Child Injury Blogs

The Boston Globe has reported that last Thursday evening a 9-year-old boy was listed in serious condition after being strangled by a jump rope while he and his 6-year-old brother were playing a game of hide-and-seek in their bedroom.

According to officials, the boy caught his neck in the jump rope that was hanging off of the bunk beds in the room. The boy had lost consciousness by the time emergency workers responded to the apartment building located at 279 Centre Street in Jamaica Plain at around 8:00 p.m.

The unidentified boy was then rushed to a Boston hospital and was reportedly on a ventilator as a result of the injury.  Authorities have reported that the preliminary investigation indicates that it appears to be a tragic accident. The boy’s mother was in the apartment when the incident occurred.

Child Injury at Home

In May of 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the Protect the Ones You Love campaign with the goal of creating a safe environment for kids within their own homes. The initiative continues to help families prevent child injury from occurring by installing safety features around the home and making sure medications and cleaners are properly locked in cabinets.

According to the CDC, injuries that occur at home account for approximately 1/3 of all the injuries that are treated in emergency rooms across the U.S. Take some time to ensure that your child has a safe place to play in your home.

When to Contact a Boston Child Injury Attorney

If your child has been injured by another’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to pay for ongoing medical care and treatment.  A severe injury may require lifelong care and financial support. Contact the experienced Boston child injury lawyer with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options before you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company, or hire a lawyer.

Call us at (888) 208-1695 to receive your free legal consultation today. And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us at 800-410-2769, or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

The Boston Globe reports that last 11 children were taken to Boston area hospitals last Thursday afternoon after the school bus they were riding on experienced an engine malfunction in Dorchester.

The brakes on the school bus reportedly began smoking due to the malfunction. Fire officials responded to the scene of the 3:25 p.m. incident, which took place on Dorchester Avenue. The students were transported to the two Boston hospitals as a precaution and no injuries were reported.

If authorities determine that the engine malfunctioned because of defective parts, the manufacturer of the parts may be found liable for the malfunction. Officials are continuing to investigate the incident.

Have You Been Injured by a Defective Product?

You may be legally entitled to compensation if you or a loved one has sustained injuries due to a defective or dangerous product. If you would like to speak with a Boston product liability attorney regarding your potential product liability claim, call us today at 888-208-1695 for your free evaluation.

Our dedicated team of personal injury lawyers has over 30 years of experience and a successful track record of obtaining seven figure wins for our clients in auto accident cases, medical malpractice, child birth injuries, brain injuries, and other personal injury cases.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

In June of this year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the 5 new federal requirements for increasing safety in and around cribs. The requirements must be followed by all companies who import, distribute, produce, and sell cribs on the local and national levels.

The CPSC had previously voted for safer crib standards back in December of 2010 and succeeded in creating a newly revised and even more rigorous set of crib safety policies that debuted in June.

Child care centers, hotels, motels, and rental facilities will also have to comply with the new crib safety requirements starting in December 2012.

Here are the CPSC’s 5 new requirements for safer cribs:

1. Drop-side cribs can no longer be made or sold and repair kits for these types of cribs are not allowed
2. Wooden slats in the cribs are required to be made of more durable wood in order to prevent splintering from wear
3. Hardware for cribs must now have an anti-loosening mechanism to prevent the hardware from becoming loose over time or from falling off
4. Supports for the crib’s mattress are required to be stronger and more durable
5. Safety testing for cribs will be significantly more comprehensive

Since 2007, the CPSC has issued recalls for over 11 million cribs that were determined to be dangerous for a variety of reasons. The recalled cribs had posed risks that included entrapment, suffocation and strangulation hazards, as well as injuries that infants suffered from hardware on certain cribs.

In addition, there have reportedly been 32 infant deaths linked to drop-side cribs since 2000, due to infants who suffocated or who were strangled while inside a drop-side crib.

The CPSC is enforcing these new requirements in a dedicated effort to prevent any more of these tragedies.

When to Contact a Boston Child Injury Lawyer

If your child has been injured because of someone else’s negligence, contact a Boston child injury lawyer with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options before you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer.

Thomas Kiley, also known as The Million Dollar Man, has over 30 years of experience and a successful track record of obtaining seven figure wins for clients in auto accident cases, medical malpractice, child birth injuries, brain injuries, and other personal injury cases.

Call us at 1-888-208-1695 to receive your FREE legal consultation today. And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

In the past few days, there have been three separate tragic drowning incidents in Massachusetts that claimed the lives of 4-year-olds.

• On Monday evening, The Lowell Sun reports that an unidentified 4-year-old boy drowned after he fell into his family’s swimming pool in their Groton backyard. His death has been ruled accidental
• Also on Monday night, 4-year-old Sydney Vinci of Lynnfield drowned in a pool at a 4th of July party at a family friend’s home in Lynnfield. The Boston Globe reported that the drowning is currently being ruled as an accident
• The third young drowning victim has been identified as Matthew Torres, 4, of Central Falls, Rhode Island, who drowned in an in-ground swimming pool in Attleboro while he and his family were visiting the home. According to The Boston Globe, Attleboro police are continuing to investigate the death but have reported that it appears accidental

Pool Safety Reminders

The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends the following safety reminders to parents and other caregivers as kids cool off in the water this summer:

• Never leave your kids alone in or even around the swimming pool – even for a few seconds. This is especially important for children younger than age 5. Make sure that you are always an arm’s length from your child (or closer) at all times while in the water
• If you don’t already have a fence up around your pool, consider installing one as soon as possible. The majority of young children who are victims of drowning fall into pools after wandering out of the house. Fences should be over 4 feet tall and your child should not be able to lock or unlock the latch
• Always keep rescue equipment on hand with you while out by the pool and keep a cell phone or portable phone handy at all times
• Be sure to take out all of the toys in the water after using the pool so young children don’t reach for the toys, causing them to fall in
• Power safety covers are also an option for parents with young children. These completely cover the water when not in use, creating a safer environment for your children when you’re not using the pool

Drowning Statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 people who die in fatal drowning incidents are children who are aged 14 or younger.

Young children ages 1 to 4 face the highest and most significant risk of drowning in a pool or other body of water. The CDC also reports that deadly drowning incidents are the 2nd leading cause of fatalities among children ages 1 to 14.

When to Contact a Massachusetts Child Injury Lawyer

If your child has been in a serious accident in Massachusetts, BEFORE you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer, contact a Boston accident injury lawyer with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options.

Thomas Kiley, also known as The Million Dollar Man, has over 30 years of experience and a successful track record of obtaining seven figure wins for clients in auto accident cases, medical malpractice, child birth injuries, brain injuries, and other personal injury cases.

Call 1-888-208-1695 to receive your FREE legal consultation today. And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

Charles Bacon, 25, of West Ossippee, NH, may be facing charges of driving with a suspended license, speeding, and failing to correctly restrain his 2-year-old son in a car seat after Bacon crashed his SUV, causing it to roll over many times on Route 11 in Alton, NH last Sunday.  Both Bacon and his son were ejected from the SUV.

According to the news article on Seacoast Online, Bacon suffered leg injuries and his toddler sustained a head injury from the crash.  They were transported to an area hospital for treatment, where Bacon was in serious condition last week and his son was listed in satisfactory condition.  Police have stated that the SUV appears to have rolled over more than 4 times before it came to a rest.

Effects of Negligent Driving
Bacon faces a number of potential charges stemming from this crash and by not correctly restraining his 2-year-old in a car seat, he placed his son at a significant risk of suffering a far worse injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that child safety seats are not properly installed or used by parents and other caretakers about 80% of the time their child rides as an occupant in a motor vehicle.  Car accidents are the leading cause of death among children ages 2-14.

When to Contact a Boston Injury Lawyer
If your child has been seriously hurt by another, you shouldn’t have to pay for ongoing medical care and treatment.  A serious injury may require lifelong care and financial support.

Before you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer, contact the Boston injury lawyers with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options.

Your child deserves a legal team who is experienced in handling child injury cases in Massachusetts and one who can ensure that he or she will receive fair compensation for his or her injury.  Call (888) 208-1695 to receive your free legal consultation today.

And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us at 800-410-2769, or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

Navelin Encaracion, 12, of Lawrence drowned in the waters off of Hampton Beach after she was pulled out to sea by a powerful current Monday evening around 8:00pm. According to The Boston Globe, her body was found Tuesday afternoon around 1:00pm in the surf near where she had gone missing. Police recovered Encaracion’s body and an autopsy ruled her death was accidental.

Encaracion had been swimming in the ocean with her brother, Walter Maldonado, 20, when she was suddenly carried out by a strong current. Maldonado attempted to save her, but she was out of his reach. Maldonado had to be rescued by another swimmer. The U.S. Coast Guard started searching just after the report came in that Encaracion had been pulled out by the current. The search continued for nearly 17 more hours before Encaracion’s body was found in the water.

Encaracion was a 6th grade honor student at her Lawrence school. School administrators have grief counselors on site to help students cope with this tragedy.

U.S. Drowning Statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 10 people die from accidental drowning each day. Two of the 10 are estimated to be children ages 14 and younger. Unintentional drowning is the second leading cause of death among children ranging from age 1 to age 14. The CDC reports that there were nearly 3,500 deadly drownings in 2007 across the U.S.

When swimming in natural bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, or oceans, make sure to check the weather forecast for the day before swimming or boating. Events such as thunderstorms and powerful winds can pose a significant danger to those in and around the water. Be aware of strong waves and rip currents, which usually can be recognized by discoloration in the water and water that is choppy or foamy and moving away from the shoreline.

The CDC advises swimmers who find themselves caught up in a rip current to swim parallel to the shoreline—not towards it—and eventually the current will subside and the swimmer can then swim towards the shore.

When to Contact a Boston Child Injury Lawyer

If your child has been seriously hurt by another, you shouldn’t have to pay for ongoing medical care and treatment. A serious injury may require lifelong care and financial support.

Before you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer, contact the Boston child injury lawyers with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options.

Your child deserves a legal team who is experienced in handling child injury cases in Massachusetts and one who can ensure that he or she will receive fair compensation for his or her injury. Call (888) 208-1695 to receive your free legal consultation today.

And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us at 800-410-2769, or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

Thomas Campo, 44, of Haverhill entered a guilty plea on Tuesday in Rockingham Superior Court in response to 20 charges of first and second degree assault on his own three children, triplets, who were not even a month old at the time of the first sign of injuries.

The triplets were born on April 6, 2009 and from the time they were home from the hospital until September is when the abuse took place. Campo was living in Plaistow, NH at the time of the abuse with his wife, Zoya Campo and the children.

Campo shook more than one of the infants, fracturing one of their skulls. One was “squeezed” so forcibly by Campo that ribs broke and he bit another baby on the stomach when the infant was just a few weeks old. Campo then canceled a home visit by a visiting doctor so that the bite would not be seen. Additionally, Campo would take one of the triplets in another room and not let his wife into the room. Zoya stated that she could hear the baby cry louder when Campo would do this.

Zoya took one of the triplets to an area hospital for an unrelated issue in September, which is when emergency room doctors saw bruising on the baby and contacted the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Once officials interviewed her, she admitted that her husband caused the injuries and he was subsequently arrested.

Campo will serve a total of 15 to 30 year prison sentence after pleading guilty in court to the charges of abuse. He had initially been charged with 37 counts of assault, which were then reduced by almost half.

Statistics on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)
In devastating instances of Shaken Baby Syndrome, the most vulnerable victims are newborn infants up to the age of 4 months.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about 3,000 infants are victims of SBS, with 25% dying from their injuries each year. Approximately 60% of these infants will suffer traumatic brain injuries, which oftentimes lead to permanent disabilities.

Severe injury can occur if a baby is shaken even once because an infant’s neck is in its beginning stages of development and the neck muscles are especially fragile. It simply is not strong enough to withstand the forceful and violent movement. The statistics mentioned above are truly catastrophic and should remind parents and other caretakers to be aware of just how delicate infants are.

When You Need to Talk to a Massachusetts Injury Lawyer
If your child has been seriously hurt by another, you shouldn’t have to pay for ongoing medical care and treatment. A serious head or brain injury may require lifelong care and financial support. Accepting a settlement offer without the guidance of a skilled Massachusetts injury lawyer can leave you and your child ill prepared for the road ahead. Your child deserves a legal team who is experienced in handling child brain injury cases in Massachusetts and one who can ensure that he or she will receive fair compensation for his or her brain injury.

Before you sign any insurance claim forms, give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster, or agree to a settlement offer, schedule your FREE case evaluation today by calling 800-930-8145. You can also learn more about how to best handle your child’s injury by requesting a FREEcopy of our Massachusetts child injury book.

30-year-old Heather Dragotta of Weare, NH and 31-year-old Steve Amos of North Andover, MA were arraigned Thursday in Salem Superior Court in Massachusetts on charges of assault and battery on a child causing injury and of permitting injury to a child.

The charges stem from allegations that Dragotta and her boyfriend Amos (not the biological father) abused Dragotta’s newborn baby, Autumn, from mid-May of this year to the beginning of June, according to court paperwork. Autumn was just a few weeks old at the time of the suspected abuse. Dragotta took Autumn to the emergency room on June 3 at Lawrence General Hospital and later that same day went to Children’s Hospital in Boston for Autumn’s injuries.

At Children’s, it was found that the baby girl’s injuries were likely to have occurred as a result of being violently shaken and that the injuries appeared to be inflicted. Some of Autumn’s injuries were older and were starting to heal and they included fractured ribs and fractures in her legs, arms, and in one wrist. Hemorrhaging in her brain was also discovered.

Dragotta, however, has claimed that Autumn had deficiencies with copper and Vitamin D which is more commonly known as infantile tickets. To bring attention to the disease, Dragotta has even made a Facebook page about infantile rickets to share with others. She wrote that she has the adult form of rickets as well. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to other diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and some researchers have encouraged blood tests for the vitamin levels be a part of a medical exam or a yearly physical.

Head trauma can all too easily result in an infant when someone forcibly shakes the infant. Newborns and infants up to age 1 are especially susceptible as they are the most fragile at this age. 65% to 90% of perpetrators for this type of child abuse are males, most likely the mother’s boyfriend and sometimes the father of the baby, and are typically in their 20s.

Infants have delicate and much weaker muscles in their neck so when a caretaker or other shakes an infant (Shaken Baby Syndrome), the brain makes contact with the skull and bruising, bleeding and swelling of the brain can all too often result. Shaking an infant can cause him or her serious, permanent injury or even death.

Autumn’s hemorrhaging in the brain has been linked to her being shaken.

Autumn is now in the custody of her biological father in New Hampshire. Dragotta has supervised visitations with Autumn at a facility in New Hampshire and is ordered to stay away from other children under the age of 12.

Both Dragotta and Amos pleaded not guilty to the counts and neither commented on the charges brought against them. They were released on personal recognizance and are due back on November 10 for a pretrial conference.

If you need legal assistance for your child’s injuries, contact a Massachusetts child brain injury lawyer today.

Halloween is a time of year that children really get excited about! No one wants their child’s Halloween fun ruined by an injury. Here are some tips for making your child’s Halloween a safe and happy one.

-Make sure costumes fit properly. Trim excess fabric from long skirts, pants and sleeves. Use your best judgment when allowing children to wear plastic high heel shoes and decorative items that strap on over sneakers. A fall on a neighbor’s unfamiliar front steps or sidewalk can cause a serious injury your child will always remember each Halloween.

-Check the label on Halloween costumes to make sure they are made with fire retardant material. If you make your own costumes, be sure to purchase flame resistant material or use a spray on fire retardant.

-Be careful when using face paint or makeup from Halloween costume kits. Keep the makeup away from sensitive eyes and the mouth area where your child can ingest it while enjoying their candy.

-If you purchase a mask as part of a costume check that the eye holes are properly spaced and large enough for your child to see properly. Most masks can be easily altered to meet your child’s needs with just a pair of scissors.

-Incorporate reflector strips, a flashlight, or a glow stick into your child’s costume so they are easily visible. If you purchase a flashing Halloween safety necklace make sure it’s not too long or secure it to the costume so it can’t get caught on anything.

Plastic accessories such as a sword or scythe should be made out of soft bendable plastic or foam. A hard plastic sword can cause harm if fallen on while trick-or-treating.

Be sure to check all Halloween candy before your child eats it when you arrive home.

Most important of all,

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Sources: http://www.halloweensafety.com/, http://www.halloween-safety.com/

A chilling child abuse story out of West Haven, Connecticut involved 22-year-old Yosue-Amil Sierra Gomez and his 6-week-old newborn son.

Sierra Gomez is alleged to have squeezed his infant son so forcefully that 11 of the boy’s ribs broke, which caused lacerations to both his spleen and liver and hemorrhaging in his chest. It is also reported that he shook his son while the boy was sleeping in his arms and caused him to nearly drop him to the ground.

Sierra Gomez was arraigned Monday on charges of assault and risk of injury to a child. He will stay behind bars for now due to the judge raising his bail from $50,000 to $150,000. Prosecutors in the case asked for the raise in bail because of the severe injuries to the boy and the evident violence on Sierra Gomez’s part.

He has been ordered to stay away from the boy and the mother, who is his fiancée. It was reported that she cried throughout the arraignment yesterday in court. Both mother and son have not been identified. Currently, the baby boy is in an area hospital’s Intensive Care Unit for treatment of his injuries. Doctors at the hospital where the boy is currently being treated stated to police that the injuries sustained are “consistent” with squeezing a baby with force.

Officers arrested Sierra Gomez when they and a Department of Children and Families (DCF) case worker went to the home after receiving a complaint that the mother and the baby boy were being held by Sierra Gomez against their will and couldn’t leave. Both Sierra Gomez and his fiancée stated that they had a verbal argument, nothing further. Officers and the worker then asked to see the 6-week-old baby, who clearly had irregular breathing and noticeable bruising on him. They immediately had the boy taken by ambulance to the hospital.

It was reported that the mother told police and the worker that her son had “accidentally fallen off” the sofa the week before and had been medically treated as a result.

Sierra Gomez is due back in court next on October 12.

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is an extremely serious injury for an infant or toddler to suffer. It can lead to the child suffering irreparable brain damage, permanent disability or impairment, even death. There were approximately 1,200 cases of SBS in the U.S. last year and this number is 1,200 too high.

If you know a child who is being hurt in any way, don’t wait any longer to call the Massachusetts Child-at-Risk Hotline at (800) 792-5200. For child protective service numbers in other states, look here.

The more we speak up for the helpless victims of child abuse and neglect, the more we can help them get safe.