South Carolina Child Injury Lawyer Blog

It most likely isn't a parent's primary concern when purchasing a new television set, and may only arise as a secondary thought, but a new study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has drawn attention the risk falling televisions and furniture pose to small children. It certainly has caught the attention of your Charleston, SC lawyers at Howell and Christmas, LLC.

The Chairman of the CPSC, Inez Tenenbaum, noted in a CNN video interview that falling televisions and the furniture upon which they sit are a "severe hidden hazard in home." And the some startling statistics support that contention; between 2000 and 2011 there were 206 child deaths due to TVs and furniture falling on children. In just the past three years there have been 13,800 ER visits from toppling TVs.

The Chairman further stated that, ideally, TVs should be wall-mounted so children do not have access to the freestanding television, and also so children cannot climb on potentially unstable furniture supporting the TV. Granted, this safety measure applies only to more modern, flat-screen television sets that can be wall-mounted.

Continue reading "CPSC Study Warns Parents of Potential Dangers Posed by Toppling Televisions" »

It has been quite some time since your Charleston, SC attorneys have posted to the South Carolina Child Injury Blog, and your South Carolina lawyers sincerely apologize for the lack of continuous content. With that being said, there is a highly interesting wrongful death lawsuit that has just been filed against the California-based Monster Energy Drink Company.

The suit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of Riverside, by the parents of a deceased 14-year-old girl who died in December of last year. The personal injury attorney representing the parents said the teenager "died of caffeine toxicity in the setting of a cardiac arrhythmia," according to a Maryland news article. The family's attorney also noted the teen had an underlying mild heart condition that affects around 10 percent of the population.

Prior to the teen's unfortunate and untimely death she consumed two 24-ounce Monster energy drinks in a period of less than 24 hours. The family's products liability lawyer noted that with the teen's underlying heart condition, drinking highly-caffeinated beverages like Monster is similar to "pouring gasoline on a fire," according to the same above-mentioned news source.

Continue reading "Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Energy Drink Company" »

This past Friday your attorneys in Charleston at Howell and Christmas, LLC read a release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that seemed particularly pertinent to share. In cooperation with Triple Eight Distribution, Inc., the CPSC has issued a voluntary recall of multi-purpose bicycle helmets for children and youth because of the product's risk of causing a serious head injury to its young user. The Triple Eight helmets have been sold at bicycle and sports shops and other retailers across the United States and online from August 2006 through November 2011 for around $40.

According to the CPSC release, product testing of the helmet revealed that these Triple Eight helmets do not comply with CPSC safety standards for impact resistance. Thus, in the event of fall from a bicycle, skateboard, rollerblades, etc. the young wearer could suffer from a serious head injury. Although no incidents have been reported, it is good that the CPSC has taken preemptive action to take this product off the market.

If you have purchased one of these Triple Eight helmets for your child it is important to stop your child from using the product and contact Triple Eight for a full refund. You can contact Triple Eight toll free at (888) 548-8518 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s website at www.triple8.com.

Continue reading "Kids' Bicycle Helmets Recalled By Consumer Product Safety Commission" »

Your Charleston child injury lawyers recently read an article that describes an incident involving large inflatable attractions, commonly referred to as "Jump Castles" or "Bounce Houses." These toys are popular and fun for kids, but can create headaches for states in terms of how to classify these products and how to regulate their use. It has come to the attention of your experienced lawyers at Howell and Christmas, LLC that these inflatable attractions can be dangerous to children if they are not properly installed and anchored to the ground, or if they are not diligently supervised by an operator.

A 2005 Consumer Product Safety Commission report linked the popularity of inflatable amusement products with an increasing number of injuries being received at emergency rooms between 1997 and 2004. The Commission, in its report, was able to identify 1,300 injuries in 1997 and 4,900 injuries in 2004, this being the most recent data available.

Furthermore, the Commission warns that operators of these products should strictly follow the manufacturer's requirements to securing and anchoring inflatables to the ground, as to prevent the inflatable from being blown away and causing serious injuries to children and/or parents. In addition, larger inflatables, such as slides, should have at least two operators keeping an eye on the attraction and its young users. The Commission strongly urges operators to pay special attention to weight limits, making sure they are not exceeded to prevent collapse of the attraction on users.

According to RideAccidents.com, a website that tracks amusement ride accidents, at least ten inflatable toy attractions have been toppled over by strong winds or have collapsed under exceeded weight limits in the last two months. These instances have caused over 40 people to be injured.

Continue reading "Incident Involving Run-Away Inflatable Attractions Initiates Discussion on Safety Concerns" »

As parents, the experienced legal team of Howell and Christmas, LLC, took notice of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's announcement of a voluntary recall of an infant car seat made by Britax. The announcement was made by the Commission earlier this month and is due to the product's potential for laceration and choking hazards. The Chaperone infant car seats were sold at mass and independent retailers nationwide and on the Britax website from June 2009 to October 2010 for about $230.

The cause of four children's injuries and the reason for recall is the harness chest clip, which can break and pose a laceration hazard. There have been three reported cases that cited the chest clip as being the reason for lacerations and scratches to arms and a finger. Also, due to the small size the clip is a choking hazard. There was a single report of an infant placing the clip in his mouth.

Continue reading "Recall Alert: Car Seat May Pose Threat to Your Infant" »