Category Archives: Child Injuries

Protecting Your Child From Playground Concussions

Posted on by

Child Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Child Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Parents want nothing more than the best for their children, and will go to great lengths to protect them from harm. So when it comes to head injuries, most parents consider the potential risk when signing their kids up for contact sports like football, soccer, and baseball. But many forget that playgrounds are also danger-zone for serious head injuries and concussion accidents. According to a new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), more than 20,000 kids under 14 years old suffer a traumatic head or brain injury on playgrounds, EVERY YEAR. With astonishing numbers like these, it is important to regard playgrounds as areas that require adult supervision.

Proper adult supervision reduces risky or unsafe child behaviors, as well as, improve equipment maintenance, playground surfaces, and their surrounding environments. Keeping an eye on our local playgrounds while attentively supervising children at play will help to reduce the risk of playground accidents and head injuries. Continue reading to learn more about protecting your child from traumatic playground head injuries, and what rights you have to compensation as a parent of an injured child.

Playground Concussion Accidents

There are two pieces of equipment on playgrounds that seem to be commonly associated with head injuries, and those are monkey bars and swing sets. These classic activities are fun when done safely, but many kids like to experiment and test their limits. Adult supervision can control risky child behaviors like these, and help to reduce the chances of a serious injury or accident.

Child Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Child Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

However, in the case that playground equipment is poorly designed or constructed, it is difficult to prevent an accident even with safe behaviors. When this happens, parents want to know if they can sue if their child was injured on a playground. The answer is: “Quite possibly, but it depends.” Manufacturers of playground equipment have a duty of care to ensure their products are safe for play, which is why such companies can be held strictly liable if children are injured as a result of a product defect.

If your child was hurt on a playground as a result of defective equipment, it is strongly encouraged to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to assess your accident and determine if you are entitled to compensation for your damages and losses. You could recover compensation for your child’s hospital bills, medical expenses, pain, suffering, and more.

Indianapolis Child Injury Attorneys

Personal Injury Attorney Indianapolis

Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Call the law office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to file a claim child injury claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. Seasoned personal injury lawyers, Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek retain extensive trial and litigation experience. They will fight for your child’s rights following a serious head injury or playground accident. They offer free initial consultations to discuss your claim, and never collect lawyer fees unless they win your settlement. Call 317-881-2700 to schedule your consultation with an Indianapolis child injury attorney, today.

Can a Property Owner Be Held Liable for Injuries to a Trespassing Child?

Posted on by

Premise Liability Claims 317-881-2700

Premise Liability Claims 317-881-2700

Children are filled with curiosity and liveliness, two highly influential factors to their growth and development. But sometimes curiosity and spirit can initiate boldness, which can get children into trouble; trouble, at the most unfortunate times, being injury or harm. If a child were to trespass onto another person’s property and injure themselves, who would be responsible for their injuries and subsequent losses? Are there are certain laws in place to protect them and their families in this type of situation? Continue reading for answers to these child injury premise liability inquires and more.

Common Principles of Premise Liability

Premise liability is the legal principle that holds property owners, occupiers, and even renters accountable for any injuries or harm sustained by another person on their premises. These cases are ruled by the notion of negligence, and whether or not the owner or occupier demonstrated such negligence that caused unintentional harm to another person. A property owner has a certain duty of care to take reasonable action to maintain safe and hazard-free premises. But if a person trespasses onto anothers property and sustains an injury, the property owner is not liable. In the past, even child trespassers injured on private property were owed no duty of care by the premise owners. Modernly, this is not the case anymore.

The Attractive Nuisance Ordinance

If something is so enticing to a child that it motivates them to enter onto another person’s property, it is considered an attractive nuisance. Things like trampolines, swimming pools, tree houses, ponds, creeks, boat docks, construction equipment, heavy machinery, power tools, holes, wells, tunnels, exotic animals, staircases, junk cars, lumber piles, fire pits, sand dunes, low roof tops, and more are examples of attractive nuisances. Under modern law, property owners must retain a duty of care by keeping safe premises in the case of trespassing children. This is called the attractive nuisance ordinance, and is an exception to premise liability law.

Premise Liability Claims 317-881-2700

Premise Liability Claims 317-881-2700

Since modern law no longer expects children to understand what it means to trespass, and not appreciate the dangers it could involve, property owners have a special legal responsibility to make sure their premise is safe for kids that might enter their property unexpectedly. Property owners and occupiers are legally obligated to practice this special responsibility if they believe their premises might attract the interest of children, and is accessible by children.

If property owners, occupiers, or renters fail to meet this duty of care, they can be held liable for any injuries sustained on their property to children. Of course, courts also take into consideration a child’s age and intellectual capacity in order to determine whether or not they could understand the potential risk of injury on a person’s property. For example, if a person is digging an open pit in their backyard for a new swimming pool and hangs a sign that says “DANGER DO NOT ENTER”, they can still be held liable if a young child who cannot read enters their property and falls into the pit. On the other end of the spectrum, if a teenager with no mental handicaps enters the same property and sustains injuries, the owners may not be held liable for their damages.

For more details about attractive nuisances, premise liability, and child injury claims, consult a personal injury lawyer for trusted information and advice.

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to set up a free initial consultation with a child injury lawyer in Indianapolis, IN today. Personal injury attorneys, Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek have extensive trial and litigation experience in premise liability and child injury cases. We offer free initial consultations and never charge lawyer fees unless we win your settlement. Call 317-881-2700 today for more information about child injury claims and premise liability in Indiana.

Tips for Childproofing Dangerous Areas of a Home

Posted on by

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Whether you are new to parenting, or you are interested in taking on some babysitting jobs from within your own house, it is important to know which areas of a home to childproof. Common sense will tell anyone to put up baby gates and install electrical outlet covers for curious fingers; but what about the other danger-zones of a home? There are a few areas of a home that can be extremely dangerous to children and toddlers, and should be properly child-proofed for security and safety.

Continue reading to learn the most important areas of a home to childproof, and who to call if your child was recently injured as a result of a negligent care-giver or babysitter.

Living Room

In order to properly childproof a living room or family space, it is important to consider all the areas within that space that are potentially dangerous to toddlers and young children. For example, babies are often intrigued by anything that dangles. This includes pulleys for curtains and blinds. Several toddlers are injured or killed each year from strangulation of blind cords and curtain strings. To prevent this from happening, install a cord-shortener or wind-up tab for strings like these. Here are some more tips that many parents overlook:

• Bolt, Strap, or Secure Top-Heavy Furniture to the Ground or Wall (i.e. bookcases, television sets, etc.)
• Avoid Pressure-Mounted Baby Gates; Use Hardware-Mounted gates for Tops and Bottoms of Stairwells
• Install Rubber Pads on Sharp Corners of Tables, Furniture, and Counters
• Install Electrical Outlet Covers
• Keep Carpets and Floors Vacuumed and Swept at All Times

Kitchen

More than 10 million children each year are admitted to emergency rooms for kitchen related injuries and accidents. When it comes to childproofing kitchens, the same precautions and preventative maintenance apply, but in different areas. Like the living room and family areas, it is wise to bolt or secure top-heavy furniture and appliances so they do not tip over and fall on top of a small child. Baby gates are also a responsible solution for kitchen safety for babies. Use them to shut off access to certain parts of a kitchen, like stairs, railings, and china cabinets. Here are some additional danger-zones to childproof in a kitchen:

• Install Childproof Locks to Stove, Refrigerator, Dishwasher, and Other Kitchen Appliances
• Install Childproof Locks on Kitchen Cabinets
• Lock Up All Cleaning Solutions, Chemicals, and Detergents
• Keep Medicine, Batteries, and Other Hazardous Items in Upper Cabinets
• Install Stove Shields to Prevent Boiling Water Run-Off and Hot Food Splatter
• Install Rubber Corners on Countertops and Sharp Baseboards
• Keep Kitchen Floors Swept and Sanitized at All Times

Bathroom

Just like the living areas and kitchen, the bathroom should be childproofed as well. There are several dangerous items and areas that can cause fatalities and serious injuries to children. Of course electrical outlets should be covered and protected, but there is more to childproofing a bathroom than this. Be sure to dot your “i’s” and cross your “t’s” when it comes to these additional childproofing tips for bathrooms:

• Install GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) Outlets Near Sinks and Other Plumbing Fixtures
• Install a Childproof Lock or Latch on Toilet Seats
• Decrease your Home’s Hot Water Temperature Capacity to Below 120 Degrees to Prevent Scalds and Burn Accidents
• Lock Up All Cleaning Solutions, Chemicals, and Detergents
• Install Childproof Locks on Bathroom Cabinets
• Keep Floors Swept and Free of Debris
• Remove All Bathtub Accessories that Could Be Choking or Health Hazards (i.e. loofas, bath salts, razors, towels, etc.)

Backyard

Pool and patio safety should be your number one concern when it comes to childproofing a backyard. Too many drowning and falling accidents occur to young children as a result of poor childproofing. Here are the most important considerations for a childproof backyard:

• Install a Fence Around Pool Decks that Locks
• Install a Durable Pool Cover Along With Drain Covers to Prevent Entrapment
• Empty Kiddie Pools When Not in Use and Always Use Fresh Water for Each Use
• Install Netting in Between Patio Railings and Siding to Prevent Falls
• Know the Plants in Your Yard and Remove Anything Poisonous

If you child was recently injured as a result of poor childproofing in another’s care, contact an Indianapolis Child Injury Lawyer for information about filing a claim. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages. Exemplary damages include lost wages, medical expenses, hospital bills, wrongful death, pain, suffering, loss of love or companionship, mental anguish, prolonged rehabilitation, funeral expenses, and much more.

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to learn more about filing a child injury lawsuit in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorney, Daniel Craven, is a seasoned personal injury lawyer with decades of litigation and trial experience. He and our professional legal teams are eager to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve after your child was injured or taken in an accident. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we win your settlement. Call 317-881-2700 and schedule an appointment with an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer you can trust, today.

E-Cigarettes and Nicotine Poisoning

Posted on by

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

This year alone, Poison Control has received more than 2,500 reports of nicotine poisoning. The worst part is that more than 50% of those reports were children under the age of six! This is an evident increase in nicotine poisoning, largely related to the introduction of electronic cigarettes to the market. This means several people are switching to the liquid nicotine options, and bringing them into their homes with small children.

Liquid nicotine can be quickly absorbed through the skin, putting children and other innocent stand-byers at a higher risk of poisoning. Continue reading to learn more about the dangers of e-cigarette and nicotine poisoning, and who to call for questions about filing a product liability lawsuit in your state.

E-Cigarette Poisoning

The first problem with E-cigarettes is that the warning label is insufficient. It is heavily overshadowed by all the publicized benefits of liquid nicotine. Liquid nicotine manufacturers generally operate with little to no federal oversight. This is another reason that has led to the undeniable increase of unintentional nicotine poisoning in kids. Keep in mind that any product that is improperly labeled, or whose labels are misleading and deceptive, may be grounds for a lawsuit; especially if someone were injured or killed as a result of the product. This is a situation that calls for a licensed Indianapolis product liability attorney or personal injury lawyer. Over-exposure to liquid nicotine, or nicotine poisoning, can cause several health complications, injury, and even death.

Common Signs of Nicotine Poisoning Include:

• Vomiting
• Accelerated Heartbeat
• Mental Confusion
• Heightened Agitation
• Convulsions
• Seizures
• Irregular Heartbeat
• Rapidly Changing Blood Pressure
• Death
• And More

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Another danger associated with nicotine poisoning and E-cigarettes involves the flavorful tastes and scents intended to attract more adult smokers. This, unfortunately, can trigger a child’s curiosity and evoke them to try a puff or two, or more, to see what it tastes like. The smells, scents, and flavors of electronic cigarettes poses a real threat to children, enticing them to smoke and believing it is healthier or okay. It also entices children to want to smell the smoke and be around it more, putting them at higher risk for overexposure and poisoning.

Although it may seem like electronic cigarette smoking is the answer to a healthy alternative to regular cigarettes, the truth is that they still contain nicotine, which is a dangerous chemical; especially to young children. Keep this in mind next time you or someone you love puffs on an e-cigarette in the presence of a child or baby. If your child, or another child you know, has been over-exposed to nicotine from e-cigarettes, please contact a local personal injury attorney right away. You, or they, may be entitled to legal compensation for damages resulting from a product defect or liability.

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call 317-881-2700 to learn more about product liability injuries and lawsuits in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorney, Daniel Craven, is eager to answer your questions about filing a personal injury claim, product liability lawsuits, and more. He is a seasoned personal injury lawyer with decades of trial and litigation experience. Call and schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your personal injury accident and determine your eligibility for remuneration. We never collect lawyer fees unless we win your case. Call 317-881-2700 for personal injury legal services in Indianapolis, IN today.

How Do I File a Personal Injury Claim for My Child?

Posted on by

Child Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Child Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Nothing is more horrific than seeing a child in pain, especially when he or she is your own. As parents and guardians, we try our best to protect the most precious things in our lives; however, children are bound to get hurt every so often no matter how hard we attempt to prevent it. Even though it is gut-wrenching and vastly upsetting when your child is injured, fortunately they have rights under the law and you can do something about it.

Most states provide laws that give children virtually the same rights to compensation as they do adults for accidents that involve personal injury. Although these laws differ from state to state, children injured negligently in accidents can pursue compensation for pain, suffering, permanent disability, and more. Parents can also be eligible for remuneration for medical bills and related expenses on the child’s behalf.

Under law, parents and legal guardians are permitted to negotiate or file on behalf of their children as well. If your child or minor under the age of 18 has been hurt in an accident caused by the negligence of another or a product, call a personal injury attorney right away to see if you are eligible for compensation. Continue reading to learn how children injury lawsuits differ from adult lawsuits, and how to file a claim for your injured child.

Child Injury Lawsuits

When the law considers a child in an accident case, they recognize that children lack the mature judgment that adults typically retain. Because of this assumption, the law provides a separate set of rules and requirements when it comes to filing a personal injury claim for children. If you are already familiar with how to file a personal injury claim for an adult, then you are almost fully aware of how a child injury claim carries out. Some chief questions to ask yourself ahead of time include, “Why Did My Child Get Hurt?” “How Did My Child’s Injury Happen?” “Who Was Responsible for My Child When He or She was Injured?” and “Could the Accident Have Been Prevented?” When it comes to filing a personal injury claim for children, be aware of the significant differences in the law. Here are the major differences to lookout for:

Statutes of Limitations

There is a set time period in which a person has the right to file a valid personal injury claim once their accident or injury has occurred. For adults it is a short time frame than it is for children. Although a parent or guardian has more time to file for their children in comparison to an adult filing for themselves, each case is different and is likely to vary. It’s important to consult a licensed and experienced Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorney for specifics surrounding these variances and limitations.

Settlements

In child injury cases, it is mandated that courts must approve all settlements. Children injury lawsuits are complicated, so courts use a comprehensive and prudent approach when overseeing them. Needless to say, they supervise these types of cases very carefully. The reason has to do with looking out for the best interests of the child, or the accused party.

Courts are aware that rewarded compensation can potentially be misspent by parents or guardians. This is why they make sure any remuneration for a minor’s injuries are put into a safe investment or account until they reach adulthood. Once a kid turns 18, he or she is given full access to their money. Other times, these kind of settlements are handed out in structured balances so that a young adult cannot spend it all at once.

A child is prone to a plethora of injuries and harm; including day care injuries, car accidents, playground accidents, and more. Be sure you are aware of your rights as a parent of an injured child, as well as, the rights your child has as an injured victim. Call an Indianapolis Child Injury Law Firm for professional legal counsel to file a personal injury claim following a negligent accident.

Indianapolis Child Accident Lawyers

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. can recover compensation for your child’s injuries, pain, suffering, and more. Call Attorney Keith Blazek, an accomplished Indianapolis child injury attorney, at 317-881-2700 for more information about filing a claim on your child’s behalf. In order to fight for your minor’s rights, you must first enlist the services of a skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer. Keith and his partners are the professional child accident lawyers that can win you the compensation your family deserves. You can schedule a free initial consultation to assess your child’s case and determine their eligibility for recompense. Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to speak with a friendly legal representative about filing a child injury claim in Indianapolis, IN or its nearby counties.