By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Tragedy can take place in a matter of seconds . . . . This is especially true with children in day care centers. When children are arriving or departing the school in car pool, pick up, or drop off areas, children are at risk for personal injuries. Unfortunately, some children suffer serious personal injuries and even die at or near day care center during pick up or drop off time periods. It was reported in Omaha, Nebraska that a 2 year old child – Maximiliano Delgado-Morales was hit by a truck when he ran into traffic. Max was a enrolled in the Next Generation Child Care and Pre-School. For more information, see Child Hit Outside of Omaha Nebraska Day Care Center.
In South Carolina and other states, parents rely on babysitters,schools, and day care centers to supervise their children when parents are working or otherwise unable to be with their children. In most instances, the babysitter is diligent and conscientious. The children are well cared for and they are kept safe and free from dangers. Unfortunately, at times, children are put at risk for serious personal injuries or medical complications when a babysitter uses poor judgment or tries to take short cuts when babysitting or supervising children. In Horry County, South Carolina, it was reported that a babysitter gave a 4 year old Xanax. The child was given this medication in an attempt to ge the child to nap / sleep on New Year’s Eve.
In Omaha, Nebraska, a family and community are now grieving the death of a 2 year old boy who was hit by a truck near the day care center (Next Generation Child Care) that he was attending. It was reported that Maximiliano Delgado-Morales was hit by a 1998 Chervolet pick up truck. The mother of Maximiliano arrived at the day care center to pick up her son. It was reported that Maximiliano ran into 36th Street and then was hit by the truck. For more information regarding this incident, see 
In West Virginia, a tragic incident was reported involving a 4 year old child. While at a James Madison University (JMU) basketball game, a 4 year old child sustained a head injury after falling approximately 10 feet at the Convocation Center. The incident took place in the bleacher section of the center. Harrisonburg Fire Rescue as well as officials from the university responded to the scene to render aid and transportation to the child following the personal injury. For more information regarding this incident, see 
In Walkertown, North Carolina, a 6 year old boy (Mason Kenerly) fell 25 feet in a well. The incident took place in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Fortunately, the child was rescued from the well and was able to return home to his family. In many instances, the child is not so lucky to get rescued. For more information regarding this story – see 
Scalding injuries continue to take place every year. These injuries can have a life time injuries – physically, emotionally and appearance – for a child. It is estimated that about one million Americans suffer burn related injuries on an annual basis. Over three thousand people die every year from burn related injuries. For children, it has been reported that the primary mechanism of a burn injury is from scalding water. Tragically, many of these children suffer significant personal injuries and some even die as a result of the injuries.
Now that the holiday season is over – – – children will be busy playing with the toys, bikes, skateboards, and other items that they received in December. While these items can occupy the time of a child, entertain them, and help them be active – these items can also be the cause, in part, of injuries to children. As reported by Safe Kids USA, speed and small parts are included as the causes for toy related injuries. Emergency room visits take place due, in part, to accidents while a child is riding a tricycle, bicycle, or scooter. While the only way to avoid every single injury is to avoid these items and activities – this is not realistic or sensible; however, there are safety measures that a child can take under the guidance and supervision of a parent, babysitter, school, day care center, or other responsible adult. Training and instruction can go a long way to prevent injuries. Make sure that the child understands the mechanism of the toy or bike and that he has lots of practice before taking longer rides or riding faster. It has been reported that 150,000 children are seen in emergency rooms every year due to toy related injuries. Of these injuries, approximately 1/3 of the injuries resulted from riding toys like a tricycle or scooter. Between the years of 1990 to 2009, almost 200 children have died due to choking related injuries caused by small toy parts. For more information on this topic – See 
In New York and other States, wrongful death cases are filed to pursue damages / compensation for the death of a child. In Oyster Bay Town / Nassau County, it was reported that Oleksandr Safronov, age 15, dies when he was hit and killed by an automobile as he was skateboarding in Syosset, New York. The New York wrongful death lawsuit alleged, in part, Oyster Bay Town and Nassau County were negligent in their maintenance of the sidewalk area. In particular, the lawsuit / complaint alleged that the sidewalk was “impassable” which, in turn, caused Oleksandr to ride his skateboard into the street. See