Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘child injury’

Are birth defects the leading cause of death in children and adolescents?   Is sunscreen the best defense against sunburn for babies 6 months and under?  Get answers to these questions and more by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

 Test your knowledge about kids’ health and safety. Unintentional injuries, not birth defects, are the leading cause of death in children and adolescents.  The greatest threats to child safety come in the form of the following accidents and injuries:

• Poisonings
• Playground Injuries
• Car Accidents as Child Passengers
• Fireworks-Related Injuries
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Fire and Burn Injuries in the Home
• Teen  Car and Motor Vehicle Accidents

 Our Clearwater /St. Petersburg, Florida Child Injury Law Firm has served the needs of  families for over twenty five years. If your child was injured due to someone’s carelessness or negligence, you may have unanswered questions and certainly, you have concerns. Request a copy of  Florida Child Injury Lawyer James Dodson’s free consumer guide, “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries, A Parent’s Guide to Child Injury in Florida” as a first step to understanding  your legal rights or call our toll free number (888) 340-0840 to speak directly with Attorney Dodson. There is  no obligation to hire an attorney.

 The Wall Street Journal recently published an article which examined a new study on vaccinations and children.  Due to child health and safety concerns, children today are receiving twice as many vaccinations as they did twenty-five years ago. 

Although some parents are requesting alternative immunization schedules because they fear that their children are being exposed to too many vaccinations, the study indicates there are no advantages in delaying the vaccines, only disadvantages.

 Two years ago in Minnesota during a shortage of the Haemophilus influenza Type B vaccine, which babies receive at the ages of 2, 4 and 6 months, five cases of illnesses were reported.  In one instance a child died because they could not ward off the disease.  In three of the cases, the babies hadn’t received the Hib vaccine, and the other two babies hadn’t been fully vaccinated.

 Recommended vaccines are designed to prevent infection with 14 diseases.  Babies can receive up to 26 vaccines in their first year of life, a doubling since the mid-1980s.  

The topic of childhood vaccines  is discussed  in Chapter 4 of  Clearwater Florida Child Injury Lawyer Jim Dodson’s newly released consumer guide, “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries: A Parent’s Guide to Child Injury in Florida.”  

Request your FREE copy  of  “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries”  by clicking here  or email your book request to judi@jwdodsonlaw.com

A study by the Florida Dept. of Education revealed too many drivers have limited understanding of  Florida laws governing the passing of school buses stopped to load and unload school children. The safety of children in and around school buses is tragically compromised by irresponsible and negligent drivers. Public service announcements to increase awareness and educate drivers and increased law enforcement and engineering measures to increase safety are beginning steps to reduce the alarming number of children who are injured or killed at Florida school bus stops. This is only a partial list posted by Bob Eubanks on February 26, 2010 on this website, to increase public awareness of those who have been injured or who have been killed  between 1981-2010.

Read the rest of this entry »

Parents have been advised to stop using 4 children’s cough and cold medications manufactured by Johnson & Johnson in a recent recall of Pediacare medicines.

Read the complete news article and get details on our Clearwater Florida Child Injury Lawyer consumer news website, click here.

Thank you for choosing our website as your resource for legal, health and safety information for your family.

Over 200,000 drop side cribs made by LaJobi, Inc have been voluntarily recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

 The hazard is found in the drop side hardware.  It can break or fall and create a wedge in which an infant or toddler can become entrapped.  There have been 99 reports of drop side malfunctions.  A total of 8 children have been affected, either becoming trapped in the wedge and suffocating or being strangled, or falling from the crib.  There has been one report of a concussion.  Consumers should stop using these recalled products immediately. 

 For more information on this recall, please visit the U.S. Production Safety Commission website. 

 As a Florida Child Injury Attorney, we understand the emotions involved when a child is injured or hurt.  If your child has suffered an injury due to the negligence of another person, call our toll free number (888) 340-0840 for a free case review.  There is never any obligation to hire a lawyer.

Read our No Fee Promise.

Social networking giant, Facebook, has added a new Safety Center designed to provide information for teens and parents, as well as law enforcement and educators.  A number of best practices are offered in an effort to create a safer online environment. 

 Questions like “What should I do if my teen is being cyberbullied?” are addressed to parents concerned about their child’s well-being online.  Parents who might not understand their teen’s “connected world” should review the information and tips Facebook provides in this new offering. 

 Educators should also benefit from the new Safety Center page.  Instructions are offered concerning how to manage group pages so that teachers can use Facebook as another avenue to responsibly interact with students and parents.  Teachers will also be able to connect with over 270,000 other educators via the Facebook on the Education page.

Our Florida Child Injury Lawyer offers a wealth of  safety information articles and resources to protect children and families on our website, including: dog bite prevention, teen driver safety, drown proofing your child, bike helmet safety, car seat safety guidelines and more!  

Working to make safety, every child’s reality,  toll free number  @ (888) 340-0840.

Officials have reported three girls have admitted to harassing a 10-year-old classmate reportedly at Lockhart Elementary Magnet School.

Tampa police say  the alleged bullying transpired when the three girls slapped their classmate and threw her into a fence.  There have been other episodes, as well.  Investigators believe on another occasion, the victim was threatened while a rope was wrapped around her shoulders.

 The three youths have not given a reason for the abuse.  A case of bullying on a Tampa elementary school campus could lead to arrests.  Criminal charges are expected.

Bullying is tragically, a problem for thousands of school children each day.  For a comprehensive look at how to handle bullying ,  please visit KidsHealth.org.

The Dodson Law Firm provides this Florida child injury blog as a resource for families in an effort to educate parents and “to make safety every child’s reality.”

Call our Florida Personal Injury Law firm for a free consultation about your injury case @ 1-888-340-0840.

Recently, a 7-year-old boy from California received national attention and praise for his quick thinking in calling 911 during an armed robbery at his home.   

News reports state three men burst into the home with weapons and held his mother and father at gunpoint.  The boy, only identified as Carlos, hid with his sister in a locked bathroom.  There he placed the call.  “There are some guys that are gonna kill my Mom and Dad. Can you come, please,” Carlos said to sheriff’s dispatcher Monique Patino.

The suspects left without hurting anyone, upon discovering the 911 call had been made.  When interviewed, Carlos said his mother taught him how to dial 911.  “We practice it every day,” he said.

Teaching your children what constitutes an emergency is important.  Quizzing them on what they would do in the event of a fire, a serious medical problem (seizure, bleeding, serious wounds) or any life-threatening situation is vital training that will prepare them if the occasion ever arises.  A child is generally capable of doing so when they are able to communicate verbally,  about 3-4 years old.  It’s imperative  your child memorizes your street address and phone number so operators have that information as confirmation. 

The Dodson Law Firm is dedicated to the safety of your children and provides this blog as a service in doing so.  Additional information on how to use 911 can be found at kidshealth.org.

Florida Child Injury Lawyer, working to make safety every child’s reality.

 Is Florida is need of a more stringent car booster seat requirement law?  AAA , the automobile people, think so. 

 Florida is joined by only 2 states, Arizona and South Dakota as not requiring booster seats for children under the age of 7 years old.   It’s been reported that the National Transportation Safety Board has criticized all three states for its lax legislation regarding the matter. Florida lawmakers have resisted however.

 Our current state law requires child restraint devices through age 5.  Exceptions are made to children 4 and 5 who can wear a seat belt instead of a specialized restraint. 

 A child who is properly restrained in a booster seat is less likely to be injured in a car accident. Children who are not properly restrained are at risk of being thrown from the car or inside the car and may seriously injure themselves or other passengers in the car.  Booster seats allow children to sit higher, so car seat belts fit them better and  protect them from head and abdominal injuries. 

 A bill sponsored by Rep. Rich Glorioso (R-Plant City) and Rep. Richard Steinberg (D-Miami Beach) would require booster seats for children ages 4 to 7. Sen. Thad Altman (R-Melbourne) is offering his support to this responsible measure in the Senate.

 The Dodson Law Firm offers its support for responsible legislation leading to increased safety for the children of Florida. 

For information concerning car seat safety inspection stations visit our Florida Child Injury Lawyer website, working to make safety a reality for every child.

Research in the past  has shown child bathtime injuries have been related primarily to burns, scalding and even drowning. When a parent tells their child, “It’s time to take a bath,” they might expect some resistance but they don’t expect a serious accident to occur.

 But an estimated 43,600 bathtub and shower-related injuries do happen every year to children resulting in a trip to the emergency room.  According to a study conducted by Dr. Gary Smith of Ohio State University, 81% of those accidents are brought about by a child slipping, falling or tripping.   

More than half of the injuries occur in the under 5 years of age group. Child injuries usually are lacerations and soft tissue injuries.

 Dr. Smith is quick to point out the problem shouldn’t be blamed solely on lack of parental supervision.  “They happen so quickly that a parent simply can’t react quickly enough to prevent them,” he said. “Therefore, it is important to prevent them from happening by using a slip resistant mat inside and outside the bath and shower.”  

 To read more information about the results of the study, please visit medpagetoday.com.

For additional information concerning child safety and injury protection, please visit our Florida Child Injury lawyer document and resource library on our website.