South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog

Every day, there are nearly 400 children under the age of 20 who are treated in emergency rooms across the United States as a result of unintentional poisonings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition to these injuries, two kids are killed every day because of these same kinds of accidents. It's not just household chemicals that parents have to be worried about any more. Nowadays, there are more and more products that can cause serious injuries to children in Riviera Beach and elsewhere.

To help to reduce the risks of poison-related child injury in Riviera Beach and elsewhere, the National Safety Council (NSC) is holding Poison Prevention Week through March 24. This nationwide campaign is designed to raise awareness about the dangers associated with many our common household products and medicines.

Our Riviera Beach injury lawyers would like to take this time to warn parents about the risks associated with dangerous chemicals and products. Children can be easily poisoned by pills, liquid medicines and even household cleaners. Fortunately, there are a few precautionary steps that parents and other adults can practice to help ensure that children cannot gain access to these items. As part of Poison Prevention Week, we are sharing these preventative steps with you and your family to help keep the kids in your household safe.

Unintentional poisoning is defined as the unsupervised consumption, excessive use or "overdose" of drugs, chemicals or exposure to environmental substances.

Some of the most common forms of poisons include over-the-counter medications, personal care products, prescriptions and cleaning products. Many of these items are found scattered throughout each of our homes. As a matter of fact, these items are so common that about 80 percent of poisoning incidents happen when a child swallows prescription medications or over-the-counter medicines when an adult is not supervising.

Tips to Help Prevent Accidental Poisonings Among Children:

-Keep your vitamins and your medicines out of reach and out of sight of children. This goes for prescription medicines and over-the-counter drugs as well.

-Never leave vitamins or medicines out. Always put them away right after you're done using them. It's important that you never leave them on the counter or anywhere a child can see/access.

-Explain to your children what medicine is and why you take it. Explain to them that they're never to take medicine unless you give it to them. Reiterate that it's not candy, nor does it taste like candy.

-When closing your medicines, always listen for the click indicating that the cap is locked shut.

-Inform guests of your rules regarding medicines and vitamins and ask that they follow the same rules to help keep children safe.

Continue reading "Child Injuries in Riviera Beach and Elsewhere Targeted by Poison Prevention Week" »

We like to keep parents up to date with the most recent child product recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Every day, there are thousands of products on the federal recall list. A surprising amount of these products are items that can be found in your household, posing risks of injury in Greenacres and elsewhere.

Our Palm Beach County child injury lawyers will be going over some of the latest product recalls involving child products, toys and clothing. Oftentimes, our kids' products wind up on these lists because of a defect discovered well after the item has been on the retailers' shelves. These defects are oftentimes dangerous and can seriously injure your child. It's important for parents to stay in tune with this recall list to help keep children safe.

Arch Swing Sets Recalled by BCI Burke Co. LLC

There were nearly 300 of the 2-3/8 Arch Swing Sets sold throughout the U.S. from January 2004 to December 2011. These items have problems with the welding connection. What can happen is the top swing beam can collapse. With this collapse, children can fall and can be seriously injured. There have already been seven incident reports filed. There have also been a number of injuries reported. Swing sets with 2-3/8-inch steel tubing are covered under this recall. All of the swings have a 2-7/8-inch diameter sleeve that is welded to the middle or end support. If you have one of these sets, contact the company for information regarding a refund or a replacement. Call 1-800-356-2070 or e-mail the company.

Children's Play Theaters Recalled by Guidecraft

Nearly 2,000 of the 4-in-1 Dramatic Play Theater Toys have been recalled in the United States. The items were sold from July 2010 through April 2011. These items have been recalled because they can tip over while a child's playing on them. This poses a serious entrapment hazard to small children. The Guidecraft Company has received both incident and injury reports, including injuries of abrasions and contusions. The model number G51062 falls under this recall. If you have this product, call the company at (888) 824-1308 to get either a refund or a replacement product.

Papa Bear Loungeabouts Pajamas Recalled by Papa Bear Loungeabouts, LLC

Roughly 10,000 pajamas and sleepwear items were sold nationwide from 2004 to 2011. These pajamas don't meet the federal flammability standard, poising serious burn risks to children. They were sold for both boys and girls. A garment label with the name "Papa Bear Loungeabouts" and a picture of a bear can be found sewn into the center back neckline on the outside of the garments. If your child has any of these products, you should return them to the product retailer for a store credit, an exchange or a full refund.

Continue reading "Child Injury in Palm Beach County Possible with Recently Discovered Child Product Defects" »

Halloween is one of the most dangerous holidays of the year for small children, often leading to a trip to the emergency room. Not only are children at risk of a pedestrian accident in Pembroke Pines, but children can also sustain a burn injury from a flammable costume in Weston or a hand, eye or face injury from a defective costume accessory in Fort Pierce.

Our Margate child injury and accident lawyers want to remind parents, guardians and caregivers to talk to children about the dangers of Halloween before they head out this Monday to trick-or-treat.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at child pedestrian accidents on Halloween from 1975-1996. Researchers found that children between the ages of 5 and 14 were four times more likely to be hit by a motorist on Halloween from 4 to 10 p.m. than any other day of the year. From 1975-1996, there were a total of 89 child pedestrian deaths in this age group, averaging about four deaths each Halloween.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found in a nine-year study looking at holiday-related child visits to the emergency room that Halloween was among the top three for child injuries needing medical attention. From 1997 to 2006, 17.6 percent of injuries on Halloween were to a child's finger or hand. Of the injuries to this area on the body, over 30 percent were lacerations and roughly 20 percent were fractures. Of the children visiting a medical center or emergency room, over 30 percent were between the ages of 10 and 14.

Florida Highway Patrol offers these trick-or-treat tips for a safer Halloween:

-Expect a lot of foot traffic, even on the days preceding Halloween.

-Slow your speed, especially on streets with parked cars or in neighborhoods where lit porch lights are an indicator that trick-or-treaters are around.

-Children may be walking on roadways with no sidewalks or crosswalks, so be alert at all times.

-Dress children in bright costumes. Make sure dark costumes and treat bags have reflective tape on them.

-Encourage children to wear face paint rather than a mask. If a mask has to be worn with the costume, ensure that vision and hearing are not impaired in any way.

-Don’t allow children to wear costumes or footwear that are too long or big for them. Tripping can cause a severe puncture wound or broken bone from a fall accident.

-Be alert for "stranger danger" on Halloween night. Make children aware not to talk to strangers or take short cuts that stray away from a group, parent or guardian.

Other important Halloween safety tips:

-Keep sharp costume accessories or pumpkin carving tools away from small children at all times.

-Only use costumes that are flame-resistant or flame-retardant.

-Instruct children to accept candy only in sealed wrappers. Inspect all candy before it is consumed.

-Keep small children away from candle flames or lit jack-o-lanterns.

Ensure your child has a safe Halloween by setting ground rules and reviewing important safety concerns. Making children aware of the dangers is the first step in reducing the risk of injury to them and others.

Continue reading "Halloween Dangers a Parental Concern for Child Injuries in Pembroke Pines, Weston, Elsewhere" »

Your child now has a new, fun and exciting way to learn valuable safety tips to help prevent child injury in Margate. Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) teamed up with the popular animated series Chuggington and released a new video series. Throughout this series, children will be able to learn safe habits to practice around vehicles, whether they're riding in a car, playing near parked cars, riding on buses, walking near traffic or bicycling near roadways. The new show will be targeting children ages 2 to 7, and will have online tips, a kid-focused safety pledge, and activities for parents to use with children.

"This exciting partnership with Chuggington will help us bring our traffic safety message to young children and parents alike," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Our Cooper City child injury attorneys understand that car accidents are the number one cause of deaths for children in the United States. More than 1,300 children under the age of 15 died in 2009 because of motor-vehicle accidents. Another 179,000 young children were injured in these accidents. There were more than 260 children in this age group who died in traffic-related pedestrian accidents. Approximately 115,000 young ones also were injured in pedestrian-related accidents during the same year. We encourage all parents to recruit the participation of their children to help them to learn lifelong safety habits that can potentially save their life one day.

Chuggington's new video series will teach kids safety tips for school bus riders, pedestrians, car seat usage and bicycling. Throughout the videos, Chuggington and his friends will earn safety badges for performing safe behavior in dangerous situations. The characters will be taking the 'Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!' safety pledge. Your child is encouraged to take the pledge as well and to earn his or her very own Chuggington Traffic Safety badge.

This series was released just in time for National Child Passenger Safety Week. This week-long campaign was used to raise awareness in parents about the importance of properly buckling in children during every car ride. The NHTSA estimates that approximately 70 percent of all child car seats are improperly installed on U.S. roadways.

The latest child car seat recommendations:

-Younger than 1-years-old: These children should always ride in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat of a vehicle.

-Age 1- to 3-years-old: Children should be kept in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible. Once they've reached the height and weight limits for their car seat, you may move them to a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

-Ages 4- to 7-years-old: Keep them in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they've reached the seat's height and weight limits. Then a child should be moved to a booster seat that's located in the back seat of a vehicle.

-Ages 8- to 12-years-old: Children should be kept in a booster seat until they can properly fit in a seat with an adult seat belt. he lap portion of adult seat belt should fit snugly across the upper thighs, and the shoulder portion of the belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest.

Continue reading "Chuggington and the NHTSA Team up to Help Prevent Child Injury in Vero Beach and Elsewhere" »

A recent early-morning car accident in Miami killed three motorists, including a mom-to-be and her unborn child. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident happened when a vehicle, traveling the wrong way on Interstate 75 between Miramar Parkway and Miami Gardens Drive, collided with an oncoming vehicle. The accident closed the Interstate for five hours, according to WSVN 7. Police were notified about the wrong-way car but were unable to locate it before the accident.

Emergency responders transported three of the injured motorists to Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH). The pregnant mother and her unborn child were later pronounced dead at the Ryder Trauma Center at JMH. The other two victims remain hospitalized.

Our Sunrise car accident attorneys understand how stressful being an expecting parent can be, but when you're traveling among unpredictable motorists the stress level can be sky high. There are specific safety precautions that an expecting mother can take to help keep her and her unborn child safe on our roadways.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are nearly 33,000 pregnant women involved in traffic accidents every year. Car accidents are the number one cause of death and serious trauma to women during a pregnancy.

Here are some tips to help keep you safe in a motor vehicle while you're pregnant:

-Buckle up the right way. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), pregnant women should wear their seat belt with the shoulder portion over the collarbone. The lap portion of the seat belt should be worn under the abdomen and across the upper thighs, making sure it's placed as low as possible. Never put the seat belt over the stomach. A pregnant woman should never put a seat belt behind the arm or back.

-Be a passenger as much as possible. As a pregnancy progresses, the uterus will get closer and closer to the steering wheel, eventually placing it in a potion to be crushed in the event of an accident. Ride as a passenger as much as possible.

-Stay far from the wheel. If a pregnant mother has to drive a vehicle, it's important to keep the seat as far from the steering wheel as possible. Expecting mothers are urged to stay at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel.

-Don't lean forward. This will minimize movement in the event of the accident. It will also allow the airbag to operate properly.

Don't shy away from airbag. The NHTSA reports that both airbags and seat belts, when used together, offer an expecting mother the highest level of protection possible.

Seek the advice of a doctor if you're an expecting mother and have been involved in an accident. The CDC reports that expecting mothers that are involved in car accidents and have not documented their injuries are at a higher risk of preterm labor.

Continue reading "Pregnant Mother and Unborn Child Killed in Miami Car Accident" »

If you live in a big city, the opportunity to ride an all-terrain vehicle is probably few and far between. Yet, just a few minutes out of town, they remain a popular recreational activity. In other cases, they are used on the beach and even as part of some jobs. Tourists and residents of Florida may find themselves at risk of an ATV accident in Port St. Lucie if they lack the knowledge and experience needed to operate this four-wheeled machine. Or if rented or borrowed machines are not properly maintained.

TC Palm recently reported about the fatal ATV accident involving two riders from Port St. Lucie. According to St. Lucie County Fire District, the ATV ran into a truck that was parked on Christensen Road near Midway Road around 11:00 p.m. The driver of the ATV attempted to turn into a drive, hit a privately owned firetruck which caused the ATV to flip over. The passenger on the ATV was ejected from the vehicle and killed. The ATV driver is at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in critical condition.

Fort Lauderdale injury lawyers know that Florida is full of scenic off-road riding trails and challenging mud bogs. But with the growing popularity of ATV's in our state, riders need to be careful to avoid rollover accidents, collisions, or bumpy terrains that cause them to be thrown off the vehicle.

ATVSafety.gov reported 376 ATV-related fatalities in 2009, and another 131,900 injuries that were treated in hospital emergency rooms nationwide. For children under the age of 16, 16 percent of all ATV-related deaths were in this age group in 2009 with 61 reported fatalities. Florida reported 361 fatalities from 1982-2006 involving an ATV and though the data remains incomplete, it is estimated that another 86 ATV-related deaths occurred from 2007-2009 in our state. From 1982-2006, 29 percent of ATV-related deaths in Florida were children 15 and under.

Florida prohibits use of ATVs on paved roads and requires that vehicles must be titled if operated on public land.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers these common sense safety tips to ATV riders:

-Enroll in a training course. Riders can learn how to control ATVs in various situations with proper training in a hands-on course.

-Adult ATVs are meant for adults and should never be used by children under the age of 16.

-Riders should never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

-Most ATVs are built for one person so carrying a passenger on a single-rider is never advised. Riding tandem with a passenger can occur on ATVs designed for two riders but passengers should be at least 12 years old.

-Protective equipment like gloves, helmets, boots and goggles can reduce the severity of injury sustained in a crash.

For a full list of riding trails in your area, visit atvflorida.com. But first, check out ATV Rider Course Enrollment before you ride.

Continue reading "All-Terrain Vehicles Can Cause Severe Injury in Port St. Lucie Accidents" »

A woman and her son are lucky to be alive after being struck by a pickup truck crossing the street, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

In a previous post to our South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, our Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers reported that Florida is the most dangerous state for pedestrians.

The accident happened around 10 a.m. at the intersection of Northwest 19th Street and Northwest 29th Avenue. A young mother was pushing her toddler across the street in his stroller when the two were hit by the pickup. Both victims were taken to Broward General Medical Center. According to law enforcement, the victims were not in a crosswalk when they attempted to cross the street. The driver of the pickup was not speeding, stopped after the collision and was not cited.

Strollers are a means of transporting children quickly across pavement or hard-floor surfaces in stores. They are built to fold up easily, which exposes children to hinged parts that can cause injuries. Every year, more than 13,000 children younger than 3 are injured in stroller accidents.

A retrospective study on stroller injuries reviewed more than 65,000 stroller injuries reported between 1994 and 1998 by National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The study found the rate of injury was 184 per 100,000 children. Boys and girls were injured on an almost equal basis and the average age of those injured was 11 months. Most children are injured because they fall out of the stroller (76 percent), while a stroller tipping causes 11 percent of accidents. The remaining injuries were from the stroller collapsing or being hit by a motor vehicle. Head and facial injuries occur 87 percent of the time, followed distantly by bruises, lacerations, fractures and closed head injuries.

How to prevent stroller accidents:

-Statistics clearly show that falling out of strollers is the leading cause of injury in stroller accidents. Parents and caregivers need to securely fasten the stroller's restraint system. Similar to car seats, the safety harness must be secured properly to keep the child in place. Some accidents happened because the safety harness wasn't secured at all, or only the lap belt was used. To keep young children from sliding under the lap belt, the crotch strap needs to be secured.

-Young children like to move around, so they need to be watched at all times. Children have died from being strangled by the leg straps when they have slipped under the lap belt. Children have also died by suffocation after being incorrectly positioned in the stroller.

-Children should be removed from the stroller prior to going up and down stairs. Tragic accidents have occurred when strollers have been dropped or rolled down steps.

-Keep one hand on the stroller at all times and always use the brakes. Periodically check the brakes and moving parts to make sure they are in good working order.

-Know your stroller's "pinching potential" points and make sure children don't put their hands or fingers near these points. Never hang heavy bags or purses on the stroller handles -- it could cause the stroller to tip backward.

Continue reading "Children at Risk for Severe Injury in Fort Lauderdale Stroller Accidents " »

Florida has the most pedestrian deaths in the country, ranking it the most dangerous place for pedestrians, according to a pedestrian safety report released by Transportation For America.

The 2011 edition looks back on the 47,000 people killed walking along roadways in the United States. It also looks back on the 688,000 injuries sustained from these pedestrian accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere throughout the country. Now, in an attempt to reduce the risks of these accidents, Dangerous by Design 2011 will examine the information and attempt to form solutions for these preventable deaths.

The new report comes with a number of features. You are able to view fact sheets that are specific to each of the 50 states and you can even look, through interactive pedestrian maps, at the pedestrian fatalities that have occurred in your very own community.

Our Miami personal injury lawyers would like to stress the importance of this report as it illustrates our deadly streets. Florida experienced the most pedestrian deaths during the examined time period, 2000 to 2009. Florida metro areas took the first, second, third and fourth place for having the most dangerous metro areas in the country. We hope the release of this report will help raise awareness about the importance of safe and alert driving.

During the studied years, more than 5,000 people were killed while walking the streets of Florida. These accidents cost the state more than $22 billion. The Sunshine State has a Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) of 182.8, which is what gives our state the number one ranking out of all 50 states.

The areas that saw the most pedestrian fatalities in Florida are:

-Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, 1,555

-Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, 905

-Orlando-Kissimmee, 557

-Jacksonville, 342

-Cape Coral-Fort Myers, 178

Most of these pedestrian accidents happen along arterial roads. These roads are dangerous by design as they fall under federal construction and planning and are meant to accommodate speedy traffic flow. These roadways have little to no safety provisions for on-foot travelers.

The highways-only lobbyists insist that pedestrian safety is a mere luxury, an unnecessary feature, that is the responsibility of local government. Meanwhile, almost 70 percent of these pedestrian deaths occurred on federal-aid roads.

The federal funding that goes toward the safety of pedestrians only makes us less than 1.5 percent of the entire federal transportation outlay. This tiny bit of funding may cease as Congress is currently looking at eliminating it altogether. Shouldn't we have a say in where our tax dollars go?

If you would like to help increase the safety of our roadways, you are asked to contact Congress to tell them that it is no time to start cutting funding that could keep our pedestrians safe.

Continue reading "New Report Ranks Florida First in Fatal Pedestrian Accidents" »

Keeping children safe is a number one priority for parents and our personal injury lawyers in West Palm Beach take the matter so seriously and continue to stay updated on child product recalls.

Manufacturers have a responsibility to test and put their product through certain safety measures before being sold to the public. Still, far too many products are found to be dangerous or defective each year -- usually after someone is injured or killed. We want to remind you to seek qualified legal help if your child has suffered serious injury from a child product defect in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or elsewhere in the state. Medical costs and personal suffering can be insurmountable in situations like these so it is important that you know your rights.

Lately, it seems child product recalls have been announced fast and furiously. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission continually reports on product defects so that consumers can be informed and prevent suffering injury. The CPSC has reported the following important child defective products recently:

-Infant bed-side sleepers manufactured by Arm's Reach Concepts are being recalled for hazards with entrapment, suffocation, and falls. There have been 10 reported cases to date where an infant has fallen from the raised mattress and became entrapped between the mattress and side of the sleeper.

-Troy activity trucks manufactured by Infantino are being recalled for a potential choking hazard. Plastic beads on the truck have been found detachable, which can cause children to choke if placed in their mouth. To date, there have been 28 incidents reported, two of which children were found gagging on the plastic beads.

-Pogo Sticks manufactured by Bravo Sports are being recalled due to the high risk of injury while using the stick. The frame tube found on the bottom of the pogo stick can break or come apart which exposes the pin holding the spring in place. Breakage of the pin or spring causes serious fall threats or lacerations while playing with the stick. There have been 123 incidents reported including several incidents involving a tooth being chipped or knocked out completely.

-Water walking balls manufactured by several brand or ride names are being recalled for a high risk of suffocation and drowning. The water-related recreational activity involves climbing inside a big rubber ball while walking on water, ice or grass. There is no emergency exit and the ball can only be opened by someone on the outside. There are only two reported incidents but both were seriously injured inside the plastic ball.

The CPSC encourages any victim who has been injured or has experienced a dangerous product to call the Hotline at 1-800-638-2772 to report the defective product. For more information on consumer product recalls visit the CPSC website. Consumers are reminded that it is illegal to sell or attempt to sell recalled products but if you have experienced an injury from a defective product contact legal counsel immediately.

Continue reading "Defective Child Products Common Cause of West Palm Beach Child Injuries " »

The unresponsive body of a four-year-old boy was pulled from a murky residential pool late last Friday, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. The child was reported missing after he slipped out of his father's sight.

Deputies responding to the missing child report used a helicopter and K-9 units to search for the child. He was discovered at the bottom of the pool and pulled from the water by a deputy who began CPR. The child was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Our Palm Beach accident attorneys and premises liability lawyers know for Florida residents submersion accidents are a concern, particularly given our geography and climate and the number of pools, spas and access to water sources spanning the state.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission between 2005 and 2007 there were, on average, 385 spa- or pool-related fatalities involving children aged 14 and younger. Between 2007 and 2009, approximately 4,200 submersion injuries required emergency care for this age group. Almost 8-out-of-10 submersion-related fatalities involved children younger than age 5.

More than half of the injuries and nearly three-quarters of all pool-related fatalities involving children 14 and younger happened in residential pools. For victims aged 5 and younger, percentages jump to 61 percent for injuries, and 84 percent for fatalities. Regarding victims aged 5 to 14, 48 percent of injuries and 43 percent of fatalities happened in a public venue.

KidsHealth reports that a young child can drown in less than two inches of water, making everything from the kitchen sink to a ditch filled with rainwater a potential safety hazard. (On that note, hot water can also be hazardous. It takes less than three seconds for hot tap water to cause a third-degree burn on a child’s skin.)

If you have a pool (hot tub, pond or spa included) at home, KidsHealth recommends having a fence that completely encircles the water source is “the best safety investment you can make”. In most cases, Florida law requires such a fence, as well as other safety features. Pool covers and pool alarms can act as a deterrent, but have proven ineffective in preventing drowning involving young children. With that said, perhaps the most important life-saving tip for a parent or caregiver working with children on or near property with water access is constant supervision. When water is involved, never assume someone else is looking after a child.

Other suggestions include:

~ Invest in swimming lessons. Whether you have a pool or not, teaching a child to swim can be a potentially life-saving skill.

~ Teach your kids proper pool behavior: no diving in the shallow end, don’t run on the pool deck. If you see a storm approaching or hear thunder, get out of the water.

~ Because seconds matter when it comes to submersion injuries, keep a cell phone with you at all times when supervising children playing in a pool.

~ Learn CPR.

~ If children are swimming or playing in a natural water system – the beach, the lake – make sure kids are wearing foot protection. Teach them to be alert to above and below water level hazards, such as boats or jagged rocks, tangled weeds and large waves or undertows.

~ Before letting your kids swim, be sure to check with the lifeguard station about water conditions and safety concerns.

Continue reading "Drowning death of South Florida four-year-old spotlights swimming pool hazards " »

Our Port St. Lucie injury attorneys encourage parents to make 2011 the year they emphasize the importance of safe teen driving, whether or not their teenager is old enough to drive.

Florida is one of 13 states that require young teens to pass three stages before getting their drivers license. The Graduated Driver's License Program trains teens gradually to react to certain driving situations and allows them to mature over time in order to be safer drivers.

Since its inception, there has been a reduction in fatalities and the number of teen car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere in South Florida. At age 15, teens get a learner's license and upon meeting certain requirements move to the next stage of operational license. The last stage is the full license in which at age 18 a teen can apply for as long as they have met all the previous requirements in the first two stages.

The advantage of the GDLP is that teens learn and mature at the same time. Florida, ranked among the top in vehicle crash fatalities for all age groups according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008, the NHTSA reported that Florida was ranked either 2nd or 3rd among all states in fatalities when a young driver was involved. Specific to the following: when someone between the ages of 15-20 was either driving, an occupant with another young driver, or a passenger of the other vehicle involved in the crash. Florida reported a total of 516 fatalities in crashes involving young drivers in 2008. These accidents accounted for 8% of fatalities in this age group in the United States.

According to a recent article in Yahoo News Safe Kids USA wants to do more to increase the safety of young teens before they approach the legal driving age in their state. Along with the help of General Motors Foundation, Safe Kids USA is introducing a new program called Countdown2Drive that will focus on educating young teens at the age of 13-14, as well as their parents, about the importance of safe driving and passenger habits.

Last year, over 350,000 teens were injured in passenger vehicle accidents. It is believed that if teens learn to become safe passengers, then that will carry through to when it is time to show safe driving skills.

The first year of driving is often the most critical for teens. The freedom of being able to do your own thing brings a great deal of excitement. But with programs like Countdown2Drive maybe the knowledge and maturity gained beforehand will begin to play a role in reducing the number of young driver fatalities that occur each year in Florida.

Continue reading "Resolve to help reduce risk of teen car accidents in Port St. Lucie in 2011" »

The risk of defective product injury in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida increases through the holidays, particularly when it comes to small children.

Our injury lawyers in Coral Gables, Hollywood, and throughout the region, wish each of you an enjoyable holiday season. But we also urge you to take special care when it comes to reducing the risk of serious or fatal injuries caused by defective products.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that toy recalls are declining even as the number of injuries has increased. Yet, even by its own admission, an average of one popular toy a week is recalled in this country because of its risk for serious or fatal injuries. And the government is not counting items made for children, such as strollers and cribs, of which more than 100 different products have already been recalled thus far in 2010.

The government is working to establish better safeguards after a rash of toy recalls involving lead paint and other hazards in 2008. The results are a decline in the number of recalled toys. So far this year, 44 toys have been recalled, compared to 50 recalls last year and 172 in 2008.

Still, 12 children died last year as a result of injuries involving toys and 24 children died in 2007 and 2008. Thousands of other kids were injured. In fact, the government reports the number of toy injuries continues to increase. Last year, nearly 200,000 emergency room visits involved toy injuries to children under the age of 15, compared to about 150,000 in 2005.

“By limiting metals and chemicals in toys and making the voluntary standard mandatory, CPSC has put safeguards in place for toys to better protect children,” said Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “The increase in injuries is a concern, and we want parents to make safe purchases and for children to be safe at play. To help keep what has been called the most wonderful time of the year happy and incident-free, CPSC is encouraging consumers to adopt a three-pronged safety approach.”

A list of recalled children's products in Florida is available here.

Continue reading "Defective product injuries in South Florida a holiday risk" »

The 14-year-old Palm Beach Lakes High School student was on her way to school when the attack happened. Out of nowhere, it seemed, two pit bulls lunged – one at her neck, one at the legs. She screamed. Screamed loud enough to draw attention of a neighbor who grabbed a stick and scared the dogs away, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

The dogs took off up Caribbean Boulevard eventually entering a Gramercy Park home where they terrified a mother and daughter. A family member drove the dogs off with a golf club. The pair of dogs were later shot after charging deputies, sustaining injuries so severe that both had to be euthanized.

Charges are pending against the dogs’ owners. Neighbors say the dogs had a history of aggressive behavior and record of escaping their fenced enclosure. Neither dog had been vaccinated for rabies. Our West Palm Beach dog bite attorneys know that Florida law aims to protect innocent victims from dangerous dogs, particularly when an attack is due to the failure of the owner to confine, train or control their pets. Not only is the dog’s owner liable for any emotional and physical injury a wayward pet may cause, but also a repeat offender can be euthanized if it is determined to pose a threat to the welfare of the community.

The teenage victim told WPTV-5 she has experienced flashbacks since the attack and has had some trouble sleeping. The girl spent four days in the hospital and will spend another two weeks recovering at home before returning to school. She has staples in her scalp and stitches along her neck and leg. Her mother told reporters that hospital staff said her daughter was lucky to be alive.

Dog attacks are a startlingly common occurrence in this country. Each year, about 4.5 million people are bitten by a dog. About 1 million will require emergency medical attention and 31,000 will undergo reconstructive surgery, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children ages 5 to 9 are most at risk.

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South Florida personal injury attorneys have been following the developments in the South Miami Hospital case where the accidental circumcision of an eight-day-old infant has both created controversy and led to the filing of a million-dollar lawsuit. The Miami Herald reports that the child was circumcised without the mother’s consent and despite the fact she repeatedly rejected the procedure when asked by hospital staff.

The 30-year-old mother said that circumcision is not a common in her family and it is a medical procedure she culturally opposes. The hospital has since apologized to the family and has promised to put in place procedures to prevent such an error from occurring in the future. Aside from seeking compensation for physical damages caused by what her attorney has called an irreversible “amputation” of healthy tissue, the infant’s mother has also filed a criminal battery report with local law enforcement.

Clearly a sensitive topic for the family, the case is also causing a stir within the community. According to ABC News, the anti-circumcision group SICSociety plans to demonstrate outside the hospital to show support for the family while raising awareness that circumcision is not a medically-necessary procedure.

About 55 to 65 percent of U.S. babies are circumcised each year, a drop of about 10 percent from when the practice reached its peak in the 1960s, Kids Health reports. Circumcision is a much more common practice in Canada, the Middle East and the United States than in Asia, South and Central America and portions of Europe.

Regarding the premise of medical necessity, the American Academy of Pediatrics disagrees. The AAP defines circumcision as “non-essential to the child’s well-being” and recommends deferring the decision to circumcise to the parents, whose cultural, social, ethnic or religious beliefs may or may not align with common American medical practices.

A decision taken away from one set of parents in a Miami hospital on Aug. 2. In other cases, medical mistakes during circumcision may lead to scarring or the formation of scar tissue or lumps around the end of the penis. This malformation can range from moderate to severe and may ultimately require surgical correction.

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