Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Catastrophic Child Injuries: Prevention and Protection
Childhood injuries are an important health problem in the US, but there is little public recognition of that fact. About 20 children die every day from a preventable injury. That’s more than the childhood deaths from all diseases combined! Health professionals now realize that these injuries are predictable, preventable, and controllable.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a report with these facts. According to the report, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of injuries related to drowning, falls, or burns, transportation-related injuries, poisoning, and suffocation from 2000 – 2006. On average, more than 12,000 children 0 to 19 years of age die each year in the U.S. from an unintentional injury.
How can we protect children from unintentional accidents?
The CDC is working closely with federal and state agencies, organizations and research institutions to find ways to reduce deaths and nonfatal injuries.
One of the oldest and most comprehensive injury prevention programs located within a state health department exists in Massachusetts. The Injury Prevention and Control Program (IPCP) concentrates on reducing the rates of injuries to children at home, at school, in the community, on the road, and at play. The staff of IPCP conducts research and develops policies and programs to address unintentional injury and suicide.
This group also provides technical expertise in collecting and interpreting information about what causes injuries. They then distribute this data in bulletins and reports and present the findings to audiences around the state in an effort to educate the public as well as health officials about how to prevent catastrophic injuries. The information they gather comes from injury reports and risk factors for child injuries in Massachusetts.
IPCP staff also evaluates the effectiveness of injury prevention programs and materials around the state. The STOP program is another effort to prevent children from being injured. The Surveillance to Optimize Prevention of Injury (STOP Injury) Project uses injury data to develop and evaluate prevention programs. STOP is funded by a five-year grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also brings together efforts to bring to the public awareness of resources for injury prevention and control programs. Implementing the Massachusetts Injury Prevention Plan is the main objective of STOP.
There are additional resources available to help the public know about efforts to prevent children’s injuries. The Massachusetts Prevent Injuries Now! Network (MassPINN) is a coalition of private and public partners who work for injury prevention. The group's goal is to provide networking opportunities, information, and data-sharing, and to raise public awareness of unintentional injury as a public health concern.
What are the services provided by IPCP?
- About Injury Prevention
- Injury Data Resources
- Home Safety for Infants and Young Children
- Injury Prevention for Older Adults
- Falls
- Emergency Care for Injured Children
- Poison Prevention
- Residential Fire Injury Prevention
- Sports and Recreation
- Suicide Prevention
- Transportation Safety
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Water Safety
- Weapon Safety
- Workplace Safety
What kinds of programs are offered by IPCP?
- Child Fatality Review
- Emergency Medical Services For Children
- Massachusetts Residential Fire Injury Prevention Program
- Passenger Safety Programs
- Regional Center For Poison Control And Prevention
- STOP Injury Project
- Suicide Prevention Program
- Traffic Safety Programs
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Prevention Task Force
What are some Massachusetts laws that help injury prevention?
- Massachusetts Safety Belt Law (MGL Ch 90, Sec. 13A) This law requires that any driver or passenger, age 12 and older, wear a seat belt in any motor vehicle, whether in the front or back seat of a car.
- Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Law (MGL Ch 90, Sec. 7AA) This law is designed to protect the safety of child passengers under age 12. When riding in motor vehicles, infants and small children must ride in a federally approved child passenger restraint until they are at least 5 years old and weigh more than 40 pounds. Children who weigh more than 40 pounds but are under 5 years old must ride in a booster seat. Children under 8 years old or under 4’9″ must use a booster seat.
- Massachusetts Graduated Licensing Law (MGL Ch. 90, Section 8 ) For more information on the Junior Operator License, refer to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles page about Junior operators.
- Massachusetts Bicycle Helmet Safety Law for Minors (MGL Ch. 85, Sec. 11 B) Any child 16 years of age or younger operating or riding as a passenger on bicycle, scooter, in-line skates, skateboard or other manually propelled vehicle on a public way, bike path or on any other public right-of-way must wear an approved helmet. Children under one year old must not be transported on a bicycle. The helmet law does not apply to child passengers in an enclosed trailer.
When to Seek the Help of a Boston Child Injury Attorney?
If your child has suffered a serious injury due to someone else’s negligence, it is in the interest of your child to explore your legal options. Find the best child injury attorney in your area. If the accident occurred in Massachusetts, call 978-474-8670 to receive a Free legal consultation with one of the best personal injury law firms in the field.
The Boston child accident lawyers at Kiley Law Group specialize in helping parents get compensation when their children suffer from catastrophic injuries. Mr. Kiley has fought on behalf of children and their families for over 30 years.
Call 978-474-8670 today. Free Consultation. No Win, No Fee Promise.
