By Andrew Prine, Attorney David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
The University of Michigan released a survey on Monday that revealed parents of school and youth athletes are highly unaware of the risks associated with sports-related concussions. However, these same parents support policies to minimize the dangers of concussions. Almost two-thirds of parents of athletes ages 12-17 worry their children will suffer from a concussion, but fewer than 1 in 10 have read or are knowledgeable about the topic. Most alarming, was that 50% or more parents said they knew other parents or coaches would place a child back into activity soon after suffering from a concussion.
With summer officially here, outdoor activities are on the rise. CBS news correspondent, Susan Koeppen, conducted an investigation on children usage of adult-sized, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stated in the month of April, ATVs were the cause of 40 deaths, 12 of those deaths were children under 16-years-old. In May, 13 children under 16 were killed and the death rate is expected to increase as the summer continues.
A USA Today published an interesting article about the increase of teenage vehicle accidents during the summer months. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Admission, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the deadliest for drivers ages 15-20. Traffic safety experts state that the increase in youth fatality rates during this time period is due to youths having more free time and less parental supervision, more opportunities to drive at night and relaxed curfews.
Telegraph.co.uk published an article recently about child booster seats to kick off child safety week in the United Kingdom. The article focused on a survey conducted by Which? magazine. Which? surveyed more than 1,000 parents of children aged between 4 and 12; these children are required by law to use a child car seat.
Iowa’s motorcycle laws have a loophole that permits children, some barely toddlers, to legally ride a motorcycle without helmets. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Iowa, Illinois and New Hampshire are the only 3 states in the nation that do not have helmet laws, even to protect their youngest residents. The Iowa Department of Transportation revealed that at least one child under 14-years-old and 17 children under 24-years-old have died in motorcycle crashes since 2007. So far, at least 13 people have been killed this year and others have been severely injured, including one man whose legs were severed upon impact. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, helmets are 37% effective at preventing deaths in motorcycle accidents and 67% effective at preventing brain injuries. The group also estimated a total of 1,829 lives saved by helmets since 2009 and an additional 823 lives would have been saved had the drivers been wearing helmets. Motorcyclists who are involved in crashes and are not wearing a helmet are 3 times more likely to sustain brain injuries than those motorcyclists who do wear helmets, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Michigan Supreme Court handed down a decision that may have an effect on businesses and schools within the state that offer recreational activities for minors. The Supreme Court of Michigan ruled that a parent’s signature on an injury waiver does not waive the legal rights of a child who is hurt at play. Essentially, a parental signature on behalf of a child binds the child to the contract. The Michigan Supreme Court said that parents do not have the authority to do such. The court’s decision reasoned that Michigan’s common law prevented a parent from entering into a contract restricting the rights of a child.
A 3-year-old girl was struck by line drive ball at a Dodgers baseball games. The ball was hit by Dodgers player Russell Martin during batting practice at Dodger Stadium. The child sustained a skull fracture from the line drive and was rushed to the first-aid station by her father. According to the Associated Press, a Dodgers spokesperson said the girl was scheduled for surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, her injuries were not life threatening. Martin expressed sympathy and concern for the child and offered to pay for the medical expenses. To read more about this accident see 
The recent pool drowning of a five-year-old boy in Springfield, Missouri should prompt parents, child care providers, babysitters, and others to be on high alert when watching their children at the pool. Safe Kids USA, a nationwide network that works to prevent unintentional child injury, estimates that drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death to children ages 1-14; 900 child deaths occur each year. A coordinator from Safe Kids, Daphne Greenlee, stated the most effective way to prevent your child from sustaining these types of injuries is to keep at watchful eye on them at all time – no talking on the cell phone, reading, or sunbathing. A Safe Kids report revealed the main cause of drowning was lack of attention on behalf of the supervising adults. Greenlee also suggested the “buddy system” as another way to prevent child drowning-related accidents. If a child is in the water he or she should always be with a buddy, whether it is an adult of another child. The buddy should know the rules of the pool such as no running around the pool and where the permissible diving areas are located.
A 14-year-old Greencastle, Indiana boy may have avoided serious injury after he collided with a vehicle late afternoon on June 7. The Greencastle Police report stated the 14-year-old was riding his bike when he crossed the driver of the vehicle, Glenn K. Hollis’, path. According to the police report, the child came into contact with the front driver side fender of Hollis’ 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, was thrown from the bicycle, and struck his head on the windshield causing him to fall to the ground. The child was then rushed to the Putman County Hospital in an ambulance where he was treated for a head injury. Greencastle Police Department Chief Thom Sutherlin stated he believed the child was treated for minor injuries and was kept overnight in the hospital for observation reasons. Sutherlin said Hollis was not cited for the accident. You can read more about this accident at 
Judy Alvis Harper, 60, former owner of the Palmer-Leigh Small World Day Care Centerin Greensboro, North Carolina, will spend a minimum of 16 months in jail for the death of 16-month-old, Jackson Edmonds. Edmonds died of hyperthermia last March after Harper left the child in a car in the drive way of the day care center. North Carolina State officials closed the day care center the week the death occurred, declaring the day care center to be an unsafe, unhealthy and injurious environment. Harper also received a suspended sentence and supervised probation. You can read more about this incident at