April 25th, 2012
You’ve bought the right car seat. You’ve researched not only the car seat, but the car in which your child regularly rides. Yet, you might still find the results of a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study troubling.
The report found that only 21 of the 98 bestselling 2010-2011 cars had a LATCH car seat installation system that is easy to use. A difficult LATCH system, such as those found in 77 of the bestselling cars, could lead to car seats not being installed correctly and could put kids in danger.
Fatal car accidents remain one of the top causes of childhood deaths. A car seat that is not correctly installed may not protect your child in a crash. Thus, it is important for car manufacturers to take note and to do their part to help make sure that car seats can be safely installed in their vehicles.
Posted in Motor Vehicle Wrongful Death
April 23rd, 2012
Last week, the CDC released new statistics about unintentional accidents that result in children’s death. The statistics covered the first decade of this century, 2000 -2009.
The good news is that the unintentional injury death rate among children decreased by 29% during the last decade. The number of fatalities decreased in all age groups except for children under one year of age.
However, the news is not all good. According to the CDC:
• There was an increase in unintentional suffocations among children younger than one.
• The poisoning deaths among teens age 15 -19 almost doubled in part because of prescription drug overdoses.
• Despite the significant decline in deaths, unintentional injury deaths remain the number one killer of children in this country.
As a parent, it is important to be aware of the risks so that you can take actions to keep your child safe such as:
• Always insisting on proper car seats and seatbelt use.
• Providing a safe sleeping environment for babies.
• Locking up prescription drugs.
Our wrongful death attorneys hope that this decade results in an even more dramatic decrease in childhood deaths from injuries in the United States.
Posted in Motor Vehicle Wrongful Death, Wrongful Death Cases
April 17th, 2012
Earlier this month, the Colorado School of Public Health released the results of a new study that found that dozens of people under age 20 are dying in this country each year due to work related accidents. According to the study, the accidents are often caused by poorly regulated work environments.
Researchers found that 88 people under age 20 died in occupational accidents during 2010 and that approximately 20,000 people in this age group missed work due to work related injuries. Researchers acknowledge the importance of teenagers gaining valuable work experience but are urging politicians and others to consider stronger oversight of teenage workers in all industries, including agriculture.
Adult supervision and proper health and safety training are essential to keeping teenage workers safe. If you have suffered the unimaginable trauma of losing a child in an occupational accident, do you have any advice on how to prevent accidents like this so that other families do not have to suffer?
Posted in Uncategorized
April 11th, 2012
Every case is unique. Generally, a wrongful death lawsuit is a good idea after a fatal car accident if:
• Your loved one was killed by the negligent or deliberate actions of someone else; and
• The amount of money that you are likely to recover in a lawsuit is greater than the amount of money that a lawsuit will cost.
Pursing a recovery after a wrongful death lawsuit may be important to your family. An experienced wrongful death lawyer will explain your rights to you and give you an honest opinion about whether a case is with pursuing or not. It is important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible after the fatal accident occurs as your time to file a claim is limited and you want to make an educated and informed decision about whether or not to file a lawsuit.
Posted in Motor Vehicle Wrongful Death
April 9th, 2012
As you sit stunned by the sudden loss of a spouse, a parent, or a child, you will be required to take certain actions. You will, for example, need to plan a funeral. You want to give your loved one the funeral or memorial service that is fitting tribute to his or her life. You want to express your love. You want to say goodbye in a way befitting that love.
Yet, funerals are not inexpensive. You don’t want to be thinking about money at a time like this, but it is often inevitable. You should know that:
• You have the right to get a written estimate of costs from the funeral director for the cost of the funeral and burial or cremation.
• If your loved one had insurance then insurance may pay part, or all, of the costs associated with the funeral.
• If your loved one was killed by someone else’s negligent or deliberate acts then funeral costs may be included in compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Planning a funeral most often occurs during the initial stages of grief. Talk to an experienced funeral director to understand the costs you are facing and a wrongful death lawyer to discuss a potential case and financial recovery.
Posted in Wrongful Death Lawyers
