By David Wolf, Attorney and Kurt Sigmund, Legal Assistant
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Florida and other States, iconic yellow school buses can be seen virtually year round on Florida streets, highways, and neighborhoods. At times, the presence and operation of a school bus can slow down traffic and possibly even make you late for work. When you see a yellow school bus on the roadway, keep in mind that the buses transport our community’s most important resource – our children. As such, slow down and drive cautious when you see a yellow school bus.
Children enjoy driving or riding in Go-Karts / Go-Carts in neighborhoods, amusement parks, and other areas. While it can be quite fun to ride in a Go-Kart, it can also be quite dangerous. It is impractical to be able to prevent every injury that could result from the use of Go-Karts / Go-Carts; however, many injuries and incidents could be prevented or lessened from keeping in mind the following:
Children and teens, who have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, fill a wide spectrum. In other words, some children are very functional and attend regular school, communicate well, and even play sports. On the other end of the spectrum are children who are non-communicative and require 24 / 7 care. Then, there are those children with Cerebral Palsy who are between these points on the wide spectrum. For those children with CP who have problems communicating, it may be difficult for parents, caregivers, and medical providers to know or determine if the child is experiencing pain or the extent of pain suffered by the child. A new study conducted in part by Melanie Penner at the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, Cananda, estimated that 1 in 4 children with Cerebral Palsy struggle with pain that ranges from moderate to severe to the point that it limits the activities of the child.
As parents, the safety of a child is a paramount responsibility and duty. Despite our best efforts, children can be injured by the negligent or careless acts of others. In most every community, there are reported automobile accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle accidents. Many reported accidents are quite common like a rear end collision or bad left turn impeding the right of way of another driver. Other incidents may not be as common but still cause serious personal injuries. For instance, some children are injured when a vehicle drives over a curb and onto a sidewalk. There have also been accidents reported in which a driver crashes into a building or into a school. In most instances, a child is quite safe walking on a sidewalk along the side of a parent or other responsible adults. However, a child can be seriously injured when these not so common accidents take place. Certainly, most of these accidents are neither expected or predictable by the parent. As such, no action on the part of the parent could reasonably avoid the accident or injuries.
In Florida and other States, children enjoy riding their bicycles out in the fresh air. It provides exercise and some independence for them. Children love to ride to school, a friend’s house, or even the store. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), America has approximately 33 million riders. See more 
Is there a legal case of a day care center failed to notify a parent of an injury and timely fashion? Day care centers at the duty to Carrigan supervise the children enrolled in the program. Under most state day care regulations, there are provisions in the day care center rules that require the facility to kindly notify a parent when there is injury and illness of the child. Often times I am asked, as a Child Injury Lawyer, if the failure to notify a parent of an illness or injury can the the basis of a case or claim to bring against the day care center. It is very important that day care centers following the state mandated rules and regulations as well as the facilitity’s own policies and procedures. As such, a day care center should timely notify the parents when there is an incident or injury involving the child; however the failure to timely notify the parent of an incident or injury does not necessarily form the basis of a viable civil claim or case against the day care center by the parent seeking compensation for the negligent or bad conduct by the day care center. There are essentially four elements to a day care center claim or case as follows:
In the State of Washington and other States, children are the unfortunate victims suffering from personal injuries as a result of an automobile accident, pedestrian accident, trucking accident, or bicycle accident. When a child suffers personal injuries from an automobile accident or these other accidents, a parent is often faced with the challenges of getting medical bills paid and treatment in place. Furthermore, when a child is injured as a result of the fault of another person, the child is entitled to pain and suffering compensation related to the injuries caused by the accident. It is important for a parent to consult with a Washington Child Injury Lawyer when dealing with these issues and the other insurance and legal issues that arise in these cases. It should be noted that Washington law requires that vehicle owners carry a minimum of $25,000 in Bodily Injury liability insurance. This coverage can provide compensation to the injury victim for medical bills, pain, suffering, and other damages. There are other forms of insurance available in the State of Washington but these coverages are optional. These include Medical Payment Coverage, PIP (Personal Injury Protection) Coverage, and Uninsured Motorist Coverage. While Bodily Injury Coverage is required under Washington Law, many vehicle owners allow the coverage to lapse or otherwise fail to secure and maintain the required insurance in the State of Washington.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is launching a new rating system for day care centers in the State of Georgia. It is estimated that there are 6000 or so day care centers in Georgia. About 25 % of these day care centers are enrolled to participate in the Three Star Child Care Rating System that will go live in July 1, 2013. It will take some time to get the 1200 or so day care centers properly rated, evaluated, and listed online to provide information to parents considering their day care / child care options in the State of Georgia. Since the Three Star Rating system is voluntary, there are many very good day care center as well many bad ones that may have no rating at all. Furthermore, a Three Star Rating may be a good sign that a day care center follows rules and regulations and otherwise generally provides a safe environment for children; however, a parent should still use his or her best judgment, common sense, and due diligence when evaluating or re-evaluating a day care center in the State of Georgia. You can read more about the new Three Star Child Care Rating System at 
Are children with hearing loss more vulnerable to injuries when a school or day care center neglects to install and maintain certain safety features?