Preventing Fall Injuries among Children

Falling is a fairly common childhood experience about which many of us may not think twice. Children test their limits as they learn new things. Most falls are harmless. However some falls involving children could lead to serious injuries such as open wounds, fractures or even brain injuries. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the most common cause of non-fatal injuries to children aged 0 to 19. Each year, nearly 2.8 million children are treated in U.S. emergency rooms for fall-related injuries.
Children younger than 5 represent the age group with the largest proportion of visits – 1.2 million emergency room visits each year due to falls. Among babies and toddlers, falls are also a major cause of head injuries. In fact, head injuries are linked to most deaths and severe injuries resulting from falls. Nearly 100 children die each year due to fall-related injuries and about 60 percent are children younger than 5.

Fall Hazards and How to Prevent Them
• Beds: Do not leave your child alone on a bed or any other type of furniture such as a changing table, sofa or counter. He or she may roll off unexpectedly. Have your child sleep in a safe, age-appropriate bed.
• High chairs: Always strap your child when using any type of high chair, booster seat, car seat, swing or any other type of seat with safety straps.
• Stairs: Use child safety gates at both the top and bottom of the stairs. Do not let children run or play on stairs. Keep stairs well-lit and clutter-free.
• Windows: Falls from windows tend to be the most severe and/or fatal. Every year, more than 3,000 children are injured and about eight die after falling out of open windows. Do not rely on window screens to help prevent a fall. Install window guards on all windows above the first floor. Use window stops so that windows do not open more than four inches. Keep windows locked when they are closed and move high chairs, cribs and other furniture away from windows.
Compensation for Victims
If your child has suffered fall-related injuries due to someone else’s negligence, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our firm recovered $1,100,000 as a total payout for a child who fell out of a window. The landlord in that case did not install a window guard as required by law.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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