According to Worcester police, a 2-year-old boy fell 12 to 14 feet through a second floor window at a Hancock Street residence yesterday. He was alert and crying with a bump to his head from Massachusetts fall accident and he had to be taken to a hospital for treatment.
The toddler appears to have pushed the window screen before falling out.
Unfortunately, about 5,100 kids are injured in US fall accidents each year. The majority of these incidents could have been prevented if only the proper window safety precautions were taken. In Massachusetts, our Boston premises liability law firm represents children and families injured because of unsafe or defective conditions on someone’s property.
Per a 2011 study, between 1990 and 2008, about 98,415 kids received ER treatment because of injuries they sustained from window falls. Injuries were as minor as bruises and as severe as deadly head injuries. Other findings, from the study:
• Boys are more at risk than girls of falling out of windows.
• The Spring and Summer are when window falls are more likely to happen.
• 25% of window fall injuries lead to hospitalization.
• Kids under age 5 were the most prone age group to sustain serious window fall injuries and related head injuries.
Ways to Prevent Window Falls
• Don’t put furniture, especially sofas or bed, that kids can climb onto close to windows • Install window locks or guards that don’t allow a window from opening more than a few inches.
• Install a window screen and make sure that it is properly secured. (A properly placed screen, however, doesn’t always prevent a window fall accident.)
Sometimes, a Boston window fall accident occurs because the homeowner or tenant didn’t implement the proper safety precautions, such as the ones mentioned above. Other falls from windows happen because the window screen wasn’t installed correctly or the locks were defective or malfunctioned. In such situations, a manufacturer, repair company, or some other party could be found liable.
Toddler Survives Fall From Second Floor Window In Worcester, CBS Boston, September 3, 2012
About 5,000 Kids Fall From Windows Each Year, WebMD, August 22, 2011
Pediatric Injuries Attributable to Falls From Windows in the United States in 1990–2008, Pediatrics, May 19, 2011
More Blog Posts:
Disabled Man is Beaten in Boston at MBTA’s Downtown Crossing Station Orange Line Platform, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, August 28, 2012
Brockton Teen Fatally Drowns in Plymouth, Massachusetts During Church Camping Trip, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, June 9, 2012
Are Massachusetts Schools Doing Enough to Prevent Student Violence?, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 29, 2012