Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

The US Supreme Court has agreed to determine whether a federal law protects vaccine manufacturers from certain kinds of products liability lawsuits in the event of vaccine injuries. The case involves 17-year-old Hannah Bruesewitz who, during the first 6-months after she was born was vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis with 3 DPT vaccines. She would go on develop residual seizure disorder.

Because Hannah suffers from serious developmental impairments, her parents say that she will require a lifetime of care.

Russell and Robale Bruesewitz submitted their petition to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. When their claim was turned down, they filed a dangerous drug lawsuit against vaccine maker Wyeth. They claim that the pharmaceutical company could have marketed a vaccine that was safer and included better warnings about its possible risks. The drug maker has denied that its vaccine caused the girl’s injuries. It has, however, discontinued the DPT vaccine.

In 2009, an appeals court determined that the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 preempted the Bruesewitz's injuries to a child complaint. The act, which provides compensation for vaccine injuries, protects vaccine manufacturers from products liability complaints. An injured party cannot sue the vaccine maker if the side effects that were sustained were unavoidable and even if the vaccine came with the correct directions and warnings and was manufactured properly.

Oral arguments in the Supreme Court case, Bruesewitz v. Wyeth, 09-152, will likely take place in the fall. The nation’s highest court agreed to hear the case following decisions by lower courts that conflicted with one another. Some 5,000 claims are pending that link neurological damage to childhood vaccines.

High Court Wades Into Funeral Protests, Vaccines, Wall Street Journal, March 9, 2010

Court to decide if vaccine makers can be sued, Reuters, March 8, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Vaccines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), HRSA.gov

Continue reading "Injuries to Children: US Supreme Court to Rule On Whether Vaccine Injuries Allow for Products Liability Lawsuits" »

The D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services is investigating whether Washington DC paramedic errors occurred during the handling of a 911 call about a 2-year-old girl. The toddler was having breathing problems early on the morning of February 10 when paramedics arrived to examine her.

The girl was not taken to the hospital and the paramedics left. About nine hours later, another 911 call was made about the same 2-year-old. This time, she was transported to Children’s National Medical Center. The girl died the next day.

Now, questions have surfaced as to why paramedics didn’t take her to the hospital sooner. A number of emergency workers who responded to the 911 call have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation takes place.

Washington DC Paramedic Malpractice
EMT’s and paramedics are often the first line of defense when it comes to saving the life of a person who is having a medical emergency. People don’t usually contact 911 for a minor medical symptom. Usually, there is a life or death situation occurring and someone needs medical help immediately.

Failure to provide that immediate medical care and evaluation can prove fatal—especially when a paramedic arrives at the scene and wrongly diagnoses a situation so that the patient doesn’t get the proper medical care that could save his/her life.

This is not the first time DC paramedics have come under scrutiny for their handling of emergency situations. In 2008, 38-year-old Edward L. Givens was examined by paramedics at his Northeast Washington residence. The paramedics left 12 minutes after arriving. He died from a heart attack hours later.

In 2006, paramedics failed to rush New York Times Reporter David E. Rosenbaum to the hospital after he was beaten and mugged. The medical workers thought that he was drunk. He died from his injuries. Rosenbaum’s family has settled their Washington DC wrongful death lawsuit with the District.

D.C. EMS faces review in death of girl, 2, The Washington Post, March 4, 2010

DC Medic Did Not Fill Out Paper Work In Child Death Case, 9 News Now, March 4, 2010

Continue reading "Washington DC Paramedics Under Investigation in Death of 2-Year-Old Girl" »

According to police, school officials reported 220 incidents of teachers allegedly physically or verbally abusing students in an attempt to discipline them. Acts of corporal punishment allegedly included slapping, choking, shoving, and kicking. The Washington Post obtained information about these abuse allegations using the Freedom of Information Act.

There is no clear information as to whether teachers were disciplined or charged criminally for assaulting the students or if follow-up investigations ensued. However, according to Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, some of the teachers laid off last October had physically assaulted or had sexual relationships with students or missed 78 school days.

Under District law, teachers are allowed to use force against a student in order to defend others, as an act of self-defense, or to keep order. Principals are required to report any allegations of sexual misconduct or corporal punishment by teachers to a private security system, whose officers must then report the incidents to police.

Injuries to Minors
If you believe that your child was the victim of unnecessary use of force by a teacher or anyone else, you may be able to file a Washington DC injuries to minors claim on their behalf. Teachers are in a position of power when it comes to supervising their students. This does not mean that they can abuse that power by verbally abusing, molesting, or physically assaulting a student. Physical, mental, and emotional injuries may result that can damage the child.

School officials have a duty of care to ensure that students are not harmed while on the premise. Failure to remove any hazardous conditions or dangerous persons from the school grounds may be grounds for a Washington DC injury lawsuit if injuries result.

D.C. school officials reported 220 abuse allegations against teachers, The Washington Post, February 9, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Freedom of Information Act, USDOJ.gov

Washington DC Schools

DC Teachers Allegedly Abused Kids Hundreds of Times: Post, NBC Washington, February 9, 2010

Continue reading "220 Washington DC Abuse Allegations Against Teachers Reported during ’08 – ’09 Academic Year" »

Our Washington DC products liability attorneys are concerned about the dangers that poorly designed cribs post to young children. On Tuesday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that it is recalling all “ChildESIGNS” and Generation 2 Worldwide drops side cribs following three infant deaths. The CPSC says these cribs are very dangerous and pose suffocation and strangulation risks to children. The CPSC wants caregivers and parents to stop using these cribs right away.

The three babies died after the drop side on their cribs detached and they got stuck between the mattress and the drop side. The first crib entrapment death happened in September 2002 when the six-month old infant suffocated. The drop side became detached because it was missing two screws.

The entrapment death, involving an 8-month-old victim, happened in October 2003 after the drop side’s plastic hardware broke. In July 2007, an 8-month-old child suffocated during an entrapment accident.

There have been 20 other reported drop side incidents involving the recalled cribs. Two children survived their entrapment accidents, although one child sustained bruises. Five kids fell from their cribs when the drop sides detached. One child broke an arm.

Eight other incidents involved the mattress support detaching. In three of these crib accidents, three kids became entrapped between the mattress and the crib frame while four kids were able to crawl out of the crib. One child suffered bruises and cuts.

Generation 2 is no longer in operation.

Drop-Side Crib Dangers
As more drop-side cribs are recalled because of the possible entrapment, strangulation, and fall hazards they pose to infants and toddlers, it is no longer possible to ignore the dangers that this type of crib can pose because of the way they are designed. Millions of drop-side cribs have been recalled over the past couple of years. Some crib manufacturers are even proposing a ban on drop-side cribs.

Generation 2 Worldwide and “ChildESIGNS” Drop Side Crib Brands Recalled; Three Infant Deaths Reported, CPSC, February 9, 2010

Major manufacturers propose ban on drop-side cribs, Chicago Tribune, March 18, 2010

Related Web Resources:
What are the safety issues with drop-side cribs, About.com

Crib Bands from Consumer Reports

Continue reading "CPSC Recalls “ChildESIGNS” and Generation 2 Worldwide Drop-Side Cribs Following Three Child Deaths" »

This week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a number of product recalls. Among them were two significantly large recalls involving the risk of serious injuries to infants and toddlers.

On Wednesday, along with Graco Children’s Products Inc., the CPSC recalled approximately 1.5 million Graco Strollers following two fngertip laceration accidents and five incidents involving fingertip amputations to children. The kids’ fingers were injured in the stroller canopy’s hinge mechanism.

Kid’s fingertips are highly sensitive and can damage easily during amputation, tearing, or crushing. Young children are especially at risk of sustaining fingertip injuries because they are always touching and/or placing their hands in objects. Ensuring that a fingertip injury receives immediate medical attention decreases the chances of permanent disability or deformity.

You can view the model numbers for the Graco Alano™, Passage™, and Spree™ strollers and travel systems that are part of the recall on the CPSC Web site. If you have one of the strollers, you should call Graco to ask for your free repair kit and stop using the product until you can fix the defect. If your infant or toddler sustained a fingertip injury, a Washington DC injuries to children law firm can help you determine whether you have grounds for filing a DC products liability claim.

The day before this latest Graco recall, the CPSC and Dorel Asia SLR announced the voluntary recall of 635,000 Dorel Asia cribs. These cribs are drop-side cribs, and there is concern that the drop-side might detach, causing strangulation, suffocation, or entrapment if the child falls into any gap created between the mattress and the drop-side. One 6-month-old baby died during an entrapment accident. Six kids who became entrapped when the drop-sides of their cribs detached survived. There are more than 30 reports involving drop-sides detaching. Seven children sustained scratches and bruises because of slat breakage.

Serious injuries to children can prove fatal. Crib manufacturers can be sued for Washington DC products liability if a product defect was the cause of your child’s injuries or death.

Graco Recalls Strollers Due to Fingertip Amputation and Laceration Hazards, CPSC, January 20, 2010

Dorel Asia Recalls To Replace Cribs; Pose Strangulation and Suffocation Hazards, CPSC, January 19, 2010

Fingertip Injuries/Amputationsg

Related Web Resources:
Graco

Dorel

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Window Covering Safety Council are recalling 50 million roll-up blinds and Roman shades because they are a potential strangulation hazard to young kids. A child can get seriously hurt if his/her neck gets tangled in the cord used to work the blinds and shades.

Since 2001, there have been three deaths involving the roll-up blinds and 16 near-strangulations and five deaths involving the Roman shades in the past three years. These shades can be fixed with a free repair kit. In the meantime, parents, guardians, and adults should take precautionary measures to childproof the blinds and shades by making sure that the cords are not easily accessible to kids—especially infants and toddlers. This includes making sure that there isn’t furniture close to the windows that children can climb on top of to reach the cords. If a cord reaches all the way to the ground, then it is important to make sure the cord is properly secured and taut. Another option is to stop using these blinds and shades.

Strangulation Injuries
According to Safe Kids USA, nearly 900 kids younger than age 15 die every year from airway obstruction. Most of the fatalities are children younger than age 4. About 17,200 strangulation injuries involving child victims occur annually. Most strangulation incidents take place in the home.

Products Liability
Window shades and blinds manufacturers have long been aware of the strangulation hazard these products have posed for young children. Yet they continue to sell their defectively designed products to consumers. How many child injuries and deaths must occur before manufacturers will stop producing these faulty furniture items?

Furniture makers can be held liable for Washington DC products liability or wrongful death involving injuries to minors.

Window Covering Safety Council Recalls to Repair All Roman and Roll-Up Blinds Due to Risk of Strangulation, CPSC, December 15, 2009

Blind recall: How to check if your Roman shades are safe, The Christian Science Monitor, December 15, 2009

Airway Obstruction, Safe Kids

Related Web Resources:
Window Covering Safety Council

Parent's Guide to Child Safety

Continue reading "50 Million Roll-Up Blinds and Roman Shades Recalled Because of Strangulation Hazard to Children" »

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the largest recall for cribs US history this week. Along with crib maker Stork Craft Manufacturing, the CPSC is recalling over 2.1 million drop-side cribs. 147,000 cribs come with the Fisher-Price logo. 1,213,000 of the crib units were distributed in the United States. The rest of the units were distributed in Canada.

Some 110 drop-side detachment incidents have been reported in connection with the Stork Craft cribs. 15 of the incidents involved entrapment accidents; 4 of them resulted in suffocation accidents. 20 drop-side detachment incidents resulted in fall accidents. 4 incidents resulted in crib-related deaths.

The CPSC and Stork Craft want adults and guardians to stop letting their children use the Stork Craft cribs until they receive and use their free repair kit.

Drop-Side Cribs
While drop side cribs provide the convenience of allowing adults to lift and lower one side of the crib so that a child can easily be lifted and lowered onto the mattress, there have been numerous reports of injuries involving these infant beds. Assembly errors, design defects, and parts malfunctions have been known to cause multiple injuries and deaths. In the last two years alone, the CPSC has recalled over 5 million drop-side cribs.

According to InjuryBoard.com, crib accidents cause 50 infant deaths and 12,000 baby injuries a year. Parents may be able to hold a crib manufacturer liable for Washington DC products liability involving injuries to minors and children if their child is seriously injured or killed because a crib was defectively designed or manufactured.

The CPSC is looking at whether to implement mandatory crib design standards, which could result in a ban of drop-side cribs. Already, Suffolk County in New York has announced a ban that will go into effect in February 2010.

Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs, CPSC, November 23, 2009

2.1 million drop-side cribs recalled, USA Today, November 23, 2009

CPSC to Consider Rulemaking Addressing Crib Defects, Occupational Health and Safety

Related Web Resources:
Major manufacturers propose ban on drop-side cribs, Chicago Tribune, March 18, 2009

What Are The Safety Issues With Drop-Side Cribs?, About.com

Continue reading "Preventing Washington DC Injuries to Children: CPSC Recalls 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs " »

According to the 2009 Sleep in America poll by the National Sleep Foundation, about 1.9 Million Drivers are involved in drowsy driving car crashes or near miss accidents each year. Unfortunately, many people underestimate the power sleepiness can have in causing Washington DC car accidents.

Per the poll, 105 million US drivers have driven while sleepy in the last year. 54 million drivers drive while drowsy at least once a month.

National Sleep Foundation chairman Thomas Balkin says that while motorists are good at recognizing when they are tired, this doesn’t stop them from getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and driving. Balkin says that people mistakenly think that they can will themselves to stay awake but they often don’t even realize that they are falling asleep. Balkin notes that just one moment of “reduced awareness” can cause a motor vehicle crash.

Drowsy driving slows reflexes, reduces alertness, and impairs one’s ability to think clearly and rapidly respond to an emergency situation. A person who is sleepy or very tired while driving might inadvertently lane change, let go of the steering wheel, fail to notice traffic signs, not see other vehicles or pedestrians, drive off the road, or drive into oncoming traffic.

Drowsy driving can be grounds for a Washington DC injury claim or wrongful death lawsuit if another person is injured as a result.

In an attempt to decrease the number of drowsy driving accidents, the National Sleep Foundation has declared November 2 – 8 Drowsy Driving Prevention Week.

Ways to Avoid Drowsy Driving:

• Get a good night’s driving.
• Take periodic brakes (every 2 hours or every 100 miles).
• Don’t drink alcohol or take medications that cause drowsiness before driving.
• If necessary, stop and take a nap.
• Take caffeine if necessary.

.9 Million Drivers Have Fatigue-Related Car Crashes or Near Misses Each Year, Reuters, October 29, 2009

Drowsy Driving: Reduce Your Risk of Falling Asleep Behind the Wheel, Associated Content, June 27, 2006

Related Web Resources:
National Sleep Foundation

NHTSA

Continue reading "Stay Alert and Awake: Drowsy Driving Prevention Week Reminds Motorists to Prevent Washington DC Car Accidents Caused by Sleepiness and Fatigue " »

President Barack Obama has signed an executive order banning federal employees from texting while driving a vehicle when on official business even if the vehicle being driven is not owned by the government. The order, issued last week, is an attempt to lead the charge encouraging people to stop texting while driving.

Lawmakers, ordinary citizens, safety advocates, and police attended a two-day Distracted Driving Summit in Washington DC that the US Department of Transportation organized. Already, the District of Columbia has a ban on texting or talking on a hand-held device while driving. Unfortunately, there are District of Columbia motorists who still engage in this dangerous habit that can lead to catastrophic Washington DC car accidents. Not only is texting while driving against the law but, like drunk driving, this popular form of distracted driving can kill people and lead to DC injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits.

The Obama administration has given each of the federal agencies 90 days to figure out how to enforce his order. He also wants the agencies to ban subcontractors and contractors from texting while driving. Federal employees working in national security or law enforcement are exempt from the ban.

For purposes of his order, President Obama defines “driving” as operating a motor vehicle. Drivers that are stopped at a traffic stop or traffic light or for any other reason that requires them to engage with the flow of traffic even if they are in "pause" mode with the engine running are still "driving." However, Mr. Obama says it is acceptable for a federal worker to text message if he or she has pulled over to the side of the road.

Distracted Driving Facts from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety:

• Driver distraction is the cause of 1 million North American traffic accidents each year.
• Although, per the 2009 Index, 95% of drivers think that texting while driving is unacceptable behavior, 18% of them still do it.
• More than 50% of the time a motorist is driving, he or she is engaged in at least one other task.

Obama enacts texting ban on federal employees, The Washington Times, October 2, 2009

The Facts about Distracted Driving – Know the Dangers/Avoid the Risks, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Related Web Resources:
The White House

US Department of Transportation

Continue reading "President Obama Bans Federal Employees from Texting While Driving" »

At the opening of the Distracted Driving Summit, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that texting while driving has become an “an endemic” and a “menace to society.” Over 300 people are taking part in the conference, including law enforcement officials, lawmakers, and safety experts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,780 people died (16% of all deadly traffic collisions) and 515,000 people sustained injuries in distracted driving accidents last year. Many of these auto crashes are a result of people using cell phones and PDAs.

Distracted driving is reportedly a big problem among young drivers, especially those under age 21. Distracted driving was a factor in 16% of deadly crashes involving drivers in this age group.

Young motorists, however, aren’t the only ones who text and drive. CTIA-The Wireless Association reports that while 10 billion text messages a month were sent in December 2005, more than 110 billion texts were transmitted in December 2008.

Texting while driving is now illegal in Washington DC and 18 US states. Seven states have made it illegal to talk on a handheld cell phone while driving. Safety groups are calling on a nationwide ban making it illegal for drivers to text and have cell phone conversations. Meantime, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety wants the government to restrict the texting and cell phone talk of the operators of tractor-trailers, large vans, and motor coaches, while the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers (members include Ford, General Motors, and Toyota) support a ban on handheld phones and texting while driving.

Too many catastrophic car accidents are happening because drivers were distracted. Texting usually requires the use of both hands and eyes. This means that the texting driver will spend at least a few seconds not holding the steering wheel, not watching the road, and not paying attention. These few seconds can end someone’s life.

Bus accidents, train accidents, truck accidents, and car accidents have happened because motorists were distracted. Our Washington DC injury lawyers are cognizant of how distracted driving can destroy lives and we are here to help.

Distracted Driving Summit Emphasizing Danger of Texting Opens Today in Washington DC, ABC News, September 29, 2009

Govt: Nearly 6,000 deaths from driver distraction, AP, September 29, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Distracted Driving Summit, US Department of Transportation

Distracted Driving, National Safety Council

CTIA-The Wireless Association

A powerful video excerpt (see below) showing the worst consequences that can arise when someone is texting while driving has become a viral hit on the Internet. The four-minute footage, shot in Wales, is intended to show teens why they shouldn’t text and drive at the same.

The footage has caught the attention of more than Welsh school kids and has been viewed online more than six million times. The video shows a teen driver texting while riding in a vehicle with two friends. Because she is engaging in distracted driving, her car moves into oncoming traffic.

What happens next is extremely disturbing to see. The footage shows harsh, close-up details, including one girl’s head crashing into a car window and a lifeless baby with eyes wide open sitting in one of the vehicles involved in the deadly multi-vehicle car accident.

Just how effective will this video prove at discouraging teenagers and adults from texting while driving? This remains to be seen. Some experts, however, believe that scary footage is not enough to promote real change.

Teens Who Text While Driving
By this time, most people are aware of the dangers that texting while driving can create—yet many people still engage in this type of distracted driving and most states have yet to enact laws banning texting while operating a motor vehicle. Fortunately, Washington DC does have a law banning texting while driving. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone abides by it. This can lead to deadly DC auto collisions.

Teenagers, easily distracted to begin with and lacking the experience of older drivers, do not need the additional distraction of texting while driving. Yet according to an AAA study published in 2007, 46% of teens say they text message while driving.

When you consider that commercial truckers, who are professional drivers, increase their crash risk by 23 times, why wouldn’t the crash risk increase significantly for inexperienced teen drivers?

Texting while driving, updating Facebook, Twittering, and surfing the Internet while driving are distracted forms of driving that can be grounds for a Washington DC injury lawsuit if people are injured or killed because a driver was distracted.

Doubts About Scare Tactics on Drivers Who Text, The New York Times, August 31, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Watch the Video Excerpt

Teen Driver Menace: Text-Messaging, Suite 101, October 22, 2007

Related Web Resources:
Teens Admit Text Messaging Most Distracting While Driving

In Washington DC, the father of eight-year-old twin boys is suing the DC Water and Sewer Authority for $200 million. John Parkhurst says that his children have learning and behavioral problems because they were affected by the high levels of lead present in the city’s waters from 2001 through 2004. Parkhurst, who filed his personal injury case in DC Superior Court, hopes that the case will become a class-action lawsuit.

According to the DC injuries to minors lawsuit, when his sons were babies they were fed formula and food that were mixed with tap water. At age 2, the boys had a medical checkup that revealed signs of lead poisoning. Parkhurst's complaint accuses WASA officials of concealing the fact that the elevated levels of lead in DC waters would eventually prove to be a serious health concern.

Just this year, a new study found that about 42,000 District children were exposed to high levels of lead in the city’s tap water from 2000 to 2003. Many of these children would have been under 3 years of age or in their mothers’ wombs at the time.

Lead Exposure
Lead exposure can cause different degrees of developmental and behavioral problems in kids. Some of the effects can range from irritability, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity to growth delays, learning and reading problems, permanent brain damage, and death.

Common causes of lead poisoning include lead in paint chips from buildings and the dust in the surrounding soil. Also, in the last couple of years, toy manufacturers have announced massive recalls of some popular products after discovering that a number of toys, many of them made in China, had been manufactured using excessive levels of lead.

If your son or daughter became ill or was injured because of exposure to a hazardous or toxic product, you may have grounds for filing a personal injury lawsuit or products liability claim on their behalf.

Lead in Water Harmed Sons, D.C. Man Claims, The Washington Post, February 18, 2009

Lead Exposure In Children Affects Brain And Behavior, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Related Web Resources:
Childhood Lead Exposure, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

High Lead Levels Found in D.C. Kids, Washington Post, January 27, 2009

A new peer-reviewed study to be published in the Environmental Science and Technology raises worries that some 42,000 Washington DC kids, now ages 4 to 9, may have been exposed to high levels of lead during the 2001 water crisis. Many of these children were two years of age or in their mothers’ wombs at that time. According to experts, toddlers and fetuses are most at risk of suffering permanent brain damage from lead poisoning.

The study is based on findings from an analysis of thousands of kids’ blood tests from 2000 to 2003. In some DC neighborhoods, the number of infants and toddlers with blood-lead concentrations that could lead to developmental delays and a permanently lowered IQ more than doubled after record breaking levels of lead began entering the city’s tap water supply.

The addition of a new chemical to the water treatment is what caused the increase in lead concentration. In 2003, DC residents were warned about this problem and were advised to use alternative sources of drinking water.

The new study’s results are counter to what federal and DC officials have said since 2004 when they admitted that although the levels of lead in the city’s water were very high, they did not think that this would significantly impact people. Now, public health officials are claiming that they just didn’t have the information at the time to show that there could be a problem.

According to studies, lead poisoning can cause kids to experience a decrease in IQ, as well as exhibit aggressiveness. One reason that babies in the womb and toddlers are highly succepetable to injuries from lead poisoning is that their brains are not yet fully developed. They can also more easily absorb and ingest more toxic metal than older children and adults.

According to FamilyDoctor.org:

• Excessive levels of lead in a child's body can lead to problems with kidneys, brain, or bone marrow.
• Lead poisoning can lead to behavioral problems, attention difficulties, learning problems, and a drop in IQ.

High Lead Levels Found in D.C. Kids, Washington Post, January 27, 2009

Lead Poisoning in Children, FamilyDoctor.org

Related Web Resources:
Environmental Science and Technology

Kids' Pages, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Continue reading "Hundreds of Washington DC Children May Have Been Exposed to High Levels of Lead in City’s Tap Water" »

Yesterday, A 7-year-old child was hit by a motor vehicle after she ran onto the 2900 block of Stanton Road. According to police, the child is being treated for bruises and scrapes. This is the second child pedestrian-related accident on a D.C. street in the last few days.Just five days ago, 4-year-old girl was killed by a truck.

In 2005, According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA):

· 64, 000 pedestrians were injured.
· 16,000 of those injured were 14-years-of-age or younger.
· 4881 pedestrians were killed.
· Kids who were 14 years of age and younger made up 7 % (339) of these fatalities.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) explains why child pedestrians are at high risk for sustaining injuries on the road:

· In the United States, 4,641 pedestrians died from traffic-related injuries in 2004, and another 68,000sustained nonfatal injuries (NHTSA 2005).
· Nearly one-fifth of the traffic fatalities among children ages 5-9 years were sustained by pedestrians (NHTSA 2005).

Children are at increased risk for pedestrian injuries for several reasons:

· Their smaller size makes them difficult for drivers to see, especially if they are standing between parked cars on the side of the road.
· Young children are often unable to judge distances and vehicle speeds accurately, so they can easily misjudge whether it is safe to cross a street.
· Parents can overestimate their child’s ability to cross the street. Many elementary school-age children don’t understand traffic signals or how to anticipate a driver’s actions.
· Drivers and child pedestrians each assume (incorrectly) that the other will yield the right-of-way.

The personal injury law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen handles pedestrian accidents and accidents involving minors. If you have a child who has been injured or killed in a pedestrian-related traffic accident, please contact Lebowitz and Mzhen for a free consultation.

Child, 7, Struck By Vehicle in Southeast, wtop.com, Oct 3, 2006

Traffic Safety Facts, 2005, NHTSA (PDF)

Child Pedestrian Safety, CDC.gov

Related Web Resources:

Pedestrian Safety Tips, Safekids.org

Facts About Injuries To Child Pedestrians, (PDF)