Virginia Child Injuries -- The Heartbreaking Facts
As parents, we try to do everything we can to protect our children and keep them safe, yet children are surrounded by items and situations that threaten their safety every day. In fact, just being a child puts them in the high risk group when it comes to suffering unintentional injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
In their latest research, the CDC outlined several injury threats to children that parents and caregivers should know:
• Automobile Accidents
Because motor vehicle injuries again top the list for both number of injuries and fatalities among children (age 0-19), it is the greatest health threat facing children today. In Virginia alone, an average of 262 children per year are killed in motor vehicle accidents.
• Playground Equipment
The playground is a potentially dangerous place for our kids. Lack of supervision, hard or otherwise inappropriate surfaces under the equipment, and defective or deteriorating equipment can spell danger to children who play there. More than 200,000 children under age 15 are treated for playground injuries each year in this country.
• Water Safety
Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under 19, and the leading cause of death of children age 1-4, according to the CDC. Frighteningly, that translates to 3 children per day who drown in the United States. Lack of supervision and inadequate safety equipment are two significant reasons why these numbers are so high.
• Fireworks
Thousands of children are injured by fireworks each year, and one out of three are under the age of 15. Fireworks are extremely dangerous and many children suffer disfigurement, blindness and other serious injuries when playing with them.
• Burns
According to the CDC, 435 children are treated in emergency rooms each day as a result of being burned, and two children per day die of those injuries. While children under age four are more likely to have been burned by fire, children 5-19 are more likely to be burned by hot liquids or steam. Either way, burn injuries can be terribly painful and disfiguring.
• Poison
Most homes and businesses use many chemicals that are poisonous. Other household items can also pose a potential threat to children. Medicines and cleaning supplies, including aerosol sprays, can also be toxic.
• Falls
Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries to children. Every year almost 2.8 million injuries due to falls are treated in emergency rooms across the country. That’s almost 8,000 a day.
There is a common thread that often connects these situations. In many of these cases, injuries or death can be attributed to negligence. In the case of an auto accident, was the other driver negligent, or was there something mechanically wrong with the car that caused the steering or brakes to fail? Did your child fall in the parking garage stairwell because of the poor lighting, or because the maintenance staff left the box of cleaning supplies on the landing? Did a visit to an amusement park leave your child injured and in chronic pain due to the negligence of a ride operator or because of defective or unsafe equipment or facilities?
You can be sure that negligent businesses and individuals -- along with the insurance companies that represent them -- will fight you tooth and nail to defend against any injury claims that are brought against them. But who will fight for you? The attorneys of Davis, Davis, Davis, and Davis help level the playing field if you or your loved one has been seriously injured. We have the knowledge and determination to stand up to the insurance companies so that you get fair and full compensation for your injuries.
Contact Will Davis at The Davis Law Firm today for a free consultation at (540) 483-5221. For over 100 years, we have served Roanoke, Salem, Martinsville, Pulaski, Smyth, Danville, Lynchburg, Rocky Mount, and the counties of Alleghany, Augusta, Charlotte, Craig, Franklin, Floyd, Henry, and Pittsylvania.
The Davis Law Firm --Helping Seriously Injured People in the Southwest and South Central Virginia area Since 1891.
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Davis, Davis, Davis & Davis, PC
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P.O. Box 829
Rocky Mount, VA 24151
Phone: (540) 483-5221
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