Alpharetta Personal Injury Attorney Blog

Over the last couple of years there have been a number of severe injuries to young children that were caused by toys called Buckyballs. Buckyballs are small but very strong magnetic balls, packaged in groups of 10 to 216 balls, which are intended to be desk toys for adults but are sold in toys stores and have often fallen into the hands of young children. On July 30, 2012 it was reported by the ABA Journal that the Consumer Product Safety Commission had decided to file a federal lawsuit against the manufacturer of these toys to stop their sale which is an unusual move on the part of the CPSC.

The CPSC had asked the manufacturer to recall these magnetic toys because they believe they "pose a grave danger to children." Other groups and many parents have also been calling for the toy to be removed from the marketplace but despite all these efforts Maxfield & Oberton, the manufacturer, has refused to recall them.

What Makes These small Magnetic Toys Dangerous?

It is natural for small children to put things in their mouths and when they do these items are often swallowed. Small items can usually pass through their system and out the other end. So why is there a problem with these very tiny magnets? The danger of swallowing these small magnets is that they stick together because of their powerful magnetic attraction to each other and sections of tissue/intestine get pinched between them. This can cause injury to the stomach and intestines by causing ulceration and/or perforation to the tissues. In some cases it can cause intestinal blockage or twisting of the intestines. Internal injury caused by these small magnetic toys has been responsible for serious injury to a number of small children over the past few years. Some of these children became severely ill with pain and infections and required hospitalization and surgery to remove the magnets, repair the internal injuries, and treat the infections which in some cases were life threatening.

Pediatric Society 2012 Survey On Magnet Ingestions

The North American Society For Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatolory & Nutrition estimates that half of the magnet ingestions by children requires surgery and about a third involve bowl perforations. Among a survey of just their members in spring 2012 which covered cases over the last 2 years, it was reported there were 60 magnet ingestions which caused 23 bowel perforations and required 26 surgeries.

A 22 month old toddler from Mississippi had an encounter with Buckyballs that resulted in a life changing injury. After extensive medical treatment and 3 surgeries he has been left with only 4-6 inches of healthy small intestine after a large area of dead bowl had to be removed. He must now receive his nutrition intravenously and will likely need a future intestinal transplant in order to eat normally again. Cases of serious injury caused by Buckyballs and other dangerous products happen every year in the United States. When serious injury occurs, victims of dangerous products can be sent scrambling for help from personal injury attorneys to get help in obtaining compensation for all of the medical bills and pain & suffering.

Continue reading "CPSC Suing Manufacturer Of Buckyballs Adult Toys Causing Product Liability And Endangering Young Children" »

As a new school year begins, one thing parents and caregivers can do to help protect children who ride the bus is to help them know and understand simple bus safety rules. Some of these simple rules listed in an article by The Family Education Network, from the National PTA, can go a long way in helping to prevent accident injuries on the bus when we teach our children to:

• Be at the bus stop on time
• Never run to or from the bus
• Stand back from the curb or several steps from the roadway
• Wait until the bus has come to a complete stop and the door has opened
• Never push or shove
• Board single file and use the handrail to avoid falls
• Never yell & shout distracting the driver
• Always obey the driver
• Wait after de-boarding & watch for the driver's signal that it's safe to cross in front of the bus
• Always cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus so you are visible to the driver

Concerned Parents can work out a schedule with other parents so there is always at least one parent at the bus stop each day to supervise. We can all be diligent in preparing our children to learn to observe these simple safety rules but despite our best efforts our children can still be exposed to accident injury because of the negligence of others.

There are many instances where distracted drivers have sped past stopped school buses where children were de-boarding, putting children at risk of being hit by a moving car. Speeding drivers hurrying to get to work pass dangerously close to children on the curb or roadway waiting for the school bus. While en-route to school on the bus there is the danger of other drivers who are careless, distracted, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs causing an accident.

Continue reading "Obeying School Bus Safety Rules Can Help Avoid Bus Accident Injuries As The New School Year Begins" »

American Academy Of Pediatrics 2011 Child Passenger Safety Guidelines

The leading cause of deaths in the U.S. for children ages 1 thru 12 are car crashes. Parents and caregivers have been advised for many years now to use car seats and properly belt their children in when traveling in a vehicle. While use of car seats and proper restraints cannot guarantee that children will not suffer any injury in the event of a car accident, they can help reduce or prevent injury in many cases.

An August 8, 2012 article in Time online gave some startling statistics that indicate that many parents are not using car seats properly or know the guidelines for child restraints for older children. The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated child passenger safety guidelines in 2011. Among their recommendations are:

• Rear-facing car seats for infants & toddlers until age 2 unless child exceeds manufacturers maximum height & weight for car seat
• Forward facing car seats with a 5 point harness for kids over 2 unless child exceeds manufacturers maximum height & weight for car seat
• Use of booster seats until the child fits an adult seatbelt properly - usually at 57 inches in height (between 8 & 12 years of age)
• Children ride in the back seat using the adult seatbelt until at least 13 years old

New NHTSA Study Reveals Few Parents Are Using Proper Child Restraints

A new study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) based on data collected between 2007 thru 2009 found that during that time period few parents were using proper child restraints in their vehicles. Even though the AAP released the updated safety guidelines in 2011, they do not differ significantly from those previously issued. Some of the findings from NHTSA's study show that as little as 3% of infants & toddlers sat in rear-facing child seats, only 2% of children older than 7 were using booster seats, older children were less likely to be using any restraints, and older children were more likely to ride in the front seat.

Continue reading "Children At Greater Risk For Injury In Car Accidents When Improper Car Seats & Restraints Are Used " »