on school buses in the morning and afternoon hours on school days. It is important for school bus drivers and other drivers to obey traffic signals / speed limits and otherwise pay attention to road, traffic, and weather conditions. Unfortunately, there are many/ accidents that take place every year in the State of Washington that involve school buses or day care center vans. When an accident takes place involving a school bus or day care center van, children can be the unfortunate and sometimes tragic victims of the crash. Roll over accidents are especially troubling as these school bus accidents frequently involve serious personal injuries to the occupants / passengers of the school bus.

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