Children accidents

Published on: April 30, 2019

Who is Liable when Children Suffer a Dog Bite?

With the warmer weather here, people will be out in parks and their neighborhoods, and many will be with their dogs. And while it is an almost universal truth that children love dogs, not all interactions between children and dogs involve are fun. Instead, a child may very well suffer a dog bite after innocently trying to show a dog some affection. After suffering a dog bite, many children end up with serious injuries, some of which can be serious enough to require surgery.

Over 4 million people are bitten by dogs each year, but only 17% of those get reported. According to statistics, children account for more than 50 percent of the dog bites recorded in the United States every year. They are also much more likely to suffer serious injuries. In Georgia, dog bites are considered a public health concern.

There are some things that parents can do to make sure that their child is not injured in dog bite attacks. Don’t leave your child alone with a dog. Pediatricians say that this holds true even for family dogs or dogs that are familiar to you. Remember, any dog can bite.

Published on: January 3, 2019

Preventing Bicycle Accident Injuries in Children

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

We all remember that great feeling you had when you finally learned how to ride a bike. However, no piece of recreational equipment has as much potential for serious injury to children as the humble bicycle. Research indicates that far too many children are being rushed to emergency rooms across Georgia every day with injuries that result from bike accidents

Bicycling is, and has been for generations, an extremely popular activity for children. Bike riding can be done any time of the year and almost anywhere you go. The risk of injury, however, are ever present and increase significantly when children are allowed to ride a bike without following basic safety protocols.

Research published in the journal Injury Prevention recently indicates that many as 50 percent of all bicycle injuries that require treatment at an emergency room involve children below the age of 12. The number of children who were not wearing bicycle helmets at the time of the accident was also similar. Only half of children below the age of 5, and only 32 percent of children between 13 and 19 years of age were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.

Published on: August 15, 2018

50 Percent of Parents Text While Driving With Children

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Georgia recently passed the Hands-Free Law that prohibits all motorists from driving with a handheld electronic device. However, most would be surprised to know that an astonishing number of parents admit to setting poor driving examples for their children by using cell phones and communication devices while driving.

According to the results of a study which was published in the journal Pediatrics recently, about 50 percent of parents admitted to regularly talking on their cell phones while driving with their children. About 1 in 3 admitted to texting while driving, and 1 in 7 admitted to using social media while driving. The children in these cases were between 10 and 14 years of age – impressionable minds that absorb their parents’ examples and behavior.

What’s worse, but not too surprising, is that these parents were also likely to engage in other equally harmful driving practices, whether their children were in the car or not, such as failure to wear seatbelts or driving under the influence of alcohol. About 14.5 percent of the parents included in the study failed to place their child in child safety systems while driving. The study also found a direct link between the rates of driving under the influence of alcohol and irresponsible cell phone practices at the wheel.

Published on: December 12, 2017

Top 10 Dangerous Toys to Avoid This Holiday Season

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

From choking and suffocation hazards to burn risks, there are a number of ways that the toys on this year’s list of most dangerous toys of 2017 can harm your child. The consumer watchdog group World against Toys Causing Harm has made the job gift giving easier by compiling a list of the most dangerous toys this season. There have already been countless children injured in Georgia by these dangerous toys. If you’re considering buying any of the following toys as gifts, you may want to reconsider.

According to World against Toys Causing Harm, as reported by Consumer Reports, the toys on this year’s list are dangerous for a number of reasons.

The Hallmark Itty Bitty Baby Stacking Toy-These toys can pose a serious choking hazard to children. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled these toys in August 2017, but parents can still access these toys online.

Published on: November 28, 2017

Stricter State ATV Laws Can Prevent Child Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

ATVs are the most popular off-road vehicles. However, these vehicles are far too heavy and bulky for children to handle. ATV vehicle use is linked to more than 3,000 fatalities in the United States over a span of three decades. More than 50% of these fatalities involved children.

The state of Georgia has some of the highest rates of ATV accidents involving children in the country. Lawmakers must invest time and resources in enacting legislation that sets restrictions on children’s use of all-terrain vehicles and other off-road vehicles.

Children below the age of 16 should not be allowed to operate ATVs. Unfortunately, far too many parents believe that it is safe to let their children operate such a heavy vehicle not realizing that it poses a tremendous risk of severe injuries in an accident.