By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Facebook and the Internet are wonderful tools and toys to play with; however, Facebook and the Internet can also serve as a deadly distraction to parents and child care providers. In Fort Lupton, Colorado, it was a reported that a 13 month old child died in his home’s bathtub while his mother was playing a Facebook game on her laptop computer. Many parents and child care providers do not realize that a child can drown in a small amount of water and in a short period of time. An infant / toddler should not be left alone in a bathtub even for a short period of time. Whether it is the Internet, a telephone call, food cooking, or another distraction, leaving a child alone or unattended in a bath tub can and does cause serious personal injuries and in some instances death. Affidavit: Mother Was on Facebook While Son Drowned.
In Lawrence, Kansas (Douglas County), Richard Gonzalez was convicted of the crimes of
The State of Arizona Child Fatality Review Annual Report is a study that will be reviewed by public health officials, medical providers, child safety advocates, parents, educators, and others to determine modes and methods to prevent and reduce the number of child deaths in the State of Arizona. While it is unrealistic and impractical to prevent all deaths, the study of prior deaths may help the State of Arizona as well as private entities implement safety measures and precautions to prevent future deaths of child. It is estimated that over 30 % of the deaths reported in Arizona in the years of 2008 and 2009 were preventable. Most of the deaths of children ages 15 to 17 were non-medical in cause and nature. Home related deaths included those related to falls, drowning, and sleep environment related deaths.
Many parents are concerned with their child’s growth – many wonder if their child is growing at an average rate. However, many healthy children come in a wide variety and shapes and sizes. Parents should understand that it is acceptable if their child is not the same size as their friend’s children or their other children at comparable ages – children do not grow at steady rates.
A 20-year-old day care worker was recently arrested and charged with cruelty to a juvenile. Alexis Binford was booked into Ouachita Correctional Center after she bit a child under her care at the day care center. In the arrest affidavit, the infant’s father told police his son had a bite mark on his cheek. The report also revealed that Binford texted the mother of the infant admitting she had bit the child, however, Binford claimed she was playing with the child when the incident occurred. According to the director of the day care center, Binford was in a room with multiple children including the infant victim. The oldest child in the room was 1-year-old and had only 2 teeth – the bite marks on the infant’s cheek reveal that his was bit by a person with more than 2 teeth. Although Binford told the child’s mother the incident was an accident, Binford did tell police the child had been crying non-stop, she could not make him stop and thus, felt overwhelmed. There was an incident in November 2010 where Binford’s own child was bit on the ear. Binford told West Monroe police she did not know who did it and denied doing it herself. If you would like to read more on this story please see 
An 8-year-old boy was accidentally shot by his 17-year-old uncle in a supposedly innocent game of cops-and-robbers. The incident occurred in a gated, mobile home community located in Bernalillo County of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Initially the 17-year-old told police that the child accidentally shot himself. Eventually, the uncle came clean explaining to police he, his nephew and a few other minors were playing a game of cops-and-robbers when the gun accidentally went off and shot his nephew in the stomach. The boy was taken to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque where he was rushed into surgery. Deputies stated the doctors expected the boy to live. The 17-year-old was taken into custody and could potentially face some serious criminal charges. Not only the the uncle initially lie to police but he also told the other minors who witnessed the incident to say the boy accidentally shot himself. The 17-year-old also went as far as to hide the gun and shell casing. The range of charges the uncle could face include child abuse, intimidating a witness and tampering with evidence. When the uncle was questioned about where he got the gun, he answered off the streets. If the gun was stolen, he could face additional charges. According to police, no parents were home when the incident occurred.
A day care center has been shut down and its owner arrested in Omaha, Nebraska. Sandra Johnson, also known as Sandra Minor, was arrested for felony child abuse. An emergency order was issued to Johnson (Minor), which immediately suspended her license as a child care provider and, ultimately, shut down her day care center. The emergency order was issued after police were called to Creighton University Medical Center. After the officers arrived, hospital staff advised them that an 11-month-old was being treated for a broken arm. Police then talked with the child’s mother who told police that she believed the incident could have happened at her child’s day care center.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, CBS News Now 8 covered the important topic of video surveillance in day care centers and other safety measures in place at Las Vegas day care centers. The report was in response to an arrest of a day care worker on abuse charges. While the abuse charges / allegations from incidents did not take place at a day care center or to day care center students, the fact that a day care worker was arrested for child abuse related charges is quite unsettling. What assurance does a parent have that a child is safe in a day care center? What precautions are taken to protect a child in a day care center? Are criminal background checks completed for all employees of the day care center? While criminal background checks are required by Nevada State law, a person, who does not have a criminal record, will be permitted to work at a day care centers. Thousands if not millions of child predators in the United States do not have a criminal record because they have never been caught.
In McCormick, South Carolina, a family and community are mourning the tragic and most unexpected death of a 9 year old girl. It was reported that Kristen Dutton was attacked by an Akita dog that was purchased just three weeks before the incident by the girl’s grandfather. The Japanese Akita was quite a large dog and weighed in at 98 pounds. The dog bit the girl in the neck and she died from these dog bite related personal injuries at a local hospital. The incident took place outside when Kristen was alone with the dog. It was reported that the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control would pick up the dog to euthanize it. See