Child Injuries

June 7, 2012

Stuffed Bunny Saved From Catastrophic MBTA Accident in Boston

You could call employees with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) lifesavers. Well, maybe more like bunny savers.

According to CBS Boston, workers stepped in just in time to save a little girl’s best friend who had accidentally fallen onto the tracks. It all happened when Casey and Michelle Carey-Brown’s 3-year-old said that her little bunny friend was nervous about their family trip on the T. The family and their bunny friend were heading from Stony Brook to Green Street on the Orange Line when the accident happened. As they exited the train, their furry friend fell out of the little girl’s stroller and onto the tracks below. There it sat, in between the train and the loading platform, serving as a sitting duck for a potentially fatal bunny accident in Boston.

The little girl, without hesitation, screamed and reached out for her friend. Her parents scurried to find an MBTA employee for assistance in saving their furry family member. They located a T worker who was able to call ahead to the conductor of the train. The cars were stopped during the middle of rush hour so that the conductor could get out, grab the bunny and toss it back to the little girl, safe in her arms.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers understand that it can be difficult to travel with children. When riding the T, there are a lot of passengers to keep an eye on, fast-moving trains and dangerous tracks below. It’s important to travel with a plan and to keep safety as a number one priority, especially for your children. To help you to better travel with your young ones, we’re here to offer you some subway safety tips for children.

Subway Safety:

-Travel slowly. Most accidents in the subway result from slips, trips and falls on boarding docks and on stairs. Be sure that children never play on a boarding platform. It’s a lot easier than you think to fall from the platform and onto the tracks.

-This is not a time to live life on the edge. When waiting for the subway to arrive, make sure that you and your family are waiting behind the warning strips and away from the edge.

-Be careful with strollers. These items should never be used on the stairs. Make sure that you fold them up and carry infants before walking up or down stairs. When you have a stroller on the boarding platform keep the stroller away from the edge and keep your hand on the brake.

Parents are asked to keep an eye on their young travelers. You know how busy our subway systems can get. Keep an eye on your little ones and make sure to keep your family together and safe. Responsible traveling habits help prevent potentially fatal accidents.
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May 29, 2012

Chelsea Fall Accident Sends 2-Year-Old Down Three Stories

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent fall accident in Chelsea sent a 2-year-old out of a third-floor window and down about 50 feet to the ground below. According to the Boston Globe, the young girl is expected to make it. Officers believe that the girl was playing with some of her friends on a bed in the home that was located next to a window. They believe that the window was left open and the young girl fell out and into the alley below. Officials have not determined if the child was supervised or not at the time of the accident.

Just a week ago, a 2-year-old girl died after she fell from a third-floor window in Fall River.

Our Chelsea injury attorneys understand that there are nearly 2.5 million children under the age of 14-years-old who are treated in emergency rooms across the country because of fall-related accidents.

According to recent statistics, there fall-related accidents kill about 80 of these young ones every year. More than half of the injuries occur to children under the age of six. Window falls are some of the most serious of these kinds of accidents, especially for our young ones. Every year, nearly 20 kids under the age of 11 die from window falls. Another 4,700 kinds under the age of 14 require treatment each year because of these same accidents. Children don’t understand the dangers that are associated with heights. They’re also not able to calculate the dangers of playing near windows. Many don’t understand that there are risks of a dangerous fall. For this reason, it’s parents’ responsibility to keep a close eye on their young ones near windows and to make sure that all windows are properly guarded.

Luckily, there are ways to help to keep our children safe near windows.

According to the Boston Public Health Commission, parents, guardians and property owners are urged to safeguard all windows to make sure that children don’t have access to them and that they can’t get out of them! That’s why the state participates in the Kids Can’t Fly campaign, to help to educate communities about window falls, prevention and the use of child safety window guards.

Tips to Protect Children from Windows:

-Be sure to install window guards on all windows that are above the first floor.

-If you have to open a window for ventilation, be sure that your child can’t reach the open window.

-Make sure you have ground rules in your home and that children know not to play near windows.

-Move your furniture away from all of your windows.

-Never rely on window/insect screens to keep children from falling out of a window. They’re not strong enough and will not keep your child in.
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May 20, 2012

Dog Bites in Boston and Elsewhere Costing Insurance Companies Nearly $500 Million in 2011

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Dog bite injuries in Boston and elsewhere are more common than you may think.

According to State Farm Insurance, it paid our nearly $110 million for these kinds of claims in just 2011. The year before, it paid out about $90 million. Experts are now trying to figure out why the increase, of nearly 4,000 claims in 2011 from 3,500 in 2010.

Nationwide, insurance companies dished out about $500 million in homeowners insurance claims for dog bite injuries in 2011, according to U.S. News.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers understand that there are more than 4.5 million people who are a victim of a dog bite every year. And those are only the ones that are reported. Experts say that about half of the bite victims are children. Nearly a million of all victims seek medical attention for the treatment of these bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 20 die from these attacks every year, too!

Kids between the ages of 5- and 9-years-old are the most likely to be bitten by a dog. After this age group, seniors and then letter carriers make up the most at-risk group. Over the last two years, nearly 6,000 employees with the U.S. Postal Service were attacked by dogs.

To help to raise awareness about these kinds of accidents, the third week of May has been dubbed National Dog Bite Prevention Week. During this time, safety advocates and organizations nationwide work to educate residents about the risks for dog bite accidents. In most cases, dog bite victims are bitten or attacked by dogs they know, like the ones in their own household or dogs of neighbors, close friends and even family members.

Dogs can bite for a number of reasons, including health, training, socialization, heredity and the behavior of those around them.

The state of Massachusetts has one of the best laws for protecting the victims of dog bite injuries, especially child victims. The owner of a dog is strictly liable for dog bite accidents unless the victim was tormenting, trespassing or abusing the dog prior to the bite. Children under the age of 7 are presumed innocent, according to Dog Bite Law.

Residents are urged to be cautious near dogs. Some may not look dangerous, but looks can definitely be deceiving. Be careful when you’re near a dog of any kind. Allow them to sniff you before petting them. Never bother a dog while they’re eating, sleeping or caring for their young. Always treat a dog as if they could strike at any time. Be calm, careful and cautious to reduce your risks of a dog bite injury.
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May 9, 2012

Boston Sports Injuries: NFL Players File Suit

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Boston sports injuries can have serious implications for pro athletes and even children who are just beginning to learn the game.

It’s worse than just stitches and casts, which athletes sometimes wear as a badge of honor.

It’s an issue our Boston sports injuries attorneys take very seriously.

Boston Personal Injury Attorney Jeffrey Glassman’s sister suffered a debilitating back injury several years ago that shattered hopes of a promising tennis career.

So our sports injury lawyers are closely watching the developments of a lawsuit that has been filed by some 1,500 National Football League players, who say that the organization deliberately hid from them the serious health risks associated with concussions, which many suffered on an almost daily basis. Another 100 recently added their names to that list, which continues to grow.

In other sports injury news, a study recently found teenage girls involved in soccer may be particularly prone to head injuries.

The lawsuit, which has been filed in a federal court in Atlanta, alleges that time and time again, the league did not do enough to protect its players – i.e., its employees – from serious and life-altering head injuries. In fact, they even went so far as to misrepresent how head injuries would affect players, leading them to believe there would be no long-term consequences.

The NFL of course denies these claims, but this suit is the second consolidated suit to be filed against the league. The other, in Pennsylvania, has not yet been given a trial date.

At the core of the lawsuits are recent scientific studies that show that concussions can be directly linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is a degenerative brain disease that is symptomatically similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Those who suffer from it often have severe mood swings, extensive memory loss and deep depression.

The only thing that causes this disease is repeated blows to the brain. Like Alzheimer’s, it can only be definitively diagnosed after someone has died.

The players contend that at least 12 cases have been identified in the brains of players who have since deceased. The actual number is likely much higher.

Players say they were never told of the dangers of the game.

It’s interesting to note also the recently sad news regarding the suicide of NFL player Junior Seau. Doctors say he appeared to have been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy for at least a year prior to his death. What’s more, he is the second football player in recent years to commit suicide by shooting himself in the chest. Both men reportedly did so in order that their brains could be preserved to confirm the existence of the disease, as well as so that their brains could be used to study. Many have speculated that both wanted their brains used for research, likely so that future generations of footballers might benefit from the intense pain and confusion they felt in the years prior to his death.

While of course this affects a relatively small number of the population, there are countless youth sports leagues in which parents and coaches need to take note of this very serious issue.
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March 25, 2012

Poisoning and Child Injuries in Boston and Elsewhere Targeted through National

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

To help to prevent child injury in Brockton and elsewhere, we encourage you to participate in Poison Prevention Week presented by the National Safety Council (NSC). This week-long awareness campaign is being held from March 18th through the 24th and will be used to help educate parents about one of the leading causes of child injury — unintentional poisoning.

Every year, there are about 375 children across the country who wind up in an emergency room because of injuries associated with unintentional poisoning. In addition to the hundreds of injuries we see on a daily basis, two children die every day because of these same incidents. Common products and items that inflict these injuries on our little ones include household chemicals as well as over-the-counter and prescription medicines.

Our Massachusetts child injury lawyers understand that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the nationwide campaign. In celebration of this year’s campaign, we would like to share some valuable information with parents that can help to keep young ones safe.

Poisoning Facts:

-Children under the age of 6-years-old account for about half of the calls that are made to poison centers involving exposure to/contact with poisons.

-Roughly 80 people (rof all age groups) die every day because of unintentional poisonings.

-U.S. poison centers answer more than 4 million phone calls every year.

-More than 90 percent of poisonings happen in people’s homes. These accidents most commonly happen in bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms.

There are a few safety tips that parents are urged to follow to help ensure that their children are less likely to ingest poisons. Parents are also urged to talk with the young ones in their family about these dangers. Helping to educate your kids about medications, vitamins and chemicals can also help to reduce their risks for a potentially fatal injury.

Safety Tips to Help Prevent Poisonings:

-Keep all medicines, cleaners and chemicals out of reach of children. It’s best to place these items in areas that young ones can’t even see.

-When giving a child medicine, be sure to read the instructions carefully. Only give them the recommended dosage.

-Talk with kids about what medications are used for. Make sure they know to never take medicine if it wasn’t given to them by their mom, dad or guardian.

-Tell your kids that medicine is not candy and it sure doesn’t taste like it.

-When you close your medicine bottle, make sure you hear the click that activates the child lock and then store it out of reach and out of sight.

-Ask house guests to keep their medications out of reach and out of sight. Make sure your guests are familiar with the rules in your household pertaining to medications, vitamins, etc.

-Program the Poison Help number (1-800-222-1222) in your phone or post it on your fridge.
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February 24, 2012

CPSC Releasing Even More Recalls to Help Prevent Boston Child Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In 2010, there were nearly 20 reports to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) of toy-related child fatalities. The children who were killed from defective products during that year were all under the age of 15. The CPSC has determined that game and accessory parts, small balls and balloons were associated with nearly 70 percent of all of these fatalities.

Even if defective products don’t kill, they can cause serious child injury in Massachusetts and elsewhere. In 2010 there were nearly 252,000 toy-related injuries that sent children to emergency rooms. Most of these injuries from defective toys were abrasions, contusions and lacerations.

Our Boston defective product attorneys understand the parents’ concern in making sure what they give their child to play with isn’t going to harm them. There are always questions as to whether a product is safe or if it contains hazardous materials. To help answer these questions and ease our fears, parents are urged to frequently visit the CPSC’s recall list. This list offers parents the most recent recall information that can help you to spot a dangerous product before it spots you.

International Playthings Recalls Tumblekins Toys

More than 30,000 Tumblekins Toys have been recalled by International Playthings because of possible laceration and choking hazards. These toys are manufactured by Lishui Treetoys Trading Co. Ltd. The recall was issued after it was concluded that the toys can come apart into small pieces that can have sharp points. These points pose laceration and choking hazards for small children. There has been one report of a toy breaking. No injuries have been reported. The recall encompasses the Tumblekins play sets and toy vehicles. This includes the school bus, fire truck, off-roader, roadster, police car, fire station and farm play set. Printed on the recalled toys is either “346101461502” or “171111461502”. The items were sold at Juvenile product stores, on their website and in department stores across the country from March 2011 to December 2011. If you have any of these items, contact International Playthings at (800) 445-8347 or e-mail the company for more info.

Ganz Recalls Dancing Teapots

More than 2,000 Dancing Teapots were sold in the United States from December 2011 through January 2012. These items are being recalled because the handle of the teapot can get very hot when there is hot water inside. This poses a burning hazard. Under the recall, items with the SKU number ER19252 and the UPC number 661371626062 should no longer be used by consumers. If you have one of these items, contact Ganz for a full refund. You can contact the company by phone at (800) 724-5902 or on the Ganz website.

Landscape Structures Recalls Children’s Slides

Landscape Structures Inc., of Delano, Minnesota is recalling nearly 1,000 of its Slalom Gliders because the sides do not have the proper transition platform on the sides and top of the chute. Without these transition platforms, children can fall when they attempt to move the ladder to the side to slide down the chute. So far, the company has received more than 15 reports of injuries to kids under the age of 8. Included in these injuries were bruised spleens, fractured collar bones, fractures legs and arms and one bruised arm. The recall effects model number 172627 and 156456. The items were sold to various schools and other facilities with playgrounds across the country from January 2006 to December 2011. If you have one of these slides, contact the company by calling toll-free at (888) 438-6574 or by visiting the Landscape Structures website.
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February 20, 2012

Young Children and Risks of Head Trauma Sports Injuries in Massachusetts, Nation

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Children under the age of 14-years-old shouldn’t be allowed to play tackle football, lacrosse or ice hockey unless there are special rules in place to reduce their risks of concussions or other sports-related injuries in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

That’s what Dr. Robert Cantu of Boston University is saying. He adds that younger children should also be banned from heading the ball in soccer to reduce these injury risks.

Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz from the University of North Carolina disagrees. He says that children should learn at a young age how to safely handle sports-related contact. He said that this competition, against those of the same size and age, is healthy and beneficial in preventing injury later on in life.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys have young children who play sports, many of them playing on the same fields as your children. We understand that regardless of what sport they’re playing, safety is a top concern. The real question of this matter is whether or not the safety advantage that is gained by learning to perform athletic maneuvers at an early age is offset by the risks of brain trauma that is caused by repeated blows.

According to Guskiewicz, kids are better off learning how to play these games when they’re young instead of waiting to do so when they’re in high school. It’s as if the early athleticism will help to toughen them up.

He says that it’s better to play in these youth leagues because the children are going up against other kids who are about their same size. If you wait until a child is in high school, then you run the chance of a 130-pound player going up against a 300-pound player. Bottom line, Guskiewicz says, is that players should learn how to play at a younger age.

Cantu says that he has seen too many children in the hospital being treated for concussions. He says it’s critical for our young athletes to avoid blows to the head.

“That’s where Kevin and I differ,” said Cantu. “I’m treating these children and I’ve seen them miss school for a week, a month, a semester, even a year because of post-concussion symptoms.”

Cantu says there’s absolutely no reason to subject young children to traumatic head injury. He doesn’t think that children should be left out of these kinds of sports. He says that the rules should be rewritten to accommodate their vulnerable bodies.

Cantu has recently conducted studies on the increasing numbers of athletes 17-, 18- and 21-years-old with early signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of their death. This condition is a result of repetitive head trauma, like the trauma oftentimes experienced by boxers.

Experts can fight till the death, but the truth of the matter is that it’s up to the parents to either keep their child in or pull them from their sports programs. And it’s up to the coaches and others responsible for their safety on the field to make sure that they’re provided with all of the proper safety equipment they need and take head injuries and pains seriously!
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February 14, 2012

Boston Hotels Have Responsibility to Prevent Child Injuries from Tip-Overs

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Whether your family is visiting Boston from out-of-town or simply enjoying your home city on a “staycation,” know that hotels and other businesses have a responsibility to protect visitors and customers and prevent child injuries in Boston and beyond.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys have learned that more than 16,300 children under the age of 5 are taken emergency rooms each year with critical injuries because of unstable furniture or electronics that tipped over. Tragically more than 130 children were killed in tip-over accidents between 2000 and 2006, according to the

January 30, 2012

Boston Road Safety, Part 3: Child Safety Seats

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Our children are our most precious resource.

Yet, the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14 is nearly 100 percent preventable.

We’re talking about crashes.

And since 1975, more than 8,500 young lives have been saved by proper use of child safety seats and seat belts, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Massachusetts, in an effort to drive down the number of fatal car accidents in Boston and beyond, the Boston Public Health Commission’s BuckleUp Boston campaign can help you find a technician who will assist you (and also may have information about how you can obtain discounted car seats).

Most children will ride in a rear-facing seat until they are at least 1-year-old and weigh at least 20 pounds.

Once they outgrow a rear-facing car seat, a booster seat is recommended because most children still won’t be big enough for an adult seat belt to fit them properly. Not having a proper fit could mean serious injuries to your child in the event of a crash.

If your child is involved in a crash, you may need to replace his or her car seat. The NHTSA recommends that you definitely need a new one if the crash was serious. If it was minor, you might not need one. A minor crash would be classified as when in which you could drive your vehicle away from the crash, the door nearest to the car seat wasn’t damaged, there were no injuries to anyone in your car, the air bags didn’t deploy and there is no visible damage to the car seat.

But even if you aren’t in a crash, it may still be time to replace your child’s car seat. One reason would be if your child is over the age of 6, and another would be if there is a recall on the car seat.

You can check recalls by going to NHTSA’s Child Safety Seat Recall List.
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December 27, 2011

Talk to Children about Risks of Dog-Bite Injuries in Massachusetts before Holidays

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In our state, the keeper or the owner of a dog is liable for all dog bite injuries unless the victim of the dog bite attack in Massachusetts was tormenting, teasing, or abusing the dog, was trespassing or was committing another crime. Anyone who is injured by a dog in our state also may be able to use other common grounds for liability as well.

Our Boston dog bite injury lawyers understand that there are almost five million dog bite injuries every year in the United States. About 20 percent of all dog bites require the attention of a medical professional. Children are more likely than any other age group to be the victim of a dog-bite related injury, specifically those ages 5- to 9-years-old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But there are ways to make dog bite accidents less likely and ways to help prevent your young ones from being bitten by a dog. Be sure to sit down and talk with your little ones about the importance of good behavior around man’s best friend.

There were more than 30,000 people who underwent reconstructive surgery after dog-bite accidents in the U.S. in 2006.

Being a child isn’t the only way to increase your risks for an accident. Homes that house a dog face higher risks for dog-bite accidents as well. With more dogs, residents face even more risks. Families with two or more dogs in a household are roughly five times more likely to suffer a dog-bite injury than households with no dogs.

Safety tips to prevent dog-bite injuries among children:

-No one should ever approach a dog they don’t know.

-Never run around a dog.

-Keep voices quiet. Avoid yelling around a dog.

-If a dog approaches, stay still and calm. Keep hands and arms down and avoid any sudden movements.

-If knocked over by a dog, roll up into a ball and stay still.

-Never allow children to play with a dog without an adult supervising.

-Always report stray dogs or dogs displaying odd behavior to adults.

-Children should avoid eye contact with dogs.

-Never bother dogs when they’re eating, sleeping or tending to puppies.

-Dogs should be allowed adequate time to smell someone before attempting to pet.

-Teach children to report immediately to an adult if bitten by a dog.

Nearly 70 percent of dog-bite injuries that happen to children under the age of 5 are to the neck and head region. Boys are more likely to be bitten by a dog than girls.

Parents are urged to sit down and talk with young ones about the dangers associated with dogs. Be cautious not to startle them, but make sure that they understand the appropriate behavior to exercise around man’s best friend.
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