Children's Injuries

October 31, 2013

Halloween is The “Deadliest” Night of the Year for Child Pedestrian Accidents

Ghouls and goblins are not the scariest part of Halloween. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of children killed in pedestrian accidents between the hours of 4p and 10p doubles on this particular night. One reason for this is that with trick or treat, there are more kids out on the sidewalks and crossing streets.

Dark-colored costumes can make it hard to see pedestrians at night, especially if the individual are “kid-size.” Young children, excited by the occasion and buzzing on sugar from all the candy, may be more prone to run across the middle of the road and not pay attention to whether there is approaching traffic.

That said, drivers need to be aware that this type of bustling excitement happens on Halloween and they must exercise the necessary precautions to avoid becoming involved in a Boston pedestrian accident, including:

August 19, 2013

Massachusetts Man and Child Injured After Jet Ski Blows Apart on New Hampshire Lake

by Altman & Altman

A Massachusetts man and his young niece were hurt Sunday afternoon when a jet ski they were riding on in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, blew apart.

According to Marine Patrol, who responded to the incident, the man broke his pelvis and the child, 8, suffered a laceration to her head. Both victims were taken to an area hospital for treatment. Marine Patrol officials are still investigating what may have caused the incident with the watercraft, but were able to put the jet ski back together when they arrived on scene.

Watercraft and motorboat incidents happen all the time for a variety of reasons. While human error is usually to blame, people do not often think about the mechanical dangers of watercraft and boats, and often these mechanical failures blindside victims. What may start out as a fun day out on the water, can end in tragedy. When a jet ski accident does occur, the machine itself must be thoroughly inspected. Investigators often cite mechanical errors, design flaws, or other safety malfunctions as the causes of many of these types of crashes. Some of these types of safety issues may include complications with the propeller, gross overpowering or issues with the throttle, as well as issues with the fuel line.

Common Injuries Resulting from Jet Ski Accident

The most common types of injuries include:

• Broken bones • Brain injuries • Burns • Damaged ear drums • Dislocations • Serious neck and back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
Who Is Responsible for My Injuries?

If you were involved in any type of watercraft incident, whether it was a motorboat accident or jet-ski accident, and you believe it was the result of defective design or malfunction, you may be eligible for compensation. Product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and private sellers are supposed to guarantee that the products they are selling are safe for consumers’ use. When they fail to fulfill their obligations, and consumers are seriously injured or killed as a result of this failure, the injured victim and his or her family may file for damages against the liable party or parties.
Continue reading

August 16, 2013

7-Month-Old Boy Dies After Ingesting Laundry Detergent Pod

by Altman & Altman

Several months ago, our Boston injury lawyer blog posted a story about a recent alert put out about by the Consumer Product Safety Commission warning that single-load liquid laundry packets are toxic for kids-especially because their gel-like tiny packets tend to be soft and colorful, making them attractive to young children, who tend to be easily prone to putting tiny objects in their mouth.

Now comes a report that a 7-month-old boy has died after eating one of these laundry packets and an investigation into the incident is ongoing. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the ingestion accident took place in a battered women’s shelter. It is not known at this time whether ingestion of the detergent caused the baby’s death. If it is, this would be the first reported poisoning death involving these pods.

The American Association of Poison Control reports that already this year there have been 5,753 kids under the age of sick that have gotten sick from ingesting laundry detergent packets. The pods are the right size for putting in the mouth and can puncture easily, potentially causing serious side effects even if the detergent just makes contact with the eyes or skin. Serious side effects have included vomiting, breathing problems, drowsiness, eye irritation, temporary vision, ocular burns, and diarrhea. Many of the laundry detergent brands that make these detergent pods don’t package them in childproof containers, which means that if a child gets to one of these containers while unsupervised, he/she can easily open one up and touch the pods and/or put it in the mouth, thinking it is a toy, candy, or an object to teeth on.

August 7, 2013

Towns of Carlisle and Concord Sued for Massachusetts Personal Injury Over Alleged Bullying

by Altman & Altman

An ex- Concord-Carlisle High School student is suing the Concord-Carlisle School District and the towns of Concord and Carlisle for Massachusetts personal injury. Isabella Hankey filed a federal lawsuit claiming she was bullied for close to two years. Also named as defendants are Superintendent Diana Rigby, Assistant Principal Alan Weinstein, and Principal Peter Badalament. The 18-year-old is seeking $2 million.

Hankey contends that school officials were notified about the bullying incidents but that they did not act to effectively handle the matter, which only exacerbated the situation. She says that her car was vandalized multiple times, including in the school parking lot, with slurs keyed into her vehicle and feces smeared on the car’s exterior. Death threats against her in the form of graffiti were written on bathroom walls.

Hankey claims that rather than help her the school tried to destroy the bullying evidence by trying to scrub the writing off the walls. Meantime, the school principal allegedly did not respond to emails and phone calls.

July 5, 2013

Extremely Hot Weather Can Play a Part in Boston Injury Cases Involving Nursing Home Patients, Kids, and Athletes

by Altman & Altman

The National Weather Service is reporting that the season’s second heat wave is here. In Eastern Massachusetts, a heat advisory continues today with temperatures in Boston striking 90 degrees as early as mid-morning, possible hitting 96 degrees, with the hot weather expected to continue through the weekend.

When temperatures are this high, it is important to exercise extra vigilance to prevent heat-related injuries and deaths from happening. In certain instances, failure to do so can be grounds for a Boston injury or wrongful death case.

Hyperthermia

June 19, 2013

Toddler’s Near Drowning Incident Serves as a Stark Reminder for Parents to Keep Kids Safe around Pools this Summer

by Altman & Altman

A Maine toddler who was found floating face-down in his family’s swimming pool last Thursday is slowly improving.

Cody Campbell, 2, was unresponsive when he was pulled from the above-ground pool by his mother. He had a pulse, but no brain activity at the time of the accident according to emergency responders.
Campbell, who is recovering at Maine Medical Center has made progress and now recognizes his parents and is now talking, though he is having some difficulties with his speech. Police say that Cody was at home with his mother and siblings when he went missing and was found in the pool.

Though the story did not end tragically, this situation serves as a reminder for parents to make keeping children safe around swimming pools a priority. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning accidents are the leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4, and the fifth leading cause of death for individuals of all ages.

Swimming pools pose the greatest risk for submersion injury or death by drowning to young children. Though the child may survive a near drowning experience, as was the case of Cody Campbell of Maine, nonfatal drowning may cause irreversible brain damage and long term disabilities, including memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functions.

Who Is At Risk?

According to the CDC, rates of drowning incidents vary demographically by age, gender, and race. The highest rates are among those children ages 1 to 4, and typically males are at a greater risk for drowning than females. The biggest risk factor for drowning incidents is accessibility to water. Those who live close to bodies of water, those have a swimming pool, or those regularly visit a pool are generally more susceptible to pool-related incidents and drowning. Additionally, level of aquatic training and swimming strength are contributing risk factors.
Continue reading

June 4, 2013

Two MA Toddlers Seriously Injured after Window Falls

by Altman & Altman

Two children were hospitalized after falling out of second story windows in Plymouth and Wellesley this weekend.

In Wellesley, an 18-month old fell through a screen from a second story window and onto a deck below around 4:10 p.m. Sunday afternoon. She was taken to a Boston hospital as a precaution, but did not suffer any life-threatening injuries. Another 2-year old girl fell out from the second floor window of a residence in Plymouth, around 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening. She was airlifted to Tufts Medical Center in Boston and was listed in serious condition.
With the arrival of warmer weather, residents around Massachusetts are beginning to open their windows to let the fresh air in. Unfortunately the pleasant feeling of fresh air may turn tragic, especially in households with small children. Nearly 4,000 children are injured and more than a dozen children under the age of 10 die each year in the United States from window falls, according to Boston Children’s Hospital. Window falls are most often caused when children push themselves against the screen of an open window, resulting in the screen to give way, and the child to suddenly fall. Fortunately, there are ways for parents and caregivers to protect their children from falling out of windows.

Simple Tips to Prevent Window Falls

• Open windows from the top, instead of the bottom.
• Lock all unopened doors and windows.
• Keep furniture, beds and anything a child may climb on away from windows.
• Install child safety guards on windows.
• Always, always, always supervise children-especially in rooms with windows that are opened.

About Child Window Safety Guards

Child safety guards are usually made of aluminum or steel bars with a maximum of four-inch spacing. They are installed into the window frame and designed to withstand 150 pounds of pressure, but they may not be strong enough to keep a child from falling out. Another type of guard that may be temporarily installed is an operable window guards which are releasable and removable from the inside, without the use of tools, keys or excessive force. For windows that cannot sustain a fixed window guard, they are a good option. In fact, the Boston Fire Department recommends these types of guards because they are easily releasable in the event of an emergency. Though neither fixed nor operable window guards are required by law in Massachusetts homes, they are highly recommended for households with children under six years old.
Continue reading

May 29, 2013

CPSC Says Majority of Child Drownings Happen in Backyard Pools

by Altman & Altman

According to a new US Consumer Product Safety Commission report, the majority of child drowning deaths are taking place in backyard pools. Drowning remains the number one cause of accidental child deaths for kids between ages 1 and 4 and minorities.

At Altman & Altman, LLP, Boston personal injury lawyers represent the families of kids injured or killed in a Massachusetts drowning accident. We handle pool and spa drowning incidents involving premises liability, products liability, negligence and wrongful death.

Per the CPSC’s latest findings:

May 8, 2013

Measure Would Give Victims of Massachusetts Sex Abuse Lawsuits Until Age 55 to Sue for Personal Injury

by Altman & Altman

A measure is being proposed that would raise the statute of limitations for victims of Massachusetts child sex abuse so that they would have until age 55 to sue for personal injury damages. Currently, most victims in the state have only until they turn 21 to file a civil case-save for an exception to the law that lets older people sue an alleged abuser if the sex abuse lawsuit is submitted within three years of when the victim first discovered that he/she was molested.

While some are questioning whether allowing for a child sex abuse case after so much time has passed could weigh unfairly against those accused-by this point memories might be vaguer and there may not be as many witnesses-other believe that giving victims more time to sue is in their best interests. If you were the victim of Massachusetts sexual abuse, please contact our Boston sexual assault law firm to request your free case assessment.

Child Sex Abuse

April 29, 2013

Boston Playground Accidents Can Cause Serious Massachusetts Child Injuries

by Altman & Altman

Every year, over 200,000 kids are injured in playground accidents in the United States. Sometimes, the injuries are a result of what can sometimes happen when children are busy running around and playing with each other. In other instances, a Boston playground accident could have been avoided were it not for the negligence of others.

Common causes of Massachusetts playground accidents that might be grounds for a Boston injury lawsuit:

Inadequate supervision: adults should properly supervise Kids in playgrounds. When failure to supervise, such as at a school or an event at the playground, allows for injuries to happen, the person or entity tasked with providing the supervision can be held liable. Inadequate supervision also can up the risk of child abductions and sex abuse happening.