Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Archive for the ‘Scooters | Razors | Skateboard Accidents’ Category

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.

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.

Having a hard time finding the right toy for your child this holiday season? Does your child want that “big boy” toy that everyone else has? Be careful about what you choose for your child and factor in the age and how safe it is for them as noted in a recent news article. As stated in the article, “Toys can teach your child a lot. Even if they aren’t always educational, they always should be fun, and of course they always should be safe. Like your mom said, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.”

This article also talks about how to check for the age requirements and how to make sure your not buying a toy that is too advanced for even bright children.  Toys with small pieces and objects that can be swallowed, or scooters and bikes that seem like great fun for getting outside but offer dangers and often contribute to child injuries.

Many toys can become  a safety hazard.  Parental supervision is important in the prevention of unintentional child injuries.

Have a safe holiday season!

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.

Dan Connaughton, a professor in the University of Florida Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sports management is a man on a mission! The mission…to reduce the number of severe injuries and fatal accidents children suffer from bicycle and traffic crashes.

In 2008, Florida held the dubious distinction of having more bicyclists killed in car crashes than any other state – even surpassing California which has twice the population. Last year, 118 bicyclists died in accidents in Florida.

The Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education Program will be designed to teach child the lifelong skills required to be safe abd responsible cyclists and pedestrians. Connaughton was awarded a 3 year contract by the Florida DOT to direct statewide FREE workshops to “teach the teachers” bicycle and traffic safety tips they can instruct their students. The curriculum is designed for elementary, middle and high schools.

The workshops are already being planned throughout the state of Florida. School districts interested in hosting the workshops can contact the program at 352-392-4042, ext. 1370.