By Stephanie F. Brown, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In a Georgia Court of Appeals decision on April 24, 2009, the Court reversed the trial court’s denial of a motion for summary judgment filed by the parents of a teenager who hosted a party at his parents’ home while the parents were out of town. The teenage boy held a party at his parents’ home while they were out of town for the weekend. The boy invited a friend who purchased methadone from another party guest. After consuming the methadone and alcohol, the friend died of methadone toxicity.
In Arcadia, Missouri, there is a great sigh of relief for the family of Joshua Childers and the surrounding community. Joshua got out of his house one night while his mother was on the telephone and his father was sleeping. The family looked for Joshua for about 45 minutes and then called for help. Search parties were organized and luckily the boy was found by a volunteer.
City officials in Reno, Nevada are recommending changes to the zoning laws to treat digital billboards as standard billboards. These zoning changes would in effect allow more digital billboards to be placed in Reno. Opponents to the zoning changes believe the billboards are a safety hazard. In addition, critics believe that these billboards affect the aesthetics of the City. The Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials concluded that the digital billboards present a road hazard.
In Mississippi and other states, school buses travel streets, highways, and roadways in groups. In other words, school buses follow each other while heading out to field trips, school drop offs, and school pick ups. Since school buses often times travel the same routes in line, bus accidents often times involve more than one bus. In Ridgeland, Mississippi, two school buses operated by First Student, a bus company in many states, crashed into each other. The accident took place on U.S. 51 near the Trace Station Shopping Center. It was reported that Bus 27 rear ended Bus 52 which, in turn, crashed into a pick up truck. The children were from Highland Elementary School. Since some of the students complained of not feeling well or not feeling right, these students were transported to a local hospital.
In Maine, working parents and caregivers place their children in day care centers with both the hope and expectation that their children will be properly cared for. Day care center owners, administrators, and staff have the duty to supervise the children and protect their health, safety, and welfare. Unfortunately, some day care owners, administrators, and staff take advantage of this position of trust and use it to harm, molest, assault, and / or batter children. In Glenburn, Maine, a day care owner did just that. Ronald Earl Tewhey, age 49, was sentenced for his crimes against children. Mr. Tewhey molested a 10 year old girl who was a student at the day care center. He also molested a 17 year old girl as well.
A tragic accident took place recently in Hinds County Mississippi. Two teenage brothers from Jackson, Mississippi were traveling South on I 55 in a Ford Taurus. Wet road conditions may have led to Preston Garrett, age 18, losing control of the vehicle. Brandon Woodard, age 15, was a passenger in the vehicle. The Ford Taurus crossed over the median and was hit by another vehicle heading North on I-55 according to the Hinds County Coroner’s Office. Both Brandon and Garrett died in the accident. Neither was wearing a seat belt but it is unclear from the facts reported whether a seatbelt would have made a difference as to the severity of the automobile accident related personal injuries.
Prompted by the recent death of a four-month old Milwaukee, Wisconsin infant who was left in a child-care transport van, the State Senate and State Assembly have passed a bill which will require child-care van owners to install alarm systems in transport vehicles, necessitating van drivers to physically go through the van interior, to the back door, to disarm the alarm. See 
Clackamas County, Oregon deputies arrested Justin B. Blackledge, age 31, for compelling a teen into prostitution, unlawful display of a child in a sex act and several counts of encouraging child sex abuse. Investigators report that Blackledge had a sexual relationship with the teenager in 2007 – 2008. During this time period, Blackledge posted explicit photographs of the teen on a website with the teen’s contact information and a list of her sexual services. There appears to be a good bit of evidence on the internet and elsewhere on Mr. Blackledge. His bail was set at $250,000. It is a shame that teens are exploited in this manner.