child injuries

Published on: May 21, 2019

What are the Risks and Dangers of Trampoline Parks to Children? Research and Legal Rights

In communities throughout the United States, trampoline park businesses are springing up. What seems like a safe, indoor activity can actually be quite a hazard to young children. What makes things worse is that many of these businesses require a release to be signed by parents and guardians for children. Some of the releases are valid; some are not. It depends on the language of the release, circumstances of the incident, and the laws of the state where the trampoline park is located.

In 2017, almost 18,000 people went to the emergency room due to injuries obtained at a trampoline park. The bulk of these injuries are explained by one thing—an unsafe transfer of energy. All the trampolines are connected, so the energy created from bouncing transfers through all the trampolines. When a child bounces, they can be launched higher than anticipated and land back on a surface which could be at a different height than anticipated. This transfer of energy can result in nearly 1,000 pounds of pressure, which can break any bone in a person’s body. There have been at least 6 deaths at trampoline parks since 2012.

Trampoline parks in the United States currently have no federal oversight, so every park is unique. While the majority of the businesses have patrons sign a release waiver, they can be different from park to park. These waivers typically address risks that are inherent to trampoline activities, like a sprained ankle. However, some parks do not even require a waiver. However, just signing a waiver does not always effectively preclude a parent from filing a lawsuit on behalf of the injured child for the personal injuries. In the State of Florida, there exceptions for waivers signed by minors. For minors, those documents may be limited to non-commercial situations, such as charity or school events. Because trampoline parks are for-profit businesses, the waivers provided by them may not be enforceable. If you or your child are injured at a trampoline park, contact an injury attorney for consultation or representation.

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Published on: October 22, 2018

What Are the Legal Rights of a Child Injured at a Restaurant?

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

At most restaurants in New York and throughout the country, children are welcome guests. When operating and managing a restaurant, it is important for the management and staff to pay attention to the needs of children as well as any dangers that may be present to a child that may not be a danger to an adult. At a restaurant, the business has a duty to act in a reasonable and safe manner. If there is a dangerous condition on the premises, the staff has a duty to correct the problem or at least put warning signs / cones around the area of danger. When serving food, it is important that the staff act in a reasonable and safe manner. At times, food is spilled, especially hot food, which, in turn, causes serious injuries to an adult or child customer of the restaurant.

An incident that took place in Queens, New York demonstrates how a brief moment it takes for a nice outing at a restaurant can turn into a tragedy. It was reported that a seventeen-month-old baby sustained severe burns when scalding hot water fell on him at a restaurant after a waiter placed a cup containing hot water on the family’s table. The heat of the water stripped the skin off of a large portion of the baby’s stomach. It also fell onto his arms and legs. Furthermore, news reports indicate that restaurant employees initially tried to get ointment and napkins for the burns, so no one called 911 until over twenty minutes after the injury.

The burn injuries sustained by the little boy in Queens exemplify just one of the many ways that children may sustain injuries in a restaurant. Other common types of injuries to children in restaurants are: bruises and broken bones from falling out of booths, chairs, booster seats, and high chairs; lacerations and cuts from knives left near a child; injuries in play lands, play grounds, or play structures on the property of a restaurant; and slip and fall injuries from unclean surfaces or other hazards in the restaurant.

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Published on: December 8, 2015

What are the Legal Rights and Remedies When a Child Pedestrian Suffers Injuries or Dies When Attempting to Cross a Street?

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

By David Wolf, Attorney and Samantha Vloedman, Law Clerk

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Blog

In Tennessee and other States, children are at risk for serious injuries and even death anytime that they cross a street or are playing near a street. Some children even get hit by a vehicle in a driveway or parking lot.

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Published on: July 11, 2015

What are the Legal Rights of a Child Injured in a Hit and Run Accident? Issues and Challenges to Recovering Compensation

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by the Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Automobile Accident - Crash - Personal Injuries

When a child is injured as a result of a hit-and-run accident, the first and most important thing to do for the child is to obtain medical care and make sure that the child is stabilized care. It can be quite challenging for parents dealing with all the issues in the aftermath of a hit-and-run automobile accident. A number of questions come to mind including the following:

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