Articles Tagged with negligence

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By David Wolf, Attorney

book-abcChild care providers should provide each and every child with a safe environment.  There is a duty to provide reasonable and necessary supervision.  While a day care center owner is not liable for every injury that takes place, it can be held liable for those injuries that result from the negligence or carelessness of the day care center provider.  It is vital that a day care center provider not only provide reasonable and necessary supervision but it is also important to provide prompt care and follow up when an injury or condition is observed by the day care center.   Unfortunately, many day care center providers attempt to “sweep or hide an injury under the rug” and fail to inform the parents of the injury so that timely and necessary medical care can be provided to the injured child.
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By David Wolf, Attorney
Football ConcussionsIn high schools across the country, there is a tradition of sportsmanship, athleticism, school spirit, and, yes, concussions.   It is estimated that a high school player averages 650 head impacts per season.  Dr. Steven Miles and Dr. Shailendra Prasad of the University of Minnesota have taken a bold position that football be removed from schools across the country.  This is a bold statement at this time; however, as more information is gathered and studies regarding concussions and the long term effects on academic performance, memory, and cognitive functioning, more medical providers and other concerned people will join in and recommending and pushing for the ban on football.  Time will tell what happens and what social forces and influences will be put in place.  While football equipment has advanced over time in the form of helmet technology and padding, there does not appear to be any safety measure that has been put in place that can effectively prevent all or most concussions from taking place.  This will only happen with either a ban on football completely OR a drastic change in the way in which football games are played. You can read more about the position taken by these medical providers at Minnesota Doctors Recommend that High School Football Be Eliminated
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By  David Wolf, Attorney and Samantha Vloedman, Law Clerk

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Statue of Liberty
In New York and other States, busy working parents rely on the staff and administration at day care centers to supervise their children during the work day.   Some parents select day care centers based on price and location only.  Others do a bit more homework and check out online reviews and State of New York inspection reports.  Lawmakers in New York are proposing a new rating system that would be similar in concept to that of restaurant ratings in which the rating is prominently displayed on premises.

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By  David Wolf, Attorney and Samantha Vloedman, Law Clerk

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Building Blocks LIn Illinois and other States, parents rely upon day care centers to provide a safe, nurturing environment for their children during the busy work day. For most children on most days, a day care center provides proper supervision to keep the children safe and out of danger. Unfortunately, there are days (far too many days) when a child is injured while under the so called watch of a day care center.

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By  David Wolf, Attorney

cal-0814-cl5-funpark11During the summer months and other times of the year, amusement parks and theme parks are packed with guests.  For most, the day or evening at the theme park or amusement park is filled with good times, fast but great tasting food, and fun rides.  For some guests, the day or night at the theme park or amusement park is one filled with personal injuries or even the untimely and tragic death of a guest or rider.  There are risks inherent with any activity; however, amusement park and theme park rides should be sound from an engineering and mechanical standpoint.  It is also important the the theme park and amusement park is properly staff with individuals who are trained and otherwise dedicated to the job.  Unfortunately, some theme parks or amusement parks are staffed with low paying employees who are not very motivated to do a good job.  Furthermore, there is a certain boredom or montony with the task of running a ride over and over again. It is the same task.  The work can be quite dull and this, in turn, can distract the ride operator into some daydreaming, sleep, and other distractions like mobile phone use.  Some ride operators mayy even under the influence of drugs or alcohol just to get through the shift.
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By  David Wolf, Attorney

Building Blocks Glossy - P - Day Care CenterIt is not difficult to find stories – horror stories better yet – about unlicensed day care centers in Louisiana, Florida, and other states.   When you see a news article posted about an unlicensed day care center, you will often read about a child being injured or put at risk or danger of personal injury while under the care of the unlicensed day care center.   These child care providers are “operating in the shadows”.  Without any oversight, rules, or regulations, many unlicensed facilities do just what is necessary to convince the parents desperate for child care to part with their hard earned money.   While there are some unlicensed facilities and day care centers that happen to do just a fine job, there are so many others that are truly cutting corners and putting the dollar over safety concerns and measures for the children.
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By  David Wolf, Attorney

Fire Rescue Graphic Blue in SquareBounce houses are common sites in neighborhoods, parks, theme parks, attractions, and amusement centers. One potential dangerous condition in or near bounce house area is concrete.  If a bounce house is placed on concrete and there are any exposed areas, a serious personal injury can result.   There is also a danger to having any entry or exit areas near concrete.   As a child is entering or exiting a bounce house, the child can easily fall or lose balance.  This, in turn, can lead to a hard impact on the concrete.  This is especially dangerous if the child’s head hits the concrete ground surface.  Because of the dangers associated with bounce houses, it is advisable that bounce houses be installed by trained professionals and that all reasonable and available safety measures are provided to prevent serious injuries to children playing in or near the bounce house area.
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By  Jonathan Safran, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney

Nap Time - Moon and StarParents rely on day care centers during the working day to care of the child in an environment that is safe and clean.  One overlooked area of child care in a day care center can be the sleeping or napping arrangements.  Children especially infants are at risk for injury during sleep and nap time.   An infant should not be placed in an adult bed or even a toddler bed for that matter.   Pillows and soft objects should be removed from the crib area or sleeping area for the infant.  Swaddling is also something that many pediatricians and experts advise against.
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By  Keith Kerfeld, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney

Day Care Center Sleep and Nap TimeParents rely on the day care centers and child care centers for the supervision of their children.  There are some obvious risks that need to be accounted for in and around the day care center.  For instance, if the day care center is in a busy commercial area, children should be closely monitored to prevent a child from wandering out the door or wandering out of the fenced area and into traffic.  Wandering into traffic is an obvious danger.   A not so obvious danger involves sleep or nap time. One would think that the safest place for a child at day care center would be the crib or the sleeping area.  One would think that a child could not possibly be harmed while engaged in the relaxing slumber of a good sleep or a good nap.  However, this is the very time and place in which many children are harmed especially toddlers and newborns when the sleep area is unsafe for the age or size of the child AND / OR when the sleep or nap time supervision is lacking or dangerously non-existent.   Most states in the day care and child care regulations set forth rules, guidelines, and regulations for sleep time / nap time related responsibilities of the day care center. One such state is Minnesota.
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 By  David Wolf, Attorney

Gymnast Personal InjuryIt is certainly an important part of childhood for most children to participate in some sports related activity.  From football to cheerleading to gymnastics to soccer and all sports in between and beyond, youth sports and related activities help make our children more active and better rounded as they mature and head out into the world beyond high school.   For some children especially those in elementary and pre-school, participation in sports related activities can and do lead to serious personal injuries.  Are there inherent risks any time that a child participates in an activity or sports related practice, game, or exhibition?  The simple answer to this question is “Yes”.  However, there are two questions that should be answered when evaluating a potential case involving a sports related activity:
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