Children Most Susceptible to Serious Head Injuries as Outdoor Summertime Fun Nears
May 12, 2011
Zephyrhills, FL (Law Firm Newswire) May 12, 2011 – With the warm months of summertime quickly approaching, kids are bound to be outside playing with friends and running around. Climbing in trees, bouncing on trampolines and having contests are what being a kid is all about. But without supervision or some rules, kids can become victims of slip and fall injuries.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that an estimated half a million hospital visits are made for head injuries by children 14 years old and below. Slip and fall accidents account for 50 percent of the cases. And children from zero to four years old and teens from 15 to 19 years old are the most susceptible to these traumatic brain injuries.
“Kids should have fun and enjoy their friends and the outdoors,” said Robert Alston, Zephyrhills injury attorney at Alston & Baker. “Your duty as a parent is to prevent these accidents as much as possible – actively look out for dangers in and around your house and ask your child about the games or activities they are doing at a friend’s home.”
Parents can do everything to ensure their home and property is safe, but the same cannot be said of public places. Alston has dealt with cases of unsafe retail shops, restaurants, sidewalks and more, and knows that it sometimes takes legal action to rectify these perils. Hazardous conditions can lead to severe head trauma and cause seizures, neurological defects and sometimes death.
The Florida-based Traumatic Brain Injury Resource and Support Center advises parents to seek medical attention if their child has the following symptoms:
- very sleepy or hard to wake up
- unable to focus the eyes normally, loss of smell and taste
- difficulty walking
- vomits multiple times after hitting head
- seizures
- head, neck or back pain
- difficulties with memory, processing information, paying attention
- anxiety and egocentric behaviors
“When your child is trying to recover, the last thing you need to do is try to fight the legal and insurance issues on your own,” said Alston. “Legal counsel is critical in protecting your child’s and your family’s right to adequate compensation and medical care.”
The best advice for prevention of slip and fall accidents for kids is to not leave young kids unsupervised, use baby gates to prevent jumping from stairs, always buckle the kids in shopping carts and high chairs, and have them wear a helmet during sports activities.
The Law Firm of Alston & Baker, P.A. has more than a decade of experience in serious injury law matters. They are known for their tenacity and compassion to efficiently resolve a child’s devastating injuries.
To contact a Zephyrhills accident attorney, Zephyrhills social security lawyer, or Zephyrhills divorce lawyer, visit http://www.alstonbakerlaw.com.
Alston & Baker, PA
5518 Seventh Street
Zephyrhills, Florida 33542
Call: 813-779-8895
Toll-free: 1-888-500-5245
