Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘emergency room’

School sports programs are beginning again with the new school year. And with that, our Clearwater Child Injury law firm provides some safety tips to preventing sports injuries.

The CDC reports almost 800,000 children under the age of 15 are treated in emergency rooms every year for injuries related to playing sports.  Tragically, many of our children die on playing fields as a result of some type of head trauma, head injury or underlying heart condition. 

 So how could sports injuries and serious accidents be prevented?  Vincent Iannelli, M.D., a board certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests some of the following tips:

• Don’t let your children play through pain
• Encourage your child to warm up before exercising
• Ensure that your child is playing with youths of the same age group
• Check that the playing surfaces are properly maintained
• Teach your children to avoid dietary supplements such as GHB, GBL and so called performance enhancing substances
• Make sure adults trained in CPR are supervising your children

 Dr. Iannelli’s report also offers a significant amount of material related to heat stroke and important information from the American Heart Association – recommended reading for all parents whose children play sports. 

Clearwater Child Injury Attorney Jim Dodson represents families who have suffered serious injury or death due to the careless act of another.  Please call our office today for a No Cost evaluation of your legal case, toll free at 1-888-340-0840.

 35,000 bottles of Scope Original Mint Mouthwash have been recalled in a cooperative manner between U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturer, Proctor and Gamble.  The recalled bottles have the number 4 on the bottom.    

 The one liter size bottles are being recalled due to malfunctioning child-resistant caps.  Proctor and Gamble also omitted an important message on that bottles in not stating, “This Package for Households without Young Children.” 

 One of the ingredients contained in the mouthwash, ethyl alcohol, is toxic.  Ethyl alcohol can cause serious injury or death if ingested by a child.   Every seven minutes a child under the age of 5 goes to the Emergency Room because of an unintentional poisoning.  Household products are responsible for 60% of the poisoning accidents with children under 5.   

 There have been no incidents or injuries reported.

 Independence Day is fast approaching and as with every 4^th of July, this means one thing to children…fireworks!  Unfortunately, thousands of children are injured in fireworks accidents every year.  Some sustain second and third degree burns on their hands and legs, while others suffer scarring and permanent disfigurement and others tragically, die from fatal injuries.

 The Dodson Law Firm represents children injured in serious burn-related injuries as well as from fireworks accidents. Firework burn injuries can be some of the worst injuries a child can suffer. Their danger is very real.   

 According to the U.S. Product Safety Commission, last year fireworks were involved in almost 9,000 emergency room visits.   Children and young adults under the age of 20 accounted for more than half of all the injuries. 

 More Fireworks Facts:

•  Firecrackers and sparklers are responsible for the greatest number of injuries for children 14 & younger
• Half of all fireworks injuries happen to bystanders
• 200 children age 4 years and under were injured by sparklers in 2007
• Males were involved in 73% of all fireworks accidents in 2009

 This holiday, consider taking your family to a supervised public fireworks display put on by trained professionals.

 Here in the Tampa-Clearwater -St. Pete area, there are several 4^th of July events and celebrations planned.

 Please enjoy your holiday and keep safe!  Working to make safety, every child’s reality – your Florida Child Injury Lawyer

Fire and burn injuries are the second leading cause of accidental death in childlren ages 1-18. Over 100 children a day are treated in emergency rooms for kitchen and scald burns alone.  Aside from the pain and suffering young burn victims must endure, the emotional and psychological trauma is often devastating.

The Children’s Burn Camp of Florida, in Umatilla  offers a safe haven for burn injured children to go for fun, friendship and a chance to see that they are not alone. It is the first statewide burn camp of its kind. Held at the Florida Elk’s Youth Camp, the second weekend in November, the camp is a wonderful opportunity for children who have suffered severe burn injuries to share their feelings.  CBF pays 100% of the expenses for children between the ages of 6-17 to attend the camp- including transporting, lodging, feeding and entertaining. The only restrictions are that the children be one year post burn and be comfortable being away from family members.

For more information  about this wonderful camp supported by volunteers and operated on private and corporate donations – with no paid staff, visit their website @ www.childrensburnfoundationoffl.com

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

With spring here and summer fast approaching, children are out and about in playgrounds all across the country.  With proper care and guidance playgrounds should be a safe environment for your child.  Are they receiving enough supervision, though?  Fall  injuries are the number one reason why children aged 5 to 9 are taken to the emergency room. 

 Here are some tips pediatrician, Dr. Susan Surry explains parents and caregivers can implement to help keep their child safer at the playground and prevent unintentional injury.

• Check playground equipment for any damage, including loose bars or broken swings
• Ensure that the equipment is the right size and meets the physical abilities of your child
• Teach children playground safety rules and consistently reinforce them
• Don’t take skipping ropes onto playground structures
• Stand next to your child when they’re learning a new skill

 The Law Office of James W. Dodson, protecting children and representing families of injured victims in Florida personal injury claims. For a free case review, please call our toll free number at (888) 340-0840.

All-Terrain vehicles have been popular since their inception almost forty years ago. 

 Naturally, the risk for accidents involving children is high.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 16 be prohibited from operating ATVs.  State by state, regulations differ in terms of restrictions placed towards adolescents.    

 In 2008, 74 children died and another 37,000 had accidents related to ATV’s that required them to go to the emergency room.  These figures actually represent a drop from the previous year.  Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety for Consumer Federation of America isn’t certain what caused the decrease, but said more needs to be done.  “Is it because incidents with recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) were taken out of the report; is it because fewer children are riding ATVs that are too large for them; is it because of higher gas prices; or is it because educational efforts are becoming effective?” she asks. “We need to replicate what is going right and do more to reduce these numbers significantly.”

 In Part 2 of this report we will look at ATV safety tips that all families should  follow.

We recently became aware of some very compelling information regarding the growing concern of backover accidents. 

 All vehicles have blind spots, where visibility may be limited. High profile cars such as SUV’s, trucks and vans can be dangerous due to  their design.  As a result, unsuspecting children are seriously injured and even fatally injured. Backover accidents occur in both residential areas, as well as other common  places such as parking lots. 

 Here are some astonishing facts and figures to consider:

1. Most victims of backover accidents are toddlers (12-23 months old)
2. 60% of the time, Trucks, Vans, SUV’s and other large sized vehicles are involved in the accident 
3. A parent or close relative is behind the wheel in over 70% of these accidents 
4. Annually over 2,400 children are attended to in emergency rooms, as a result of being struck by or rolled over by a vehicle

It’s reported that 100 children are killed each year from these accidents.  Improved technology by manufacturers and standards to increase rear visibility could potentially be a true safeguard to children.  But the ultimate responsibility is to the driver.  Backing up is risky and requires a driver’s complete attention. Patience and a willingness to slow down and drive defensively…even while backing out of a driveway, will provide a safer haven to children and prevent a real tragedy.

Our Florida Child Injury document library contains  a resource article with information concerning safety devices to reduce the risk of backover accidents.