Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Archive for January, 2010

The Dodson Law Firm  likes to acknowledge companies and organizations that are doing the right thing for children.  “Kids are Heroes” is a program  St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa has instituted since 1996.  Since that time, they have recognized more than 1,000 children, between the ages 5 and 18, from Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties who have accomplished heroic deeds, or displayed acts of selflessness. 

 Every year these young heroes are selected by a panel of judges comprised of current and past pediatric patients of St. Joseph’s.  The Tampa Bay Lightning is also affiliated with this worthwhile program. 

 In 2009 there were some very special individuals who were chosen as heroes.  To find out more about the program and the winners, please visit their website, or contact Amy Gall at (813) 870-4731.

SafeKids Worldwide, together with Fed EX, have created a program called “Safe Kids Walk This Way” in order to educate both  motorists and child pedestriansbout proper safety behaviors;  and create safer routes for children to walk.

The two organizations collaborate in more than 150 cities to host walk to school events. In the United States, these events take place on International Walk to School Day. This event is slated for October 6^th later this year.  “Safe Kids Walk This Way” initiates year-round school safety committees in order for students to have safer pedestrian environments.

 Safe Kids has posted some invaluable pedestrian safety rules on their website.  Children can be careless at times, spending five minutes with you child(ren) to reinforce some good rules of common sense is well worth the time and will protect your child from unintentional injury or potential dangers!

What can be done to enhance the safety of students in and around the bus stops of the Pinellas County School District?  School officials are asking themselves that after the death of 17-year-old Nora Hernandez-Huapilla killed just before the winter break.

A news article reported the tragedy occurred at the 66th Street and 70th Avenue N stop when the teen attempted to reach an “arterial” bus stop by darting into traffic against the light.  Friends of Nora’s say she was worried she’d miss the bus. 

 In Pinellas County there are 125 arterial bus routes. Students who elect not to attend their neighborhood school are required to take an arterial route if they need transportation.  Currently, more than 12,000 students are doing this.  These stops are typically alongside busy roads, according to a report published in the St. Petersburg Times.

Parents have been concerned about the Pinellas arterial bus stops for sometime now.  Just 4 months ago, a report by WFTS-TV quoted one parent, Lisa Johnson, as saying, “I’m really angry. I’ve been on the phone at least twice a week since school started about this and nobody’s come out to do anything about it,” Johnson said.

 In the aftermath of the accident that killed 17 year-old Nora Hernandez-Huapilla, a notice has been sent to parents reminding them of a policy: “Parents are expected to transport to/from the bus stop.”  The word “transport” does not have to mean by vehicle, Associate Superintendent, Michael Bessette said Monday.  It could also mean parents giving students permission to travel by bike, or helping them discover a safe walking route.

 District officials plan to visit 28 different stops throughout the rest of the week between Tarpon Springs and St. Petersburg High in order to collect data.   The information will then be turned over to an advisory group made up of parents, students, bus drivers and district staff.

When it comes to children, HealthyStuff.org is an organization who cares.  They provide a wealth of information pertaining to items such as back-to-school products, children’s toys, cars and children’s car seats. The list keeps growing.

We are providing you with a link to HealthyStuff’s  recently posted 2009 best/worst list of car seats.  The list is broken down into 3 categories:  infant, convertible and booster.  The results should be interesting to concerned parents.

If you have any questions regarding your child’s car seat, also note that the Florida Highway Patrol  provides a service by a staff member who will check the seat, show you how to properly and safely install it and answer any of your questions about child restraints. 

We provide more information concerning issues related to child safety on our Florida Child Injury website.

We all know how much children love to play.  It’s part of how they lead active and happy lives.  Falls among children are common, and at certain stages of their development happen almost every day.  However they can be serious…in fact falls are the leading cause of accidental injury for children. 

 Statistics from SafeKids.org  state children, 4 years of age and under, have the greatest risk for falls.  This age group accounts for 56 percent of childhood fall-related deaths and more than 40 percent of child injuries.

 Parents must be vigilant and keep a keen eye out in their home.  In fact, 80 percent of fall-related injuries among children ages 4 and under, occur right in their own house. 

 Knowledge is key to safety and injury prevention!  For tips on what you should know to prevent fall injuries and the steps to take, if your child does suffer a fall at home, please follow this link to an article posted in our Florida child injury website document library for more information.

The cold and flu season is upon us. But as we know, cold medicine can potentially pose a risk for your child.  In recent years, the FDA has posted recommendations that parents should not administer over the counter cough and cold medicines to infants and toddlers under 2 years of age.  These medications can cause serious and potentially life-threatening side effects to young children in this age group.

 It’s important to remember that OTC cough and cold products do not treat the cause of the illness, rather it only combats the symptoms.    

 The FDA has not completed its review of information regarding the safety of OTC products in regard to children in the age range of 2-11.  However they do have reports of serious side effects from children in this group that have taken these medications.

The CDC recently made its own recommendations concerning OTC medications stating in response to safety concerns, the leading manufacturers of children’s cough and cold medicines are voluntarily changing the labels on these products to state that they should not be used in children younger than 4 years of age.

Previously, the labels stated that these medicines should not be given to children under age 2. Products with the old labels will not be removed immediately from store shelves but are expected to gradually be replaced with products bearing the new labels. Doctors and nurses should be aware of the new labels and alert parents and caregivers about this important change.

When in doubt always consult your pediatrician before administering  OTC mediations to your child.

The day and age of mercury thermometers are over.  If you still have one lying around your house you should dispose of it, especially if you have young children.

 The old glass thermometers can break and cause cuts, as well as expose young children to mercury.  Dr. Lois Lee, a physician at Children’s Hospital Boston sees the problem as two-fold.  Lee states if a mercury thermometer breaks, a child may require  imaging procedures to locate pieces of glass, which exposes a youngster to radiation, especially during computed tomography scans, also known as CAT scans.  This is especially pertinent because children are much more sensitive to radiation than adults are, according to the National Cancer Institute.  It’s important, therefore,  to be safe and reduce exposure. 

Additionally, the old mercury thermometers hold particular dangers if the mercury spills. When this happens, the mercury forms droplets that can accumulate in tiny spaces and emit vapors into the air. Mercury vapor is odorless, colorless and toxic. One-half gram of mercury from a broken thermometer can detectably pollute 5 million gallons of water, if it is washed down a sink. Whole families have been poisoned at home from mercury spills which were not cleaned up or were cleaned up with an ordinary vacuum cleaner. Children are at highest risk.

The small volume of mercury in a fever thermometer is not likely to cause a problem, but should still be promptly cleaned up.  Digital thermometers are much easier to read and don’t expose a child to the dangers mercury poses. 

Find out more about digital thermometers and the options available.

Teens who have their own car are more likely to have a car crash than those who share a family automobile.  This came from an interesting study released earlier this year by researchers at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.

The statistics are staggering.  One out of every four teenagers who possess their own car has been in a crash.  That percentage drops to 10% for teens who share a car.  Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, killing more than 5,000 each year. 

In 2007, 7,000 people nationwide were killed in automobile accidents involving a teen driver.  3,000 of these individuals were teenagers. 

Our firm website provides important safety information in an effort to educate young drivers to avoid accidents and injuries, such as “Make Rules for Your Car”. There are also links to resources about subjects such as distracted driving and video links to teens and their own personal experiences with driving  and accidents.  

If you need more information, request  Jim Dodson’s  free accident book  and learn common mistakes to avoid if you or a loved one have been involved in a Florida Accident. Although the book is available at no cost, the information is invaluable.