Maine Injury Lawyer Blog

Experts estimate that about 75 percent of child passengers are improperly restrained in car seats and booster seats. It is critical for parents to know how to properly buckle in child passengers and for them to do so during every car ride. Risk of child injury or death in the event of a car accident in Portland and elsewhere decrease by more than 70 percent if he or she is buckled in correctly.

Our Portland car accident attorneys understand that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new recommendations for children and car seats last year. Unfortunately, many parents did not seize these new recommendations and in fact continue to improperly seat their children in motor vehicles. To help to spread the word about child car seats, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) launched a new website to offer parents with access to important child passenger safety (CPS) tips.

The new website, "Car Seat Safety for Kids" offers newly released videos regarding the 2011 child seat recommendations from the AAP. In addition to educating parents about the proper ways to buckle children in, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists car seat inspection locations nationwide. There are 31 child car seat inspection locations in Maine. Parents are urged to visit one of these sites to help ensure that their children are safe when traveling in a motor vehicle.

The new recommendations from the AAP state that children under the age of 4 should remain in rear-facing car seats. Once a child has exceeded their car seat's height and weight limitations, they should be placed in a forward-facing car safety seat. It is important for children to stay in these rear-facing car seats for as long as possible.

When a child exceeds the size limits of a rear-facing car seat, it's time for them to move to a forward-facing seat. This seat should have a harness and children should be kept in these seats for as long as possible.

Once your child exceeds the height and weight limits for a forward-facing seat, it's time for them to move to a booster seat. Booster seats allow a small child to fit correctly with an adult seat belt. When riding in these seats, make sure that the bottom part of the seat belt fits snugly across your child's upper thighs and that the top part of it fits across the chest and not on the neck. Children riding in booster seats should always ride in the back seat of the car and away from an active air bag.

In Maine, two children under the age of 14-years-old died in car accidents in 2008.

Car accidents continue to be the number of cause of death for individuals aged 3- to 14-years old. Parents are urged to register their child's car seat and to sign up to receive notifications on car seat defects and recalls.

Continue reading "Car Accidents in Portland and Elsewhere Kill Too Many Child Passengers Annually" »

It's that time of year again when shoppers are hitting the stores in full force in search of the perfect holiday gifts for friends, family members, co-workers and others. It's important for all consumers to look over the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) recall list during the holidays to help ensure there won't be a defective product on their gift-giving list. Recalled products can cause serious injury in Portland and elsewhere if not addressed.

Our Portland injury attorneys understand that the CPSC reviews thousands of consumer products. Unfortunately, there's a chance there are defective products in our homes and businesses right now, items that have been deemed dangerous and we don't even know it. While it's the CPSC's responsibility to inform the public of the defects, it's our responsibility to make sure that if we decide to give gifts, that they are safe and defect-free. Please review this list before bringing any new toys and presents into your household.

Schwinn Elliptical Exercise Equipment Recalled By Nautilus:

Roughly 10,000 Elliptical Exercise Trainers have been recalled because the foot plates on the devices have been found to detach from the machine during use and can pose a fall hazard to users. These products were distributed by Nautilus Inc. of Vancouver, Washington. There have been nearly 10 accident reports filed. These devices were sold under the model name Schwinn 460. They were sold at various sporting goods stores and online sites from July 2008 to May 2011. Consumers who own this product are urged to call Nautilus at 800-259-9019 for a free repair kit.

iPod Touch Rechargeable External Battery Cases Recalled by Mophie

More than 6,000 Rechargeable External Battery Cases have been recalled by Mophie LLC, of Paw Paw, Michigan, because the battery case's integrated circuit switch can possibly overheat and cause pose a burn hazard. The company has already received more than 100 reports of the battery case becoming warm to the touch. More than 40 reports have been filed saying that the product deformed and nearly 10 reports were made of burns. Only battery cases with serial numbers that have the first five characters of TR113 through TR120 are under the recall. The items were sold in stores since April 2011. If you have one of these battery cases, call Morphie at (877) 308-4581 for a replacement product.

KEDS Girls' Shoes Recalled by Collective Brands:

Nearly 50,000 KEDS "Know It All" Girls' Shoes have been recalled because the stars on the heel can come loose and pose a laceration hazard. There have already been nearly 30 reports of scratches and cuts from these metal stars. The style number covered under this recall is KY40098A, which can be found on the underside of the tongue. They were sold in department stores from June to October 2011. If your child has a pair of these shoes, you're urged to contact Collective Brands for a gift card for $30 that can be used at Stride Rite stores or on striderite.com.

As there are new products on the CPSC's recalls website frequently, parents are urged to look over the list regularly. Many injuries can be prevented by staying informed. Happy Holidays!

Continue reading "Shoppers Urged to Check CPSC's Recalls List to Avoid Defective Product-Related Injury in Portland" »

Summer will be coming to a close soon so as parents begin to prepare their kids for going back to school, our Maine injury lawyers want to remind parents and children to use precaution when waiting to be picked up at the curb or at bus stops and in school drop-off zones.

School districts have a responsibility to maintain buses, hire responsible drivers and maintain a safe environment for your children. If your child is injured while waiting for a bus at school or is involved in a school bus accident in Bangor or Portland on their way home from school, a personal injury lawyer can help you determine who is to blame for the cause of injuries and what litigation is needed to compensate for damages.

The Portland Press Herald recently reported about the three-vehicle collision involving an SUV, a sedan and a school bus on Interstate 295. An elderly man driving the SUV crossed over the center strip into northbound traffic, according to the report. The SUV hit an oncoming car which spun into a school bus carrying 30 elementary students and 6 staff members. A passenger in the car remains in critical condition but no other life-threatening injuries were reported. The accident is still under investigation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that over 25 million students are transported on approximately 474,000 school buses each year across the U.S. For the 11 years preceding 2008, an average of 5 students were killed in school bus accidents each year. During the same period, an average of 8 fatal crashes occurred each year in a school bus-related accident. Countless others are injured each year in accidents.

Maine Department of Transportation reports that 80 percent of children in Maine rely on a school bus to transport them to and from home each day, as well as to school-related activities. Maine averages 130 school bus accidents each year.

Motorists are required by law to stop for a school bus with red flashing lights or be fined a minimum of $250 for the first offense. No vehicle may begin motion until signaled by the bus driver or until the bus begins to move again. A bus driver can report illegal activity by other vehicles to law enforcement. The speed limit for school zones during opening, closing or recess is 15 mph unless otherwise marked.

Bus safety tips recommended by Maine DOT:
-Never approach a moving bus while waiting at the curb. Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop, for the lights to start flashing and for the driver to motion it is ok to get on.

-Stay seated during the ride at all times.

-Make eye contact with the bus driver and look both ways before you cross in front.

-Parents should allow plenty of time when getting their kids to school.

-Loading and unloading areas usually have rules. Parents and children should both be aware of loading zone rules in your school.

-Pay attention. One fourth of school bus accidents occur because of driver inattention.

-Never follow school buses too closely as they stop frequently.

Continue reading "School Bus Accidents a Back to School Hazard for Children in Portland, Bangor" »

Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Portland and Bangor understand the high risk teenagers face each time they get behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports car accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers ages 15 to 20.

In 2008, 6,428 motorists were killed in car accidents involving teen drivers, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Maine car accidents involving teens claimed 19 lives. Teens are at high risk for virtually every poor driving decision in the book, including speeding, drunk driving, failure to wear a seat belt, distracted driving and riding with too many passengers in the vehicle.

But, as a recent report in Health News Digest points out, too often the emphasis is on teen as victim, which may ignore the true victims of such accidents.

Nationwide, 1,518 victims of teenage car accidents were riding in another vehicle that was involved in a crash with a teen driver. Another 517 were defined as non-occupants, which usually means a bicyclist or pedestrian.

"When most people think about those affected by teen driver crashes, they think of the teens behind the wheel. We must also consider the significant impact of these crashes on other members of our communities: occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road-users," says Dr. Dennis Durbin, a co-author of the report. "Whether or not we have a teen driver in our family, we should all care about this issue. This report provides a concrete way to measure the effectiveness of laws, education, and other programs in reducing teen crashes and their impact on communities."

The report by State Farm Insurance and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found more than 681,000 crashes involve a teenage driver.

"Reducing speeding and alcohol use, increasing seat belt use, and eliminating distractions for teen drivers are the four calls-to-action we see in this report that would have great impact on reducing injuries and fatalities for all road users," says Dr. Durbin, who is also an emergency physician. "More than half of teens who were fatally injured in crashes were speeding, 40 percent had a positive blood alcohol level, more than half were not wearing seat belts, and 16 percent of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving."

We encourage you to take a proactive approach when it comes to keeping your teenagers safe behind the wheel. Have regular conversations about the importance of making good driving decisions.

Continue reading "Car Accidents in Portland Frequently Involve Teen Drivers " »