Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Archive for December, 2009

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an alert recently concerning the risks of window cords.

 This came after a two-year old Maryland child was strangled when he became entangled in the cords.  According to the CPSC, approximately 12 children a year die from this type of strangulation.  Manufacturers are heeding the warning.  5 million window treatments have been recalled in the last few months.

 The commission is recommending that any home where a child lives or visits, such as a grandparent’s or a daycare facility should use cordless window treatments. 

 It’s vitally important to remember that our children need adult supervision.  Make sure your home is safe for children.  Raise blinds or shades above children’s heads. Cut cords or make sure no dangling cords are within the reach of children. Move furniture and cribs away from windows to prevent toddlers from reaching dangling cords or falling fom windows.

Look for any hidden hazards that may put your  child at risk of injury or pose a serious threat to safety.

Fishhawk Ranch had its first annual Bicycle Rodeo to show children how to safely operate a bicycle and practice smart tips on riding on the street. The event was sponsored by South Florida Baptist Hospital and was held in a parking lot adjacent to FishHawk’s Park Square.  The event was an outreach of the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Children’s Advocacy Center, located in Tampa.

According to the article, the bicycle safety event was held from11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with about 35 children taking advantage of learning how to ride a bicycle, both smartly and safely. A road course was setup to give children real life scenerios to help them know what to do when confronted with a similar situation.

This type of program helps inform children and parents of the dangers of bicycle riding. We  thank all of those  involved in educating children about  the correct way to safely ride a bicycle in situations they will likely face.

The Florida Department of  Highway Safety held a public service  event  recently, to educate  local parents about the correct installation of  a child car seat.  The training was  an effort to reduce the number of injuries suffered by children who are either riding unrestrained or in improperly installed safety seats.

The  event, which took place in Tallahassee and the surrounding areas was appropriately called,  ”Help Keep Florida’s Children Safe.”  Officials were on hand to check out  the installation of existing car seats for parents as well as to provide new seats at a discounted price for families in need. 

We commend the efforts of the Florida Department of Highway Safety in educating  parents. We read all too often of tragic accident reports of toddlers or small children  seriously injured because they are riding in a car either unrestrained or not in an age appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.

The unexpected accident does happen.  Always safely secure your children to avoid injury, even when traveling a very short distance.

What: Child Injury with Booster Seats

Photo from Tampa Tribune

In a recent article by the Tampa Tribune, Florida,  1 of 3 states who don’t require booster seats for infants, could rethink this situation in a  newly proposed bill  which will  ticket those who don’t use one. Thad Altman’s bill would mandate car booster seats for children ages 4 to 7 or those under 4 feet 9 inches tall.

A booster seat’s primary purpose is to secure a child in the seat while helping the seat belt fit correctly in the booster seat. This tightly secures the child in the seat to prevent injury. 

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. In Florida, 35 child passengers younger than 10 died in crashes in 2008 -an additional 7,754 were injured.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a report in 2003 showing that children in that age group were 59 percent less likely to suffer an injury in a car crash if they were in a booster seat rather than only wearing a seat belt.

Florida has a dubious distinction- being one of just three states who does not require booster seats – a distinction that is hopefully going to change!

Over 2 million cribs were recalled recently by Stork Craft, a manufacturer of drop-side cribs. 

 The recall was in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.  The CPSC issued a statement urging parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs.  The drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts.  The defect in the cribs can create a dangerous space between the drop-side and the crib mattress.  As a result, infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space which can then lead to suffocation.

 A free repair kit can be ordered by calling Stork Craft anytime, toll-free at (877) 274-0277.  For helpful tips on Crib Safety, please visit CPSC’s Crib Information Center.

For additional safety information resources related to Florida child injuries, visit our website @ http://www.jwdodsonlaw.com/practice_areas/child-injuries1.cfm