personal injuries in children Tag Archives

Published on: September 5, 2023

The Most At-Risk Groups for Slip and Fall Accidents

Children, the elderly and -surprisingly enough – young adults seem to be at the highest risk of being involved in slip and fall accidents on stairs. Among young adults, women seem to be at a higher risk of personal injuries in such accidents.

These findings come from a new study, and while the fact that young children and the elderly are at a greater risk of falling should not come as a surprise, the inclusion of young adults in their twenties definitely raises eyebrows. According to the researchers, children below the age of 3 and elderly people above the age of 85 have the highest risk of suffering personal injuries in a fall on stairs. However, young adults in their twenties also have a significantly higher risk of being involved in slip and fall accidents.

Among young adults in their twenties, young women seem to have a higher slip and fall risk compared to males. The researchers analyzed the results of the study to understand the reasons for the higher fall risks involving females. They believe that inappropriate footwear could probably be a reason why young women are more likely to fall down stairs compared to males. The researchers specifically identify flip flops, sandals and heels as being inappropriate footwear that increase the risks of a fall down the stairs. They also believe that women are more likely to be walking with someone which means they are more likely to be talking and, therefore, distracted.

Published on: January 13, 2015

Riding an Adult-Sized ATV Can Be Deadly for a Child

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Pediatricians and child safety advocates have long known of the dangers involving children and adult all-terrain vehicles (ATV). However, according to a new study, children who ride adult-sized ATVs may have the highest risk of suffering fatal injuries in an accident.

According to the study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, fatal accidents were most likely to involve children riding adult-sized ATVs, or not wearing a helmet while riding. In 95% of the fatal ATV accidents analyzed in the study, the victims were riding large vehicles at the time. In spite of all the media attention on the dangers of these vehicles, far too many parents allow their children to drive adult-sized ATVs. Your child should not ride in an adult-sized ATV, even as a passenger.

Here’s a fact many parents may not know; in the United States, more children die in ATV accidents than in bicycle accidents. That’s partly because the dangers of riding on such vehicles isn’t fully appreciated by parents.In addition, the great majority of children do not have the kind of physical or cognitive maturity that is needed to operate an adult-sized ATV.

Published on: November 25, 2013

Tips for Safe Holiday Gift Shopping for Children

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Most retailers across the country are reporting early holiday shopping this year as consumers start buying for family, co-workers, and friends.Many of those gifts will include children’s accessories, toys, and other products. This is the right time of the year to remind parents that the toys and products that they choose for their children must be safe from the risk of injuries.

Most injuries related to children’s products involve the face and head, including a large number to the eyes and forehead area. Unfortunately, there are far too many children’s toys that come with removable parts and sharp parts that pose a serious eye injury hazard.When you buy toys as gifts this holiday season, avoid toys that come with protruding parts, spikes, or sharp or pointed edges.

Avoid buying guns and shooting toys, or toys that come with parts that fly off. These can actually turn into dangerous projectiles, and can cause injuries not just to the child who is using the toy, but also other children and adults in the environment.

Published on: December 14, 2011

Woman, Children Injured in Georgia Truck Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Four people, including a woman and three children were injured in a truck accident in Loganville, Georgia.The accident occurred on Friday when a tractor-trailer crashed into an SUV. According to police, the truck accident occurred at an intersection when the tractor-trailer struck the SUV in the left rear quarter panel.Witnesses at the scene have confirmed to police that the SUV driver had the green light.Police have charged the tractor-trailer driver with failure to obey a traffic control device.The female driver of the SUV has also been charged with failure to restrain a child.Her three children were in the car, an eleven-year-old, a ten-year-old and fourteen-year-old, were taken to a hospital.

Failure to obey traffic laws is important for any motorist, but these failures can be critical and can have devastating effects when they involve tractor-trailer drivers.Drivers of these massive commercial trucks are at a high risk of causing an accident when they run red lights, tailgate or break other traffic rules.The risk to motorists in the vicinity of a truck is high because drivers of smaller vehicles involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer are at a much higher risk of being injured.As truck accident attorneys know, an overwhelming majority of accidents that involve a tractor-trailer and a smaller passenger vehicle end with serious personal injury or wrongful death of the occupants of the smaller vehicle.

Those are frightening odds for any motorist to beat, and tractor-trailer drivers must always keep that fact in mind.Further, tractor-trailer drivers must avoid dangerous behaviors like speeding or distracted driving.Speeding is believed to be the number one factor in commercial truck accidents in the United States, contributing to more accidents every year than drunk driving or distracted driving.Driving at speeds beyond the posted limits for commercial trucks, or at speeds that are inappropriate for current traffic, weather conditions, can lead to devastating accidents.

Published on: August 7, 2011

Georgia’s New Booster Seat Laws Will Protect Children from Injuries in Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new Georgia law that increases the age of children, who need to be safely restrained in booster seats from 6 to 8, went into effect on July 1.This law now increases the number of child passengers who are required to be restrained in booster seats, thereby protecting these children from fatal injuries in the event of a car accident.

Under the law, your six or seven-year-old will also be required to be strapped into a booster seat.The law will exempt any children from the booster seat rules if they measured at least 4 feet 9 inches tall.Other exemptions apply, but they are limited to vehicles without shoulder straps and for children who medically cannot be restrained in a booster seat.

Current car accident statistics from around the country underscore the need for the law.According to data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, auto accidents are the number one cause of death for children between the age of three and fourteen.In 2009 alone, 909 children above the age of five, and ten children below the age of four were killed in Georgia accidents.

Published on: June 4, 2011

Two Children Injured in Atlanta Car Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Two children were left seriously injured in a pedestrian accident in southwest Atlanta last week.The accident occurred near Donnelly Avenue, and involved a stolen car. As an Atlanta injury attorney, I have too often seen stolen vehicles involved in auto accidents involving serious injuries. We need to continue to work hard to reduce the number of vehicle thefts which in turn will reduce the number of these accidents.

According to Atlanta Police, a group of four young men seem to have stolen a Dodge Intrepid.The two children, aged seven and nine were walking on a sidewalk with their mother.The nine-year-old child suffered from cerebral palsy, and was in a wheelchair.The child was thrown out of the wheelchair when the car struck, and was slammed on the pavement.The younger child suffered a broken arm.The mother also suffered injuries.

According to several witnesses, the car had been traveling erratically down the road just before the accident.The four young men got out of the car and fled the scene of the accident.The police are still looking for these men as investigations continue.

Published on: April 30, 2011

Students Injured in School Bus Accident in Gwinnett County, Georgia

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Several school students were injured in a bus accident involving two school buses in Gwinnett County earlier this week.The accident occurred at an intersection where two school buses were stopped.A third bus approached the scene, and rear-ended the second bus.The driver of the third school bus sustained minor injuries, and was taken to the Gwinnett Medical Center.Unfortunately, as an Atlanta injury attorney, I have seen too many bus accidents result in far more serious injures and wrongful death.

There were a total of 38 children on the third bus, and 10 of them suffered back injuries. The students on the other two buses did not suffer any injuries.The driver of the bus has been cited for following too close.The drivers of the other two buses have been suspended temporarily while an investigation into the accident continues.

Atlanta bus accident lawyers will have to wait until investigations are completed to learn why the third bus driver was not able to stop in time to avoid crashing into the other bus.However, it’ll probably be worthwhile to probe the role of distractions and inattention as a factor in this crash.School bus drivers have an additional responsibility to be cautious and completely attentive while driving.These buses carry some of our most precious cargo, which makes it all the more important for drivers to be attentive at all times.

Published on: October 26, 2010

Pedestrian Child Critically Injured in McDuffie County Bus Accident involving Truck

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Georgia State Patrol investigators are investigating a pedestrian accident involving a third-grade boy, who was critically injured in an accident as he was getting into his school bus. The pedestrian accident occurred last Tuesday.As the school bus pulled over, the boy who was waiting at the stop, walked into the road to get on the bus.At that point, he was struck by a pickup truck. The boy was thrown about 50 feet away from the point of impact.He sustained critical injuries, and is being treated at a local hospital.

The driver of the school bus says that he had stopped the bus, and a stop sign was clearly visible at the time of the accident.However, the driver of the pickup truck insists that the bus had not stopped moving when the accident occurred, and the stop sign was not out when his vehicle hit the boy.Neighbors in the area have their own explanation for the accident.They say there’s a serious problem with speeding motorists on that stretch of road.

This accident came during the same week as another crash involving a school bus in Barrow County.In that accident, several students were injured when their bus was rear-ended by a Jeep.None of the students were seriously injured.

Published on: July 12, 2010

ATV Dealers Selling Adult-Sized ATVs to Children

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

ATV manufacturers make much of the fact that their vehicles are not “recommended” for children below the age of 16. They recommend that children only drive smaller-sized ATVs. They might want to send a memo to some of their dealers, however. An investigation by CBS Early Show found that many dealers see no harm in pushing sales of ATVs, even when they know that the vehicle will be operated by a child below the age of 16.

The CBS investigation found that five out of every ten dealers were willing to sell ATVs to undercover investigators posing as consumers, even when they were made aware that these all-terrain vehicles would be operated by a below-16 year old. In fact, one dealer in the exposé actually persuaded the “parents” to buy a large-sized ATV for their child, because he would be bored of a small-sized ATV within a week.

To Atlanta accident lawyers, these findings are very disturbing for two reasons –

Published on: May 27, 2010

Child Injured in Atlanta Power Window Accident Recovers

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A 21-month-old toddler, who sustained serious injuries when she was caught in a car power window, is recovering from injuries. The accident occurred last Friday when the child was alone in the family car with her three-year-old brother. The child’s neck became trapped in the power window when it suddenly became activated. She was initially unresponsive, and had to be rushed to the Barrow Regional Medical Center, and later to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She is now expected to make a full recovery.

Fortunately, this horrible incident is like to have a happy ending. Injuries from activated power windows are not exactly unheard of. According to the NHTSA, every year, approximately 6 children die from power window accidents, and close to 2,000 children are injured.

Last year, Kidsandcars.org had conducted a survey that showed that power window accidents and injuries may be far more common than the NHTSA believes. The surveyors asked participants about whether they had ever caused injuries to anyone by activating a power window. Up to 6% of the participants admitted that they had indeed injured another person by activating a power window. According to Kidsandcars.org, when you translate those statistics into the general population in the United States, it works out to approximately 13.6 million power window-related injuries every year.