For working parents in San Clemente, it is important to be able to rely on a day care facility to take care of your kids during business hours. We all want the best for our children, and San Diego County parents do significant research into daycare facilities to ensure that their kids will be able to learn and play in a safe environment during the workday. Yet daycare accidents can happen at almost any facility. In some situations, accidents and injuries at preschool may be unavoidable. However, daycare and preschool facilities can take preventive measures to ensure that kids do not suffer serious personal injuries. What are some of the most common daycare injuries, and what can facilities do to avoid them?

An article from DC Insurance Services cites the following injuries that often occur at daycare and preschool facilities, as well as ways to prevent them.

Accidents on the Playground

According to the article, playground accidents are the most common cause of injuries at daycares and preschools. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 200,000 children under the age of 15 visit emergency departments every year due to playground injuries. The types of injuries sustained on the playground can vary from more minor cuts and bruises to severe and debilitating injuries like broken bones or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). While it is important for young children to learn the value of outdoor activity, it is also important to take steps to prevent injuries.

What can daycares and preschools do to prevent playground accidents? First, and most importantly, children should be properly monitored at all times. Additionally, all playgrounds should be inspected to ensure that they meet safety codes and to ensure that there are no damaged parts that could cause injuries.

Being Struck by Objects

We often think of “struck-by” injuries as those most often affecting construction workers. However, young kids at daycares and preschools can also suffer serious injuries after being struck by objects. Essentially, any pieces of furniture that can tip over, or any heavy objects placed up on shelves or tables that can fall and strike a small child have potential to cause injuries. For example, bookcases and other shelves regularly tip over, causing serious injury to kids.

Daycares should ensure that all furniture that can tip over is safely attached to the wall (to prevent tipping) and that heavy objects are not placed on furniture where they might easily fall and strike a child.

Burn Injuries from Heating Devices

Whether a daycare or preschool uses bottle warmers to heat up infant formula or crock pots for other food heating, it is important to recognize that these devices can cause serious injuries to young children. It can be difficult to prevent kids from touching hot objects, and they can suffer severe and even life-threatening burn injuries.

What is the solution? In most cases, child safety advocates urge daycares and preschools to avoid using electric heating devices altogether, particularly if they need to be used in a room where children are present. Instead, infant formula should be heated with hot running water from a sink.

Seek Advice from a San Clemente Daycare Injury Attorney

Was your child recently injured at daycare or preschool? The facility may be liable. A daycare injury lawyer in San Clemente can speak with you about your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about filing a claim for compensation.

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(image courtesy of Markus Spiske)

In and around San Diego, there are a number of initiatives underway to help prevent accidents and child injuries in 2017. According to a fact sheet from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 12,000 children between the ages of 0 to 19 sustain fatal injuries each year in accidents. In addition to child fatalities, more than 9.2 million kids in the same age group sustain nonfatal injuries each year that result in treatment in emergency departments. Many of these incidents are preventable if we take safety precautions.

What steps are being taken around San Diego to help lower the number of child accidents and injuries? One recent report from The CW 6 San Diego indicates that new crosswalks have been installed around Point Loma schools, while another report from The CW 6 San Diego notes that a new car seat law in California aims to provide better protections to children under the age of two. What else do you need to know about recent safety steps and car accident precautions in the area?

Point Loma Crosswalk Aims to Prevent Child Pedestrian Accidents and Injuries

Last year, according to the news report, the city of San Diego City Council adopted a “Vision Zero” plan aimed at eliminating “all traffic deaths by 2025.” This plan includes developing pedestrian safety mechanisms, such as new crosswalks and signage throughout the city. In addition, the plan calls for “pedestrian countdown timers, audible pedestrian signals, street lighting, and flashing beacons to help make pedestrians and drivers more aware.”

One of the first steps in implementing the plan in 2017 involves the unveiling of a new, visible crosswalk behind Silver Gate Elementary School in Point Loma. It is particularly important to have visible crosswalks around schools where young children regularly cross the street and place themselves at risk of injury in a car accident. The CDC fact sheet indicates that traffic collisions are a leading cause of death for children between the ages of 5 and 19, which includes elementary-aged kids.

New California Law Targets Car Accident Injury Prevention in Young Children

In addition to preventing motor vehicle deaths in pedestrian accidents by installing visible crosswalks around schools and throughout San Diego, the state of California has also instituted a new car seat law for kids under two years old. As the report reveals, the new law is one of three motor vehicle laws in California designed to prevent child injuries and deaths. This particular new law requires that kids who are under two years old must be strapped into a rear-facing car seat. There are exceptions for kids who weigh 40 pounds or are at least 40 inches tall. Safety experts, according to the report, indicate that “kids are four times safer when sitting rear-facing,” and “the longer they are in that position the better.”

It is important for parents in San Diego County to pay attention to this new law and to seek assistance if they do not know how to properly install a rear-facing car seat. According to safety advocates in the area, about 95% of rear-facing car seats are improperly installed, limiting the safety features of the seat and its position.

Discuss Your Case with a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer

If you have questions about filing a car accident lawsuit, or if your child was injured in a motor vehicle collision, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. A San Diego car accident attorney can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today.

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(image courtesy of Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia)

Last year, the tragic death of a student in a school bus accident prompted California legislators to take action. Late last month, according to a recent article in the Whittier Daily News, a 19-year-old autistic teenager was left unattended in the back of a bus on a particularly warm day. At that time, no protocols were in place to require school bus drivers to check individual seats to ensure that no children were present on the bus. At the same time, school buses were not required to have alarms to help ensure that no kids are left unattended on hot school buses. Given the frequent high temperatures in Southern California, it is extremely important to have standards in place to ensure that children are safe when they take the bus to school or to school-related activities.

Now, as the article explains, Senator Tony Mendoza’s proposed legislation, S.B. 1072, passed the California State Senate unanimously at the end of last month, and now the bill is just waiting for a signature from Governor Jerry Brown.

School Bus Safety for Students

Senator Mendoza proposed S.B. 1072, as we mentioned above, in response to the death of an autistic student who, according to an article in School Transportation News, was “left behind on a school bus during a Southern California heat wave last September.” If the bill becomes law by September 30, 2016, its requirements will need to be implemented by the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.

The primary feature of S.B. 1072 is to require the installation of child alarm systems in California school buses. As the proposed legislation explains, current California law requires schools “to prepare a transportation safety plan containing procedures for school personnel to follow to ensure the safe transport of pupils.” The bill would require additional safety mechanisms to ensure that students reach their destinations safely whenever they ride school buses in the state. Specifically, the bill would require schools to institute “procedures to ensure that a pupil is not left unattended on a school bus, school pupil activity bus, or youth bus.”

Details of S.B. 1072 and Newly Proposed Requirements

When the bill says it would require the institution of safety procedures to ensure that kids are not left unattended on school buses, what precisely does it mean? The proposed legislation also stipulates that it would require some of the following:

• Training or instruction for school bus drivers that would include “inspection procedures” for making sure that no children are left unattended on the school bus;
• Notification to the California Department of Motor Vehicles when a school bus driver has left a student unattended on the bus; and
• Installation of new safety equipment on school buses, specifically a “child safety alarm system” to ensure that kids do not remain on the bus once it is parked.

What is the “child safety alarm system”? As the language of the proposed legislation clarifies, it is “a device located at the interior rear of a vehicle that requires the driver to manually contact the device before exiting the vehicle, thereby prompting the driver to inspect the entirety of the interior of the vehicle before exiting.”

Contact a San Diego Bus Accident Lawyer

If your child got hurt in a school bus accident, a dedicated San Diego bus accident lawyer can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can assist you.

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(image courtesy of bsabarnowl)

Whether you are planning a family visit to Disneyland this summer or simply taking your kids down to one of San Diego’s beaches for the weekend, it is important to think about safety. Often, when we do not plan ahead, our children can sustain serious injuries in preventable accidents. How can you keep your kids safe in a large crowd this summer?

Safety Tips for Identifying Your Kids in Large Crowds

According to a recent report from ABC News and an article in Parent Herald, the following are some important safety tips for ensuring that your child does not get hurt in a large crowd this summer:

• Carry liquid Band Aid with you. Not only does liquid Band Aid come in handy if your child gets a cut, but it also provides parents with a simple way of ensuring that your children’s identifying information remains with them even in the event that they get lost in a crowd. As ABC News explains, you can take a standard ball-point pen and write your name and phone number on your child’s arm, and then apply liquid Band Aid over the contact information. If you cannot find your child in a crowd, a nearby police officer, or even just another vacationer, can quickly reach you and help to reunite you with your child.
• Buy glow sticks. Your kids might pester you to purchase glow sticks if you are at Disneyland or at the beach, but these toys can also help you to spot your child in the dark. Encourage your child to wear the glow stick as a necklace or bracelet, and after it gets dark, you will be able to see your kids more easily.
• Wear bright-colored clothing. For years, parents have been hearing that they should dress their children in brightly colored clothing so that the kids can easily be spotted in a crowd. But it is also important for parents to wear clothes that can be easily spotted. Keep in mind that if you are nervously trying to find your child in a large crowd, your child may be nervously looking for you, as well. Before you arrive at your destination, ask your children to repeat what you are wearing (e.g., “a yellow shirt”).
• Take a photo of your kids’ clothing. Just to ensure that you know what your kids are wearing, take a photo on your phone before you arrive at your destination.

Safety Tips for Staying Safe in Beach Crowds

What can parents do specifically to help ensure that their kids stay safe in beach crowds? It can be difficult to spot a child in distress in the water if too many people are around, and you might not be able to identify a dangerous rip current. According to an article in Greatist.com, the following are some important beach safety tips:

• Know how to identify warning flags at the beach and adhere to those warnings;
• Do not allow your children to play near the water unless they know how to swim;
• Require your kids to use the buddy system when approaching the water;
• Choose a place to swim that is very close to a lifeguard stand;
• Be aware of rip currents;
• Do not allow your children in the water when there are particularly strong waves;
• Apply sunscreen to yourself and to your kids; and
• Know how to identify sun-sickness or sunstroke.

If you or someone you love sustained serious injuries, you should discuss your case with an experienced personal injury lawyer in San Diego. An advocate at our firm can speak with you today. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

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IKEA is a popular retailer for San Diego residents who are seeking affordable but stylish furniture for their homes. Are IKEA product defects, particularly those implicated in child injuries, a reason to stay away from the store? According to a recent article from Consumerist, IKEA is re-recalling (in other words, recalling for a second time) one of its crib mattresses. What is the problem with the crib mattress? Based on the recall issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the recall is due to the alleged flammability of the mattresses. In previous recalls, the same mattresses posed a risk of entrapment to young children. News of this recall comes on the heels of two other serious IKEA recalls, begging the question: Are IKEA products safe for your kids?

Details of the Mattress Recall

What do you need to know about the product defect identified in a specific group of IKEA mattresses? First, the name of the product is the VYSSA SPELEVINK crib mattress, and the CPSC identified the following hazard in this consumer item: “The crib mattresses fail to meet the federal open flame standard for mattresses, posing a fire hazard.” The mattresses were sold at IKEA stores throughout the country, including the San Diego area, between October of 2010 and May of 2014.

If you purchased one of these mattresses, you should immediately stop using it and return it to an IKEA store. Consumers were previously urged to return this same model due to the serious child injury risks it posed. Specifically, a recall issued by the CPSC detailed how the crib mattresses were constructed in such a way that they “could create a gap between the mattress and crib ends larger than allowed by federal regulations.” Those federal regulations are in place to prevent infants from getting trapped and suffocating.

Yet the crib mattress is not the only consumer issue that IKEA currently faces. The brand has been linked to other products that could pose unreasonable risks to children.

Child Injuries and Consumer Products

In addition to the crib mattresses identified in the recent recall, Consumer Affairs recently reported on a recall of IKEA nightlights due to the risk of electrical shock to kids. The PATRULL nightlights, which were designed in multiple different colors to be used in children’s rooms, were made with a plastic covering that could easily become detached. Once that cover detaches, the electrical components of the nightlight are exposed. One child already suffered an electrical shock injury. Although no other known incidents were reported, it is extremely important for parents to stop using these nightlights.

Shortly before news of the nightlight recall, headlines reported on the defective IKEA “Malm” dressers, which posed an unacceptable tipping risk. Two children died because of the product defect. In all, IKEA recalled 27 million dressers and chest, according to an article in Huffington Post.

When we buy products for use in our homes, we deserve to expect that they will not cause harm to our children. However, injuries caused by defective products do happen. If your child suffers an injury from a defective product, you should discuss your case with a San Diego product liability lawyer as soon as possible. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about our services.

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