Injuries to Children

November 29, 2012

Maine Injury Watch: Holiday Toys Present Dangers to Kids

The holiday season is a time when kids are very excited to receive presents from friends and family members. Many of those presents are toys. Unfortunately, with an influx of new products coming into your home during the holiday season, there is always a risk that some of those toys may be dangerous.

The same holds true for clothing, cribs, highchairs and other items marketed for use by children.

In fact, although the U. . Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates that toy recalls and toy-related fatalities are down, they also report that toy related injuries are up. The 27th annual Trouble in Toyland Survey also reveals some dangerous items on the shelves this holiday season.

As you do your shopping, our Portland personal injury attorneys urge you to exercise caution in making sure you keep dangerous toys out of your home. We also advise all parents to monitor new toys by supervising play, ensuring the toys are age appropriate, and checking the list of toy recalls to find out if any potential risks dangers exist.

How Dangerous Are Toys This Holiday Season?
According to the U. . Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), toys have become safer in recent years, in large part thanks to broad enforcement efforts and tougher mandatory standards that limit lead paint and other hazards in toys.

The U. . Consumer Product Safety Commission provides some statistics on the number of toy-related fatalities and toy recalls to show the success of safety efforts. According to CPSC:s

Recalls of toys fell from 172 in 2008 to only 50 recalls in 2009.
Recalls fell further in 2010, down to just 44 toy recalls.
Fatalities fell to 15 toy-related deaths in 2009, down from 24 fatalities in 2007 and 2008.

While these statistics show that toy safety is moving in the right direction, there is still some cause for concern. CPSC indicates, for example, that the number of toy-related injuries necessitating a visit to the ER has increased in recent years. However, CPSC suggests that these increased ER visits don’t necessarily indicate that toys are more dangerous. Instead, they report that many of these injuries were associated with kids playing with toys but they did not actually result from any problem, danger or defect in the toy itself.

Some Toys Still Present a Risk
Despite some good news from CPSC, not every toy that you bring home comes without risk. According to Portland News 8, the Public Interest Research Group’s 27th annual Trouble in Toyland survey still identified some dangerous products on the shelves.

In conducting the Trouble in Toyland survey, researchers visited stores to examine toys and test for dangers. Some of the potential problems they found included:

Toys with noise levels that were too loud for too long, exceeding the 65 decibel limit for continuous noise.
Toys that had magnets that could be ingested too easily.
Toys that presented a choking risk due to their small parts and that didn’t properly warn parents of the dangers to young children.

Parents need to be aware that these and other hazards exist whenever a new toy is brought into the home. Parents should make sure toys are age appropriate and should routinely check the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)’s Recalls and Product Safety News for updates on recalled and dangerous toy products.

October 20, 2012

Happy Halloween from our Bangor Injury Lawyers

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Newscasters are predicting the scariest of ghost and goblins for this year’s Halloween. They’re also predicting some serious dangers for pedestrian and trip and fall accidents, too.

We can make a change to prove them wrong though. In past years, Halloween has been the number one most dangerous night for pedestrians and child injuries — more dangerous than any other night of the year. Our Bangor injury lawyers are asking everyone to have a safe Halloween and to follow a few safety precautions, brought to you by WCSH6:sIf you’re heading out and going trick-or-treating this year, you want to make sure that your child’s costume is safe. Make sure that swords, knives, and similar costume accessories are short, soft, and flexible. Put children in safe and comfortable shoes. Sneakers are your best option. Never trick-or-treat alone or allow your child to do so. Make sure there is always a responsible adult with every group of children. Costumes should be secure and they should have no loose ends. Loose ends can be trip and fall hazards and they can also be easy targets for catching fire near jack-o-lanterns. Try to get your child a flame-resistant costume. You want to keep an eye on your surroundings and you want to teach your child to do so as well. That’s why we recommend face paint instead of masks. Bulky masks can cut off your child’s vision.

Before heading out, make sure that your child has been fed. You never want them to go out on an empty stomach. When they’re hungry, they’re more likely to snack on their candy goods. You don’t want candy to be consumed until you have inspected it to make sure it’s safe.

Before you head out on your journey, plan a safe route. You want to choose a trick-or-treating area that is well-lit and one that has sidewalks. Children and parents should only cross the street by using crosswalks or should cross at street corners. If there are vehicles at the intersection, don’t assume that you have the right of way. Always make eye contact with drivers before crossing.

Be careful where you walk. Never jump out from behind, or in front of, parked cars. You also want to avoid walking through people’s yard. Halloween decorations can serve as serious trip and fall accidents. Only walk on sidewalks and on driveways.

When approaching homes, you want to make sure that your child knows not to go into the home of anyone who they don’t know. Warn them about the dangers of unfamiliar pets. Never approach a dog that you don’t know.

Once you get home, look through your child’s entire bag of candy. Remove any of it that is homemade, has been tampered with, is not in a wrapper, is expired, or is in an old and faded wrapper. Remember your child’s allergies and also make sure that all candies that are small and hard are removed. These candies can be choking hazards.

Drivers are asked to be safe, too. Be on the lookout for witches and superheroes along our roadways. Drive slowly and be alert in residential neighborhoods. Kids don’t always understand the dangers that are associated with vehicles. Don’t assume they’ll stay out of your way.

Happy Halloween from out Bangor injury lawyers!

February 15, 2012

Car Accidents in Portland and Elsewhere Kill Too Many Child Passengers Annually

by Peter Thompson & Associates

Experts estimate that about 75 percent of child passengers are improperly restrained in car seats and booster seats. It is critical for parents to know how to properly buckle in child passengers and for them to do so during every car ride. Risk of child injury or death in the event of a car accident in Portland and elsewhere decrease by more than 70 percent if he or she is buckled in correctly.Our Portland car accident attorneys understand that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new recommendations for children and car seats last year. Unfortunately, many parents did not seize these new recommendations and in fact continue to improperly seat their children in motor vehicles. To help to spread the word about child car seats, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) launched a new website to offer parents with access to important child passenger safety (CPS) tips.

The new website, “Car Seat Safety for Kids” offers newly released videos regarding the 2011 child seat recommendations from the AAP. In addition to educating parents about the proper ways to buckle children in, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists car seat inspection locations nationwide. There are 31 child car seat inspection locations in Maine. Parents are urged to visit one of these sites to help ensure that their children are safe when traveling in a motor vehicle.

The new recommendations from the AAP state that children under the age of 4 should remain in rear-facing car seats. Once a child has exceeded their car seat’s height and weight limitations, they should be placed in a forward-facing car safety seat. It is important for children to stay in these rear-facing car seats for as long as possible.

When a child exceeds the size limits of a rear-facing car seat, it’s time for them to move to a forward-facing seat. This seat should have a harness and children should be kept in these seats for as long as possible.

Once your child exceeds the height and weight limits for a forward-facing seat, it’s time for them to move to a booster seat. Booster seats allow a small child to fit correctly with an adult seat belt. When riding in these seats, make sure that the bottom part of the seat belt fits snugly across your child’s upper thighs and that the top part of it fits across the chest and not on the neck. Children riding in booster seats should always ride in the back seat of the car and away from an active air bag.

In Maine, two children under the age of 14-years-old died in car accidents in 2008.

Car accidents continue to be the number of cause of death for individuals aged 3- to 14-years old. Parents are urged to register their child’s car seat and to sign up to receive notifications on car seat defects and recalls.

December 22, 2011

Shoppers Urged to Check CPSC’s Recalls List to Avoid Defective Product-Related Injury in Portland

by Peter Thompson & Associates

It’s that time of year again when shoppers are hitting the stores in full force in search of the perfect holiday gifts for friends, family members, co-workers and others. It’s important for all consumers to look over the U. . Consumer Product Safety Commission‘s (CPSC) recall list during the holidays to help ensure there won’t be a defective product on their gift-giving list. Recalled products can cause serious injury in Portland and elsewhere if not addressed.Our Portland injury attorneys understand that the CPSC reviews thousands of consumer products. Unfortunately, there’s a chance there are defective products in our homes and businesses right now, items that have been deemed dangerous and we don’t even know it. While it’s the CPSC’s responsibility to inform the public of the defects, it’s our responsibility to make sure that if we decide to give gifts, that they are safe and defect-free. Please review this list before bringing any new toys and presents into your household.

Schwinn Elliptical Exercise Equipment Recalled By Nautilus:

Roughly 10,000 Elliptical Exercise Trainers have been recalled because the foot plates on the devices have been found to detach from the machine during use and can pose a fall hazard to users. These products were distributed by Nautilus Inc. of Vancouver, Washington. There have been nearly 10 accident reports filed. These devices were sold under the model name Schwinn 460. They were sold at various sporting goods stores and online sites from July 2008 to May 2011. Consumers who own this product are urged to call Nautilus at 800-259-9019 for a free repair kit.

iPod Touch Rechargeable External Battery Cases Recalled by Mophie

More than 6,000 Rechargeable External Battery Cases have been recalled by Mophie LLC, of Paw Paw, Michigan, because the battery case’s integrated circuit switch can possibly overheat and cause pose a burn hazard. The company has already received more than 100 reports of the battery case becoming warm to the touch. More than 40 reports have been filed saying that the product deformed and nearly 10 reports were made of burns. Only battery cases with serial numbers that have the first five characters of TR113 through TR120 are under the recall. The items were sold in stores since April 2011. If you have one of these battery cases, call Morphie at (877) 308-4581 for a replacement product.

KEDS Girls’ Shoes Recalled by Collective Brands:

Nearly 50,000 KEDS “Know It All” Girls’ Shoes have been recalled because the stars on the heel can come loose and pose a laceration hazard. There have already been nearly 30 reports of scratches and cuts from these metal stars. The style number covered under this recall is KY40098A, which can be found on the underside of the tongue. They were sold in department stores from June to October 2011. If your child has a pair of these shoes, you’re urged to contact Collective Brands for a gift card for $30 that can be used at Stride Rite stores or on striderite.com.

As there are new products on the CPSC’s recalls website frequently, parents are urged to look over the list regularly. Many injuries can be prevented by staying informed. Happy Holidays!s