Wednesday, January 20th, two different products were recalled because they were found to have the potential to cause serious injury or even death.
“Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers remains committed to informing the public of consumer issues as they arise”, said Bruce L. Scheiner, Founder and Senior Partner. “Please pay particular attention to the information provided here. This is a serious issue, and one that can affect you or your children.”
Graco Strollers
Since many parents and grandparents are planning winter and spring vacations, they need to consider what it means to travel with small children. Many people who take their children under two years of age aboard an airplane feel holding them on their laps is a safe way of keeping them secured. While it is legal to fly with your toddler on your lap, the Federal Aviation Authority, (FAA), strongly urges that all children aboard an airplane, no matter how old, use an appropriate child restraint system, (CRS), to limit the possibility of injury.
In the event of an air accident, or even in the case of turbulence during the flight, a CRS provides optimum protection for the child. Parents need to know the differences between a CRS and a child safety device, as only a government-approved CRS with a label stating; “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft” will be allowed on board. An unauthorized child safety device will require that you check it through as luggage. If you do have a child safety system, make sure it contains the wording “FAA approved in accordance with 14CFR 21.305(d), Approved for aircraft use only” on it. And if you try to board the plane with the intention of using a booster seat or harness vest type of restraint system, be aware that the FAA prohibits passengers from using them during plane taxi, take off and landing.
According to the website www.airsafe.com, there are several things you can do before you head to the airport to catch your flight:
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just announced new ratings for child booster seats, and the findings could prove vital in keeping your kids safe while in your car. The agency tested 60 different brands of seats, and rated them as “Best Bets”, “Good Bets” and some they do not recommend at all.
Parents should not use just a simple visual inspection or price comparison to select the best option for their children. By researching the IIHS findings, parents can make a much more educated choice for kids who have outgrown child restraints. “We’re confident we’re giving consumers a solid overview of what they’ll find when they shop for their children,” says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research, adding that “parents don’t need to dig deep into their pocketbooks to buy a booster with good all-around belt fit.”
The Institute assessed the boosters using a specially outfitted crash test dummy representing an average-size 6-year-old child. Engineers measured how 3-point lap and shoulder belts fit the dummy in each of the 60 boosters under 4 conditions spanning the range of safety belt configurations in vehicle models. Each booster gets 4 scores for lap belt fit and 4 for shoulder belt fit. The overall rating for each booster is based on the range of scores for each measurement. Child booster seats are made in two main styles – those with high backs and those with just a base pedestal seat. Some are convertible models, with high backs that can be removed.
In April a little boy almost drowned in a swimming pool near his aunt’s house in the Ft. Myers area. Family members say that all of the doors were locked and the only way this young child could have gotten out to the swimming pool area was through an 8″ x 11″ doggie door. They found the little boy face down in the swimming pool, immediately started CPR and called 911. He was taken to Health Park Hospital where, after one day of intensive care, he was released in good condition.
Incidents such as this have now caught the attention of various drowning prevention groups and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) which believes young children watch their family dogs and cats going in and out of these doors and copy them. Although accidents of this type are comparatively rare, there is documentation of over 100 reported cases in the last 10 years. Last week the Wall Street Journal determined that this was a significant enough topic to cover in their “Health&Family” feature.
In August, 2006 another family in Florida lost their 2-year-old son, Matthew, when he died 13 days after getting outside through a pet door and falling in the pool. This family has been instrumental in making people aware of this little known danger. They have created an advocacy organization to get the word out. Information can be found at: www.petaccessdangers.org
An automobile accident can be a devastating, life-altering experience. But when the accident causes injury to a child, it is often due to the improper use of child safety seats in vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA), estimates that deaths and injuries to children caused by car crashes could be reduced by 50% if every child passenger were properly buckled up. Sadly, many parents think their child safety seat is properly installed when it is not. Florida personal injury lawyers remind you that there are professional community resources available to help you ensure that your child safety seat is secured in your vehicle correctly.
The American Automobile Association, (AAA), has published some guidelines and tips to protect your children by making sure they are properly restrained in a child safety seat, according to their weight and age:
With the beginning of another school year right around the corner, Florida personal injury lawyers urge all Florida parents of school-aged children to make sure their kids avoid potential safety hazards on the road to higher education. From school bus and traffic safety to exercising caution while on the school grounds, parents and kids need to practice some basic safety habits to help avoid serious injury.
AAA School Safety Patrol Program
The American Automobile Association, (AAA), has supported their School Safety Patrol Program for 87 years, with over 550,000 students participating in over 50,000 schools nationwide. Parents and school administrators can count on student patrollers to be stationed at various posts on and near school facilities, ensuring that their classmates get to and from their classes safely. AAA provides schools with all the tools and resources necessary to operate the Patrol program, and school administrators and Patrol Supervisors enlist the help of local law enforcement to develop a successful Patrol system. Not only does the Patrol program provide the means to keeping kids safe, it also teaches participating students life-long leadership qualities, important traffic safety rules, pedestrian safety, school bus safety procedures and how to identify potentially hazardous situations on or near the school property.
Florida Injury Lawyer Blog