In September of 2009, CPSC released a report regarding tip-over death and injury cases. The CPSC estimates that in 2006, 16,300 children 5 years old and younger were treated in emergency rooms because of injuries associated with TV, furniture, and appliance tip-overs, and between 2000 and 2006, CPSC staff received reports (pdf) of 134 tip-over related deaths. Additionally, CPSC staff is aware of at least 30 media reports of tip-over deaths since January 2007 involving this same age group.

“We represent parents whose children are injured or killed when an oven, TV, or piece of furniture tips over,” said Attorney Fred Pritzker. “Manufacturers are aware that young children will be living with their products and should take every measure to make sure these tragic accidents do not happen. As product liability attorneys, we are here to hold manufacturers accountable.”

“You may think your home is safe, but everyday things like a television can hurt your child. I was right there and it happened,” said Sylvia Santiago, of Connecticut who lost her two-year old daughter in 2008.

Typically, injuries and deaths occur when children climb onto, fall against, or pull themselves up on television stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks, chests, and appliances. In some cases, televisions placed on top of furniture tip over and cause a child to suffer traumatic and sometimes fatal injuries.

“The most devastating injuries that we see resulting from furniture tipping on children are injuries to the brain and when a child is trapped under a heavy piece of furniture and suffocates,” said Gary Smith, MD, DrPH, Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio.

Recent revisions to the voluntary safety standards for clothes storage units provide for the inclusion of warning labels and additional hardware to secure the furniture to the floor or wall. To help prevent tip-over hazards, CPSC offers the following safety tips:

• Furniture should be stable on its own. For added security, anchor chests or dressers, TV stands, bookcases and entertainment units to the floor or attach them to a wall.
• Place TVs on a sturdy, low-rise base. Avoid flimsy shelves.
• Push the TV as far back as possible.
• Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach, and teach kids not to play with them.
• Keep remote controls and other attractive items off the TV stand so kids won’t be tempted to grab for them and risk knocking the TV over.
• Make sure free-standing ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.

If your child has been injured or killed in an oven, TV or furniture tip-over accident, contact our law firm for a free consultation by calling 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), emailing Attorney Fred Pritzker, or submitting our online contact form.

Labels: head injury, wrongful death

Boat exhaust can be deadly. Please help our law firm prevent terrible tragedies due to carbon monoxide poisoning on boats by passing along the following information. If you would like to contact our law firm about a carbon monoxide poisoning case, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation.

An 8-Year-Old Passenger on a Boat
Dies of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

In August of 2009, an 8-year-old girl was sitting on a swim platform on a boat when she passed out and fell into the water. An autopsy revealed that she died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

This was not a freak accident. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in and around boats injures and kills people every year. Our law firm has carbon monoxide poisoning litigation experience.

Facts about Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Boating

• Carbon monoxide symptoms are similar to seasickness or alcohol intoxication;
• CO can affect you whether you're underway, moored, or anchored;
• You cannot see, smell, or taste CO;
• CO can make you sick in seconds. In high enough concentrations, even a few breaths can be fatal;
  
• Carbon monoxide can accumulate anywhere in or around your boat.
  

How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning on a Boat

The United States Coast Guard has provided these steps to help keep carbon monoxide from poisoning you, your passengers, or those around others.

• Know where and how CO may accumulate in and around your boat.
• Maintain fresh air circulation throughout the boat at all times. Run exhaust blowers whenever the generator is operating.
• Know where your engine and generator exhaust outlets are located and keep everyone away these areas.
• Never sit, teak surf, or hang on the back deck or swim platform while the engines are running. Teak surfing is NEVER a safe activity.
• Never enter areas under swim platforms where exhaust outlets are located unless the area has been properly ventilated.
• Although CO can be present without the smell of exhaust fumes, if you smell exhaust fumes,CO is also present. Take immediate action to dissipate these fumes.
• Treat symptoms of seasickness as possible CO poisoning. Get the person into fresh air immediately. Seek medical attention-unless you're sure it's not CO.
• Install and maintain CO alarms inside your boat. Do not ignore any alarm. Replace alarms as recommended by the alarm manufacturer.
• Follow the checklists provided on the United States Coast Guard boat safety website.
• Get a Vessel Safety Check. A VSC is a free bow-to-stern safety examination.

Labels: carbon monoxide poisoning, wrongful death

A swimming pool accident lawsuit is usually based on premises liability, meaning the owner of the pool is liable for injuries or death related to the pool. Often this involves a municipality, school, country club, or fitness center.

However, about about 80% of the drowning fatalities occurring in residential settings, such as the victim’s home, a family or friend’s house or at a neighbor’s residence. When this happens, compensation for injuries and death is sought from the owner's home insurance. If you would like our law firm to represent you in your fight to obtain full and adequate compensation from an insurance company, please contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys.

Two-thirds of pool and spa-related deaths and injuries involve children ages 1-2, and most of those deaths involve drowning or near-drowning. However, from 1999 through 2008, there were 83 reports of pool and spa entrapments, including 11 deaths and 69 injuries. Since 1999, 14% of the reported suction/entrapment incidents at pools or spas were fatal.

Attorney Eric Hageman of our law firm was one of the attorneys who represented Abigail Taylor, a four-year-old who suffered fatal injuries from an evisceration incident in a wading pool, and her family. Abigail suffered for months before dying.

“Preventing child drownings and suction/entrapment incidents should be the top priority of pool owners," stated attorney Eric Hageman, "The Pool and Spa Safety Act went into effect on December 19, 2008 and requires all public pools and spas to have anti-entrapment drain covers, and in certain circumstances, an additional anti-entrapment system. Home owners should also take all measures necessary to ensure their pools are safe."

In addition to using anti-entrapment drain covers, swimming pool owners should use fences and/or other physical barriers, alarms and/or power safety covers over the pool to prevent young children from drowning.

To contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

Labels: swimming pool death, swimming pool injuries, swimming pool safety