By Scott Marks, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPCS) kicked off this summer’s swimming season with their second year of its “Pool Safely: Simple Steps Save Lives” campaign. The campaign is a national public education program aimed at raising awareness of child drowning and other swimming related injuries. Already this year, there have been 55 drowning and 63 near-drowning incidents in 20 states and territories reported.
According to the National Safety Council, thousands of children are injured and hundreds are killed annually due to farming-related hazards. West Virginia farmers deal with two different circumstances in which children are injured on the farm. John Miller, a West Virginia University Ohio County Extension Agent said the first issue involved children who grow up and work on the farm, and the second pertained to children who visit the farm. Regardless of the circumstance, all children should be educated about the possible dangers on a farm.
A former Olympia, Washington day care worker, Elisha Tabor, 20, pleaded guilty to molesting a five-year-old child in the child’s home and molesting a four-year-old child while at work. As part of the plea bargain, Tabor pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree child rape and two counts of first-degree child molestation. The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office dismissed one count of first-degree child rape and a count of first-degree child molestation in exchange for the guilty plea. John Skinder, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, said that he will recommend that Tabor serve 18 years to life in prison. Tabor’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 7 at 10:30 a.m.
Jazmin Green died at the tender age of 2. She was the child who was left in a day care center van outside of a Chuck E. Cheese during a field trip from a Clayton County (Georgia) Day Care Center. The tragic death of this child was completely avoidable had the required checklist been completed and the basic Georgia day care regulations been followed. Now, Charles Green, the father of Jazmin Green, April McAlister, the mother of Jazmin Green, and other family members mourn the death of these child and must deal with this tragedy one day at a time and certainly for the rest of their lives. Jazmin Green’s parents through the years grew to trust the care and support from Marlo’s Magnificent Early Learning Center. Unfortunately, the inattention and failure to follow basic transportation and safety measures broke this trust and now the family has to deal with the finality of a funeral rather than the everyday joy of a bedtime story to a wonderful little girl. See 
In the summer time, there are many rafting trips organized throughout the United States. Many of which are run through summer camps for children and / or private tour companies. One such trip turned tragic on the Ocoee River. Andrew Silverstein drowned during the rafting trip. The incident was investigated. It was reported that the raft overturned and then Andrew was pulled under the water. During the summer, Andrew was a camper at Camp Ramah Darom which is based in the State of Georgia. When Andrew was thrown out of the raft, his leg became stuck under a rock. It was certainly a tragic run of events that led to the death of Andrew Silverstein.
Many cases of maltreatment were found in Minnesota day care centers after an investigation by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. For example, one child was killed after choking on a grape, another child was burned by hot foot and two more children had tumbled off changing tables. The state investigation occurred in the second half of 2010, after the department received 229 complaints against child care centers within that time period. Below are a list of substantiated maltreatment findings issued: