child injury lawyer

Published on: December 12, 2014

What if is a Child is Left on a School Bus or Day Care Center Van? Legal Rights of the Child

By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In the State of Washington and other States, schools and day care centers transport our most precious and important passengers – our children. In doing so, the school and day care center drivers have a legal responsibility to drive in a safe manner, obey traffic regulations and signs, and otherwise use their best efforts and judgment to get the children from one place to another. One of the easiest tasks is the responsibility to make sure that all children are removed from the bus at the appropriate stop and certainly by the end of the run. While this is a somewhat simple task, it is one that is commonly overlooked by day care center / school bus drivers and attendants. It certainly requires more that merely checking the rear view mirror or completing a quick glance towards the back of the van or bus. A school bus driver should conduct a visible sweep of the school bus. In other words, a school bus driver should safety park the bus and then get out of his or her seat and walk from the front of the bus or van and look in every seat and aisle all the way to the back and make sure that all children are removed from the bus. It is also a good way to see if any children left any items on the bus like book bags, books, lunches, sports equipment, mobile phones, etc. It is also a good idea to conduct a visible sweep two times for good measure. If there is both a school bus driver and an attendant, then it is recommended by some school and child safety experts that each person (the school bus driver and the attendant) conduct the visible sweep of the bus.

Continue reading →

Published on: December 10, 2014

What Regulations Apply to Arkansas Day Care Centers? What if a Child is Injured at a Day Care Center?

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Legistlators in Arkansas have revised the applicable regulations for day care centers in an attempt to improve the quality of care as well as the enforcement of the same. It has been reported that there are over hundreds of changes to the existing day care center / child care regulations for licensed day care centers in the State of Arkansas. There will be stricter rules for background checks and there will be stricter educational requirements for day care center directors. Education and regulation can go a long way to improving the care and to better protecting children enrolled in a day care center. While regulations are important, they are not always filed or strict enough to bring some day care centers into line. It is important that parents seeking or currently with day care / child care in place also exercise due diligence in investigating and monitoring the day care center. Parents should frequently visit the day care center and also visit at odd hours to make sure that the quality of care is consistent at all times of the day and during all day care related activities. You can read more about the Arkansas Regulations for Day Care Centers at New Regulations Go into Effect for Day Care Centers in Arkansas.

Continue reading →

Published on: December 8, 2014

What Should a Parent Do If a Child is Injured While Riding an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV)?

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) can be great fun for children and adults alike; unfortunately, these same recreational vehicles are the cause or mechanism of thousands upon thousands of personal injuries and, in some instances, the deaths of children. Just because an All Terrain Vehicle seems like great fun – – parents and other adults responsible for the care and well being of children should pay close attention to the statistics out there which show over 100,000 visits to the emergency room due to injuries / deaths attributed to All Terrain Vehicle use and operation. Some States like Pennsylvania have restrictions as age requiremnts for use of ATVs. While laws can help deter dangerous activities by children and dangerous activities permitted by adults, children across the Nation and in Pennsylvania continue to operate All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) without training, licensure, adult supervision, or proper training. There are dangers both when a child operates an ATV and when a child is a passenger of an ATV. At any moment, a child operator or passenger can fall off of an ATV. This can be especially dangerous if the child is not wearing a helmet, the ATV is being operated at a high rate of speed and / or is taking a sharp turn, and when the ATV is being operated on rough terrain or on a street.

Continue reading →

Published on: November 3, 2014

When Halloween Marks the Night of a Tragic Pedestrian Accident – What Should Parents Do?

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Halloween is a wonderful tradition for most children in most neighborhoods. It is a magical night for most who venture out to knock on doors to get free candy. It is a night full of adventure and fun. Unfortunately for some children and their parents, Halloween marks the day / night when tragedy strikes. Despite the fact that Halloween always falls on same day of the year and the fact that Halloween is a well known tradition filled with child pedestrians and trick or trickers, there are still pedestrian accidents, personal injuries, and even deaths that take place on Halloween. With a long standing tradition of trick or treaters, Halloween is a magical night but also a very dangerous one. It can be quite a challenge to drive a vehicle in any residential or commercial area on Halloween night. It is important to drive with the utmost of caution. Drivers should not just obey the speed limits and local traffic regulations. Drivers should drive well below the speed limits and be on the look out for children.

Continue reading →