Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘florida’

Obesity in children can lead to a shorter life.  Those are the results that were found in a study published this week by the New England Journal of Medicine.  Thousands of children were tracked through adulthood and the heaviest youngsters were more than twice as likely as the thinnest to die prematurely, before age 55, of illness or a self-inflicted injury.

 A condition called pre-diabetes brings great concern. Youngsters with this condition were at almost double the risk of dying before 55, and those plagued with high blood pressure were at some increased risk. Obesity however was the factor most closely related with an early death, researchers said.

 “The message here is that if you take your kid to the doctor and the doctor says, ‘Well, their blood pressure is O.K., their cholesterol is O.K. and their sugar’s O.K..,’ the kid who’s obese still warrants our attention,” said Dr. Peter F. Belamarich, chief of specialty medicine at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx.

 In Florida, 33% of children are considered overweight or obese.  This is higher than the national average of 31.6%.  These statistics have gradually risen since 2003.

The news of a “cancer cluster” in The Acreage, a community near Palm Beach, Florida this week has been very disturbing.  The most distressing aspect was revealed Wednesday when state health officials announced that they would mount a campaign to raise awareness about childhood brain cancer rather than search for the environmental cause of the cancer cluster. 

Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the Palm Beach County Health Department said the state’s investigation hasn’t uncovered the reason behind the Palm Beach County community’s elevated levels of childhood brain cancer and brain tumors. Alsonso gave no hope that even after investigators wrap up the 2^nd phase of their work next month that an answer will be found. 

Senator Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, an attorney general candidate countered with his own comments saying, “It’s unreasonable to simply say there is no known cause, when many factors could have contributed to environmental contamination in The Acreage.”  The concerns lie in large groves and farms, and most notably in the nearby Pratt & Whitney plant, which has spilled chemicals on its property over the years.  The Health Department director pointed out to reporters that she has “nothing saying these cancers are a result of Pratt & Whitney.”

Results released Monday confirmed suspicions and fears.  Higher rates of brain tumors and cancer are evident in the 32,000-39,000 residents of this rural Palm Beach community.  The data reveals “significantly elevated” pediatric brain and central nervous system cancers, particularly for girls, in those up to 19 years old.

What’s next?   That part is unknown as this promises to be an incredibly frustrating and frightening series of events for the residents at The Acreage.  For the latest information visitors can find out more at acreageforum.org. 

Stories like this inspire us all!  Last week, a 12-year-old boy, Danny Happy stood front and center at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.  He was being honored at the East-West Shrine Game.  Cameras followed his every move, the mayor shook his hand and introduced himself.  For Danny, being alive was indeed a special feat. 

 Just two years ago, he suffered burns over 95 percent of his body when a private plane crashed into his Sanford, Florida  home.  His little sister, 4-year-old Gabriela Dechat, like the neighbors next door, was killed. Since that time he has survived 42 surgeries and some unimaginable suffering. 

 The family’s lawyers settled the lawsuit with the plane’s owner, NASCAR.  It’s reported that the terms are enough to take care of all future surgeries.  It’s not known what future health concerns he might have as a result of the accident, since it is so rare for someone burned so badly to survive.

 Despite the enormous adversity, Danny maintains a positive outlook.  As the cameras circled around him he said, “Today I feel very alive.  I am very happy to be here.”

Read the entire article here.

More than 30,000 children are struck by cars each year in the United States.  Additionally, Florida is home to 4 of the 5 most dangerous cities for pedestrians in this country.

Nothing is more precious than the safety of one’s child. As a Florida Child Pedestrian lawyer, undertaking the representation of an injured child in a pedestrian accident case is extremely difficult. Yet, the fact is that child pedestrian injury is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5-14.  Why? Simply because children are exposed to traffic threats which far exceed their cognitive and developmental abilities. Children are impulsive and lack the ability to sense danger.

Their vulnerability  is  further compounded by Florida’s lack of adequate infrastructure to prevent child pedestrian accidents. More and better sidewalks, reduced speed limits, wider medians, adequate pedestrian signage, intersection signals and well marked crosswalks are all needed.

At the same time, let’s not overlook our need to educate our children about pedestrian safety, the dangers of the road and our responsibility to adequately supervise our children to prevent accidents from happening.

A recent study from the  Tampa Tribune states Florida reports 200 cases of child abuse which tragically resulted in death.

The deaths from 2008 from 2007 show a 20% increase in deaths from child abuse. The study shows a strong link to unemployment and drug abuse.

According to the article, “Florida has one of the highest per-capita rates of child deaths reported to the state abuse hotline in the country, partly because its figures count such events as car accidents, drownings and suicides, which aren’t included in most other states.”

The Department of Children and Families serves as a hotline for child abuse cases. We all woud like this number to be less and less every year.

With the incidence of dog bite deaths in Florida, we have  provided a dog bite website link, in an effort to help the public understand why dogs may attack. The article from DogBiteLaw.com outlines some key statistics and answers concerning the subject of  dogs attacks  and dog bites. For additional information visit our website dog bite library section for videos; blogs on news articles related to local dog bites and attacks, as well as safety resources.

It has been accepted that dog bites have become too frequent and too violent to be ignored. The statistics support the view, first articulated  in 1999, that there exists a “dog bite epidemic” in the United States. There are differences of opinion, however, concerning breeds of  dogs which are deemed too dangerous, with some members of the public even refusing to accept that there is any such thing as a “dangerous dog.” 

The most recent nationwide survey of dog bites is over 10 years old. It established that there were approximately 4.7 million dog bites in the USA per year. Since that time, the number of bites clearly appears to have grown faster than the number of dogs.

Over 30 dog attacks per year result in the death of an American. These incidents are referred to as “canine homicides,” meaning deaths of humans that were inflicted by dogs. Although homicides are extremely rare, they are significant primarily because they are investigated closely, and a good amount of detail often is reported, enabling experts to form opinions about a variety of issues pertaining to dog bites. In the 1980s and 1990s there were about 17 fatalities in the USA per year, but 2006 and 2007 saw more than 30 per year.

A close look at the dispute over dangerous dogs, however, leads to the conclusion that the disagreement often is about how we talk about them, what makes them dangerous, and how we should curtail the danger. Many believe that we should not talk about a dog as being dangerous, but rather the owner being dangerous. Others say that no breed is inherently dangerous, and that we should regard a dog as dangerous only if it has behaved in a dangerous manner. Many strongly resist any proposed solution that would involve any distinction whatsoever among the breeds. The approach advocated by Attorney Kenneth Phillips and most experts is multi-focal, in recognition of the fact that there are many causes of the dog bite epidemic, requiring many corrective measures.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a dog bite attack in Florida, you need an experienced Florida Dog Bite Lawyer on your side.

  How safe is your home for a child?  Are there any areas that are potentially harmful?  We recently came across an article about childproofing a home with some very helpful reminders.  Let’s examine a few. 

 1. Smoke Detectors.  A smoke detector should be installed in every bedroom in your home, as well as the kitchen and hallway areas.  Testing your smoke detectors every month is a good habit to employ, (also – consider the “change your clock/change your smoke detector battery” system, during daylight savings time.

 2. Electrical Outlet Covers.  Young children get into everything!  They need to be protected from electrical shock or possible electrocution. 

 3. Anti-Scald Valves.  The skin on a baby or a young child is much more sensitive than an adult’s.  Installing an anti-scald device in your faucets and shower heads is a smart move!  Don’t forget to set your water heater temperature to 118 degrees to help prevent child burns.

 Examine your home today, not only for your child’s safety, but their friends as well…and your peace of mind! For more articles and information concerning child safety and injury prevention, visit our Florida Child Injury website at http://www.jwdodsonlaw.com/practice_areas/child-injuries1.cfm

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!