Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Archive for December, 2009

Parents are well aware of the popularity of texting.  It’s become a widespread form of communication for teenagers over the last decade.  But when teens attempt to text and drive the results can be disastrous.

 A team of researchers from Eastern Virginia Medical School and Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk studied the actions of 21 teens between the ages of 16 and 18 in a series of simulated driving experiments.

 Teens drove through rural and urban simulated settings in 10-minute time blocks.  First without any distractions and then while text messaging, talking on a cell phone or operating a MP3 music player.

 Donald Lewis, chief of Eastern Virginia Medical School’s Department of Pediatrics said the findings although not surprising were frightening.  The worst results came when the teens were texting.  Mistakes included slowing down dramatically and weaving more than a foot outside their simulated lane.

 The problem appears to be epidemic. AAA recently conducted a national survey and found that 46% of teens send text messages with their cell phones while driving.  At this point, 19 states and the District of Columbia ban texting by all drivers, while 9 others prohibit it by young drivers.

 “Presents for Primates” at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa took an unexpected twist when a chimpanzee grabbed an orange and tossed it at a young girl watching the festivities. 

 Employees of the zoo immediately rushed to the girl and got her an ice pack.  The young girl luckily was not injured. 

 The incident unfolded when zookeepers tossed wrapped presents filled with food in the primate’s exhibit area.  ‘Alex’, the chimp who threw the orange was upset after another chimp had stolen his present.  According to the Lowry Park Zoo, events like “Presents for Primates” are intended to encourage physical and mental activity of the apes and monkeys, while energizing the animals’ senses and behaviors. 

 Parents Magazine rated Lowry Park Zoo as the best zoo in the United States last year. They are also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

In a press release stating a recent highchair recall, IKEA offically is recalling Leopard highchairs which are being sold in their stores. 

This is a voluntary recall of 600 LEOPARD highchairs sold at IKEA stores from October through November 2009.

FROM THE CPSC:

Name of Product: LEOPARD Highchairs

Units: About 600

Distributor: IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa.

Hazard: The snap locks used to secure the seat to the frame can break and allow the seat and child to drop through the frame, posing a fall hazard to young children. Detached snap locks can pose a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: IKEA has received 11 reports worldwide of failing snap locks, including one report of a child falling through the frame and suffering bruised legs. In addition, the firm has one report of a child mouthing a detached snap lock. No incidents have been reported in the United States.

Description: This recall involves all colors of the LEOPARD highchairs sold as a seat and a frame individually. The seat and tray has an adhesive label affixed to the underside with the words LEOPARD and “Made in Italy,” an eight-digit article number and a five-digit supplier number (19589).

Sold exclusively at: IKEA stores nationwide from October 2009 through November 2009 for about $60. The frame sold for $40 and the seat for $20.

Manufactured in: Italy

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the highchairs and return them to any IKEA store for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ikea-usa.com

A recent study from the  Tampa Tribune states Florida reports 200 cases of child abuse which tragically resulted in death.

The deaths from 2008 from 2007 show a 20% increase in deaths from child abuse. The study shows a strong link to unemployment and drug abuse.

According to the article, “Florida has one of the highest per-capita rates of child deaths reported to the state abuse hotline in the country, partly because its figures count such events as car accidents, drownings and suicides, which aren’t included in most other states.”

The Department of Children and Families serves as a hotline for child abuse cases. We all woud like this number to be less and less every year.

A  recent article published by the Shreveport Times reminds us of what we need to do to protect our children when  riding on a escalator. It is all too common for kids to be injured on these machines in malls and shopping centers. The article outlines safety precautions for Parents to protect children on escalators.

Some  tips include having your child remain in the center of the escalator,  removing your child from his/her  stroller before getting on the escalator, in addition to other tips parents should be aware of to avoid a child injury involving a escalator.  As a public service, we provide you with up to date safety information in an effort to help you become more aware of unintentional injuries to children.

Read this article.

Photo Provided by St. Pete Times

In our law firm’s bike giveaway “Bikes for Kids for Christmas” we were lucky enough to give 5 bicycles to some local area kids who were well deserving.  We were featured in a news article published by the St. Petersburg Times this past week and are proud to be part of this special giveaway and provide new bicycles  along with our co-sponsors, Bicycle Outfitters in Seminole, to these five children.

The article titled “Bicycle Giveaway at Seminole Shop Makes Five Youngsters Smile” features the story behind the five children and how their selection  came about. Read the article and let us know what you think about it! Bicycle safety was also a top concern and all of the children were provided helmets from the bike shop as well as a free bicycle safety precaution checklist from our firm .

We are proud to help serve and provide for children in our community.

Household injuries are one of the top reasons kids under age 3 visit the ER, and nearly 70% of the children who die from unintentional injuries at home are 4 years old and under. Young kids have the highest risk of being injured at home because that’s where they spend most of their time.

Supervision is the best way to prevent injuries, in the home and out, but even the most watchful parents can’t keep kids completely out of harm’s way every second of the day.

We’d like to share additional information with you on making your home safer.  We went over some tips in part 1, but here are a  few more.

 1) Child monitoring system.  These systems offer peace of mind and protection.  They come in audio and video configurations.  Monitoring your child when they are out of sight in another room provides a safe environment.

 2) Carbon Monoxide Detector.  Reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning by installing these detectors outside a child’s bedroom or other sleeping areas in your home.

 3) Safety Gates.  Children need to be diverted from dangerous areas, including   stairwells and places you consider off-limits.  Safety gates that can be attached to a wall offer more protection than pressure gates.

4.) Always keep guns, toxic items and choking hazards safely stored and locked up  and out of the reach of children.

5.) Keep a list of emergency contact phone numbers near your phones in the event of an emergency.

 Protect your child from unintentional injury.  Implementing safety devices and keeping a watchful eye will benefit your child.  An ounce of prevention goes a long way!

Skateboarding is a popular recreational activity, particularly among young teenage males. If your child is a skateboarder, chances are you know who Tony Hawk is.  You may have even bought his Xbox game! 

Skateboarding is an activity in which you move quickly over hard surfaces. It can lead to injuries that range from minor cuts and bruises to catastrophic brain injury. Each year in the United States, skateboarding injuries cause about 50,000 visits to emergency departments and 1500 children and adolescents to be hospitalized.

To improve skateboarding safety, a growing number of communities provide supervised skateboard parks. These may have professionally designed “bowls” and “ramps” or other designated skateboarding areas that are located away from motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Naturally injuries can occur but they can be limited if your child follows a few safety tips. 

 1. Always wear a properly fitting helmet and protective gear.  Padding is available for wrists, knees and elbows. 

 2. Learn how to fall.  Landing on a fleshy part of the body is always best.  Try to relax rather than stiffen your body in a fall. If you are losing your balance, crouch down on the skateboard so you won’t have as far to fall.

 3. Practice common sense.  Avoid skateboarding at dusk or evening hours.  Never “skitch” a ride.  Skitching a ride is when a skateboarder hangs onto the rear or side of a moving vehicle.

 4. Use a quality skateboard and keep it in top condition, looking for needed repairs with every ride. 

To reduce the chance of skateboarding injuries, practice skateboarding safety and always use protective gear.

The holiday season is upon us.  As we shop for our children, we always have to keep safety in mind.

 Some positive information has recently been released…the amount of lead in children’s toys has been steadily decreasing over the last three years.  The rationale is that consumer pressure is influencing this change. 

Despite this positive news, HealthyStuff.org, a not-for-profit dedicated to product safety, found that 1 out of 3 toys tested, contained one or more harmful chemicals including lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury.  To get a complete list of the toys that tested with high amounts of lead, please visit HealthyStuff.org.  For some tips on shopping for safe toys, check out KidsHealth.org.

 The Dodson Law Firm wishes everyone a very safe Holiday Season.

With the incidence of dog bite deaths in Florida, we have  provided a dog bite website link, in an effort to help the public understand why dogs may attack. The article from DogBiteLaw.com outlines some key statistics and answers concerning the subject of  dogs attacks  and dog bites. For additional information visit our website dog bite library section for videos; blogs on news articles related to local dog bites and attacks, as well as safety resources.

It has been accepted that dog bites have become too frequent and too violent to be ignored. The statistics support the view, first articulated  in 1999, that there exists a “dog bite epidemic” in the United States. There are differences of opinion, however, concerning breeds of  dogs which are deemed too dangerous, with some members of the public even refusing to accept that there is any such thing as a “dangerous dog.” 

The most recent nationwide survey of dog bites is over 10 years old. It established that there were approximately 4.7 million dog bites in the USA per year. Since that time, the number of bites clearly appears to have grown faster than the number of dogs.

Over 30 dog attacks per year result in the death of an American. These incidents are referred to as “canine homicides,” meaning deaths of humans that were inflicted by dogs. Although homicides are extremely rare, they are significant primarily because they are investigated closely, and a good amount of detail often is reported, enabling experts to form opinions about a variety of issues pertaining to dog bites. In the 1980s and 1990s there were about 17 fatalities in the USA per year, but 2006 and 2007 saw more than 30 per year.

A close look at the dispute over dangerous dogs, however, leads to the conclusion that the disagreement often is about how we talk about them, what makes them dangerous, and how we should curtail the danger. Many believe that we should not talk about a dog as being dangerous, but rather the owner being dangerous. Others say that no breed is inherently dangerous, and that we should regard a dog as dangerous only if it has behaved in a dangerous manner. Many strongly resist any proposed solution that would involve any distinction whatsoever among the breeds. The approach advocated by Attorney Kenneth Phillips and most experts is multi-focal, in recognition of the fact that there are many causes of the dog bite epidemic, requiring many corrective measures.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a dog bite attack in Florida, you need an experienced Florida Dog Bite Lawyer on your side.