Bouncy Houses Responsible for Large Numbers of Child Injuries

When it comes to celebrations in America, a bouncy house is a crowd favorite among children under the age of 17.  This popular play device offers children the ability to kick their shoes off and bounce up and down like a soft trampoline with their friends.  But increasingly, bouncy houses are being blamed for child injuries.  A recent study published in the Journal Pediatrics states children are injured in bouncy houses once every 46 minutes.  This figure is astounding and quite hard to believe, but given the popularity of this amusement device, these figures are growing.

Children's Risk of Injury 

If someone were to tell me that a bouncy house was responsible for huge spikes in children's injuries, I'd probably scoff at the idea.  But as the numbers present, this is a harsh reality.  Whether they're small or large injuries, bouncy houses send more children to the hospital every year than any other amusement, past time, or toy.  Children who are injured playing in a bouncy house often suffer the following injuries:

• broken bones
• fractures, sprains
• neck injury
• back injury
• closed head injuries
• concussions

Bouncy houses are designed to offer children a place to horse around and play. But often, this horseplay can get out of hand.  And often, parents are unaware of structural defects, or an improper inflation of the bouncy house.  Any of these factors could combine to cause injury in your child.

If your child has been injured as a result of playing in a bouncy house, you may be entitled to compensation.  You should discuss it with a skilled personal injury attorney.  It can be difficult to decide to pursue this action since it's often family, friends, and community members who may be at fault.  But if your child is hurt and the medical  bills are outlandish, you may need the financial help.  Call a skilled personal injury attorney today to discuss your unique case further. 

15,000 Infant Recliners Recalled Due to Infant Deaths

When you're a parent, you want the best for your child.  Your baby's care is in your hands. Often, this leads parents to buy products that claim to increase comfort and care for a child.  One such product is the Nap Nanny, which is a device parents place their children in while they nap. Essentially, it is a recliner with a safety harness to prevent the child from moving around too much and hurting themselves.

However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling the item, stating they received 92 reports of infants hanging over the side of the device and 5 deaths.  The shocking truth is this product was originally recalled in 2010 after reports of one death. But the product's manufacturer, Baby Matters, is "unable or unwilling to participate in the recall."

Retailers Amazon, Buy Buy Baby and Toys R Us are recalling the devices, which amount to an estimated 15,000 devices.  In response, the company released a statement expressing their disapproval of the recall and boasting the continued benefits of the device to thousands of infants.

What's the Danger?

Reports to the Consumer Product Safety Commission paint a picture of infants nearly wiggling fully out of the harness, falling over the side and even becoming trapped between the recliner and crib bumpers. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, multiple reports to their agency have included:

• entrapment claims
• suffocation hazard claims
• fall hazard claims
• claims of deaths

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is encouraging parents to call them today to report similar hazards.  Additionally, you may want to consult a skilled personal injury and product liability attorney to preserve your rights.  Parents may be able to obtain compensation for their child's injuries.  To determine whether or not you are eligible, please call a skilled personal injury and product liability attorney today. 

Researchers Claim Bounce Houses Unsafe

Just when you thought you'd found a "safe" party attraction, bounce houses have come under recent fire.  According to a recent study in the Journal Pediatrics, bounce houses are proving to be quite dangerous to children.  Researchers analyzed data across the United States and determined a child was injured in a bounce house every 46 minutes nationally.

What is the Dangers Associated with Bounce Houses?

According to researchers, over the past decade, 65,000 child injuries are tied to bounce houses.  Of these injured children, approximately 31 are seen in the emergency room every day.  Children injured in bounce houses could face the following injuries:

• 43% falls
• 27% fractures
• 27% strains or sprains
• 20% head or neck injuries

A neck or a head injury could be fatal, or it could be paralyzing.  Children using bounce houses are at risk when they're jumping and banging into each other.  Sometimes these bounce houses are not inflated properly and they could fall down on the children, trapping them inside and risking asphyxiation.

Researchers are calling for guidelines on the use of bounce houses to ensure child safety.  Absent clear guidelines from the medical and public health community, researchers seem to expect these injuries to continue in a similar pattern. 

Keep Your Child Safe

Keep your child safe while using a bounce house by following simple guidelines.  Supervise the children at play in a bounce house.  Observe whether or not someone is rough housing and causing dangerous conditions.  Inspect the bounce house to determine whether it appears to be inflated properly and whether any objects are puncturing it. Limit the number of children at play in a bounce house and remind them of proper conduct.

If your child has been hurt at play in a bounce house, you could be entitled to compensation.  Obtain medical treatment for your child and then call a skilled personal injury lawyer to determine whether you have a case. 

$20 Million Hit-and-Run Wrongful Death Case Filed in Washington Pike

Recently, a hit-and-run crash killed a man, a pregnant woman, and her unborn child in Washington Pike. The crash was allegedly caused by a driver who was driving while intoxicated.

The deceased, a man named Nelzon Soto, 45, had been driving to the rescue of a friend who ran out of gas. In the car with him had been Chasity Elaine Thornell, 24, who was pregnant at the time.

Authorities say the drunk driver, Curtis Scott Harper, 22, was intoxicated and had been given the keys of the 2004 Ford Explorer by his parents. It is alleged that Harper's parents knew about Harper's previous drunk driving records and drug abuse. However, they irresponsibly allowed him use of their car anyway.

The plaintiff also accuses the bar where Harper had been present before the crash. Most surprisingly, the attorney also names as defendant the friend who had called Thornell when she had run out of gas, thus causing Thornell to be involved in the accident.

The attorney is suing for $10 million in compensatory damages and another $10 million in punitive damages.

Harper is currently awaiting trial.

Have you been the victim of a car accident that resulted in a wrongful death?

Though accidents are impossible to avoid, you should always be on the lookout. Be careful and take preliminary cautions on the road and anywhere else.

If you have suffered the tragedy of a fatal accident, don't despair. You are not alone.

Seek legal advice

Like Thornell's surviving family members who decided to sue on her behalf, don't let your loved one's death be suffered in vain. Contact legal advice and seek damages for the pain you've endured.

After a tragedy, the last thing you need to worry about is money--but often, this is the most problematic consequence of an accident. Not only will you have to pay the bills left behind by your loved one, there will be medical costs and damage repair you will need to handle.

Don't suffer alone. 

You don't have to handle any legal claims when you speak to an attorney. There are several reasons why legal advice would help you.

1.   You could earn more money for your damages. Attorneys know how to fight your battles and make the person responsible for your grief pay. It's not about revenge--it's about gaining the necessary funds you need to move on with your life.

2.   Attorneys will handle court proceedings while you get your life back in order. It's difficult to see how things can resume to the way they were after such a tragedy. But the best thing you can do after an incident like this is to move on. Get back to the normal routine of things. Your attorney can handle all the legalities while you try to put the tragedy behind you.

3.   You seek justice for your lost. Why should you suffer quietly when someone was responsible for the death of a loved one? Filing a lawsuit will not only gain you compensation and justice, but it will also warn others as to the dangers and risks of other people's negligence.

If you've been a survivor of a serious accident or have suffered from the wrongful death of a loved one, you must speak to an attorney.

WAS YOUR CHILD WRONGFULLY INJURED?

Though accidents are unavoidable and can happen to anyone, the tragedy is ten times worse when a child is wrongfully injured.

Children should be taken care of, and have a right to safety, healthy, and happy upbringings. Adults, parents, and responsible caretakers have a responsibility towards providing this for every child. But unfortunately, the news that a child has fallen victim to negligence, recklessness, or violence is all too common.

What can you do if your child was wrongfully injured?

First of all, make sure that your child receives the medical attention he or she needs. Costs and expenses can be taken care of later. The most important thing is that your child is safe and healthy.

If you know the injury was preventable and happened as a result of negligence or lack of action by an individual or company, you may be able to claim compensation.

What happens if your child is the victim of a wrongful death?

Nothing can compensate you for the lost of a loved one. No matter who it is you've lost to a tragedy, the consequences are devastating and life-changing. Don't let their deaths be in vain. If the cause of your tragedy was preventable, there's no reason for you not to fight for your rights.

Find out more about wrongful deaths and what you can do in the event of a tragedy.

Filing a claim is not about revenge

No matter how harmful the accident, your child has witnessed a traumatic incident. He or she will not walk away unscathed. More than likely, your child will be emotionally, if not physically, scarred.

Though nothing can undo the accident or harm caused to your child, the least you can do is seek financial compensation for the damage. If a person or company was responsible for hurting your child, there is no reason that you should not demand justice for your loved one. Don’t let others take advantage of you. You have a right to protect your child’s safety and health.

Seek legal advice immediately

By filing a claim, you are demanding justice and compensation for harm caused to your loved one. If your child was hurt because of the negligent actions of someone else, you need to do everything in your power to protect his or her rights.

Talk to a legal counselor or attorney. You may be eligible to a claim. Compensation could help pay for financial and medical expenses, costs, and other damages done to you and your child. Don’t wait until it is too late. Speak to an attorney to find out how you can protect your child’s rights.