By Stephanie F. Brown and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Lawsuits and insurance claims filed on behalf of children bitten by a dog are controlled by Georgia Code Section 51-2-7. This statute recognizes that the dog’s owner may be held liable for injuries caused by their dog where the owner has carelessly managed the dog or has allowed the dog to go at liberty. In order to recover, however, there must be evidence of the dog’s “vicious propensity” to cause injury. The dog’s vicious propensity to cause injury can be established by showing that the dog was required to be at heel or on a leash by a city or county ordinance and that at the time of the injury, the dog was not at heel or was not on a leash.
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.
A mother arrived a day care center in Australia to pick up her son and found something very disturbing – her son was locked in the day care center alone with no supervision or anyone else around. The mother then broke through a window to get her son out of the day care center. The mother arrived just before closing time at the day care center. Unfortunately, it appears that the staff left early and forgot about the little boy left behind. This incident was frightening but not tragic as the little boy was not harmed even though he was left alone.
Special needs children / students need to have proper supervision and patience from teachers in Indiana and other States. In Lafayette, Indiana, a special need middle school teacher was fired by the school board for duct taping a student’s mouth shut. This truly is no way to discipline a child or make a point. It is corporal punishment – plain and simple. Pamela Dahnke, the middle school teacher, was a health and nutrition teacher. One would think that she would realize the psychological and social ramifications of such acts in Indiana.
The Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin – Gary Becker – was arrested on five felony counts for his internet chats and arranging for a meeting with a 14 year old to have sex with the 14 year old. In actuality, the 14 year old online was an undercover agent with the Wisconsin State Division of Criminal Investigation. Mayor Becker previously had taken his computer to a city employee for have some work done on it. The technician found child pornography on the Mayor’s computer. Thereafter, the State Division of Criminal Investigation had undercover agents engage in chats with the Mayor. Mayor Becker had engaged in these chats before.
In Georgia, a parent can be held liable for the negligence of a child driving an automobile that is maintained by the parent for the use and convenience of his family. If the parent, as the owner of the car, has given permission to his child to drive the car and has relinquished control of the car to the child then the parent can be held liable for injuries caused by the child as long as the child was in the car when the accident occurred and the car was being used for a “family purpose.”
Studies conducted at Duke (North Carolina) University Eye Center and other facilities show that premature infants are at a higher risk for severe vision loss. It is vital that doctors identify those premature infants who are at risk for complications from ROP. Infants, who are premature with a low birth rate, should be identified by medical professionals. There is a small window of opportunity to identify and treat ROP. Otherwise, the child faces a lifetime of blindness and disability.