The unfortunate truth is that everyday, across the United States, children are injured in a variety of different accidents that cause them severe injury.  Many of these injuries could have been prevented if simple measures were taken, or if a responsible adult was properly supervising them. 

The leading cause of death in children over the age of one is some form of trauma; approximately 6,000 children die from some type of accidental injury, and approximately 14,000,000 children are harmed each year from some type of negligence or carelessness. 

Types of Children Injuries

Thankfully, most children do recover more completely, and more quickly than adults do from most injuries; if it is soft-tissue type injury, a child’s ligaments are like “rubber bands” and they snap back in place faster than older people.  However, many injuries and accidents can and will leave traumatic, emotional and physical scars, and that can affect them in great ways.  Children tend to be more resilient when it comes to physical medical recovery, but they can be more prone to lifetime consequences from psychological trauma due to the accident, or from the result of physical injury from an accident.  The following illustrates some examples of what an injury lawyer can see in his or her law practice in regards to child injuries:

  1. Automobile accidents; including “backovers” due to a “blind zone” when a vehicle back ups;

The leading cause of unintentional death in children aged 14 and younger is motor vehicle accidents.  I find that the majority of my injured clients in my law practice under the age of 18 are due to these types of accidents.  Sadly, approximately 50 children are backed over each week in the United States in driveways or parking lots by motorists who did not see them.  In many cases, these injuries and deaths are due to the “blind zone” in the rear of the vehicle.  The blind zone can range from 12 feet to 50 feet, depending on the height of the driver and the type of vehicle. These accidents are known as “backovers” and they account for the most common cause (49.5) of non-traffic fatalities for children aged 15 or younger.

  1. Dog/animal bite injuries;

There are more than 74.8 million dogs in the United States according to a recent survey by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  This same survey also showed that more than 4.7 million people each year are bitten by a dog.  This comes to about 2% of the U.S. population.  Children, are particularly vulnerable and they unfortunately comprise more than 70% of dog bite victims, and, as a consequence, sometimes are the victims of the more serious injuries found by dog bites and animal attacks.  In fact, by the time a child reaches age 12 in the U.S., there is over a 40% percent chance that child has had some sort of negative reaction with a dog or animal.

  1. School accidents and injuries; or unsafe playground equipment;

School or public playground equipment can become unsafe too based on defective design that have been left in a state of disrepair by the owner or the school, or improper padding (not enough wood chips, mulch, or recycled rubber).  Or, it can be due to objects being in the “fall zone” that were not supposed to be there.  Some causes could be due to a day care center not having enough staff supervising the children.   According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 200,000 children are treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms each year for injuries related to playground equipment.  Over 75% occur on public playgrounds as opposed to school playgrounds.  The most serious injuries involve falls or strangulation.  Some causes could be due to a day care center not having enough staff supervising the children.

Mark C. Blane is a San Diego Child Injury/Accident Attorney and the managing lawyer of the Law Offices of Mark C. Blane, a San Diego, California Personal Injury Law Office dedicated to representing families of minor children injured due to the negligence of others. If you or a loved one, who is a minor child, has been injured or killed in a child accident in San Diego, please order your free copy of Mr. Blane's book, The 10 Secrets You Need To Know About Your Injury Case, BEFORE You Call A Lawyer. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it normally sells for $16.95.  However, it is free to all California residents, or those injured in a California accident.  

Mark Blane
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San Diego Personal Injury Lawyer | California Car Accident Attorney
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