South Carolina Child Injury Lawyer Blog

At the beginning of last week the South's Oldest Daily Newspaper, the Post and Courier, brought a major safety concern to the attention of your Charleston lawyers at Howell and Christmas, LLC. The concern is the controversial issue of "bed-sharing", particularly when parents share a bed with their infant children. There are documented horror stories of good intentioned parents allowing infants into their bed and accidentally rolling over on top of them, suffocating the young child, and leading to an unfortunate wrongful child death. However, some advocates say the practice of bed-sharing can strengthen the bond between parent and child, facilitate breast-feeding, and offers a solution to sleepless nights.

Solid state statistics on how this practice has affected South Carolina families are not easy to come by, as the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control doesn't specifically track infant deaths due to infants sharing a bed and sleeping with parents. But county coroners do indicate when an infant’s cause of death is due to bed-sharing, using the indicator "co-sleeping." According to the Charleston County Coroner's Office, at least three infants died while sharing a bed with a parent.

Also, the Charleston County Coroner's Office, having tracked the number of bed-sharing incidents since the mid-1990s, has taken the initiative to educate area parents on the issue. The office attends local baby fairs and warns that the practice is especially dangerous to infants younger than three months because of their inability to lift their heads. The Charleston County Chief Deputy Coroner has even written a book on the issue for other coroners, feeling there is great need to educate officials and the public alike to help prevent child injury and death.

Continue reading "National Attention to 'Bed-Sharing' Catches the Eye of Your Charleston Child Injury Attorneys" »

In a couple of earlier entries your Charleston child injury lawyers have discussed the serious dangers of leaving children alone in the car during the hot summer months. The earliest post covered the sad circumstance when parents simply forget they have the kids in the car, as well as organizations trying to gain awareness to this very real possibility. And at the end of July, there was an entry posted concerning the legal ramifications and criminal charges for those parents, guardians, and caretakers who intentionally leave their kids in the car while they run errands, or do some other activity. Most recently, your experienced attorneys at Howell and Christmas, LLC came across a story that falls somewhere in between the previous two entries.

According to the Post and Courier, prosecutors in Columbia determined there was not enough evidence to charge the father of 9-month-old baby boy who died after being left in a hot car for four hours outside an apartment complex on Father's Day. According to the report, the National Weather Service said the high temperature that day was 98 degrees.

As it was mentioned in the first post covering kids and hot cars, last year there were 49 instances of children dying from being left in a car, and after a bit of research, there have been 22 cases this year. While many parents or guardians may read or hear about these instances and think they are clear cut cases of gross negligence, the fact is that these unfortunate, serious accidents can happen to even the best parents. Think for a moment how often you have forgotten your cell phone, wallet, or other personal item in the car, not to say that a child can be compared to these "things," but the point is that the modern parent has so much on their mind that it becomes easy to be forgetful.

Continue reading "Father of Infant Left in Hot Car Not Charged, Viral Backlash Ensues " »

Earlier this month, your South Carolina personal injury lawyers brought to our readers attention the issue of leaving kids in the car during the hot summer months. And despite the efforts of organizations like Kids and Cars and Safe Kids USA, unfortunately, there are still caregivers and guardians leaving their children in hot cars. The earlier entry was centered on the issue of parents and guardians forgetting their kids in the car, but this post and report is to deal with caretakers intentionally leaving children in the car while they run an errand.

Last week, an 81-year-old great-grandmother was accused of leaving two children in the car while she went into a Walmart. According to the woman’s lawyer, it was her intention to only be inside the store for a few minutes. But, according to police, the great-grandmother was in the West Ashley store for almost an hour.

She was arrested at the store after a Walmart employee discovered the two children, ages eight- and nine-years old, and a dog in a car with rolled up windows. The employee was able to get the kids to unlock the car and escorted them inside the store.

Due to this event, the woman was charged with two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child and one count of animal neglect. In Charleston County Magistrate Court, the great-grandmother’s bail was set at $25,000 on each of the two counts of unlawful conduct, setting her total bail at $50,000. The animal neglect charge will be addressed in municipal court.

Continue reading "Kids Left in Car at West Ashley Parking Lot, Great-Grandmother Faces Serious Charges" »

About a month ago, your Charleston personal injury lawyers discussed an awful accident involving a children's ride in Spartanburg's Cleveland Park. In March of this year a miniature train derailed and flipped into a ditch, and according to authorities, excessive speed was to blame for the accident that killed a 6-year-old boy and injured 28 others. This serious accident has prompted the South Carolina Labor Department to take a hard look at how our State's amusement rides are inspected, especially considering the State's safety inspector responsible for checking the ride admitted after the crash that he had falsified the report to approve the ride for operation because a dead battery prevented him from testing the ride. The weekend after the safety inspector cleared the ride that he never tested; it opened, derailed, and crashed on its first day of operation, the rest is horrific history. It should be noted that this particular inspector, in his more than three years of work, issued only a single violation.

Beginning September 1, 2011, the Department of Labor's Licensing and Regulation division will use outside contractors to review a multitude of amusement rides and thousands of elevators around the State. Of course, these outsourced inspectors are specially licensed to do such safety reviews and inspections. As it is now, inspections have been done by state employees, which translates to only one set of eyes looking over South Carolina's amusement rides and elevators. Authorities feel that having the outside contractors going behind the State's work will be beneficial in preventing, and hopefully one day eliminating, fatal accidents like the one in Spartanburg.

Continue reading "Miniature Train Accident Prompts South Carolina to Change Amusement Ride Inspections" »

As discussed a couple weeks ago by your North Charleston auto accident attorneys, Lowcountry Officials are concerned about area kids' safety around the water this summer. And the Media Blitz to help educate parents and caregivers continues, a recent article in the South's Oldest Daily Newspaper, the Post and Courier, warns that the inflatable backyard kiddies pools are nearly as dangerous as their larger, in-ground counterparts.

This finding comes from a report by the journal, Pediatrics, and is the first study to look into the drowning danger posed to youngsters when playing in kiddie pools, more specifically inflatable pools ranging from small wading pools less than 18 inches deep to other soft-sided pools that can reach depths of 4 feet.

According to the report, a child dies in a portable pool every five days during the warmer months of the year. The report counted 209 death and 35 near-drowning from 2001 and 2009 that can be attributed to the backyard, portable pool. Of those deaths an extremely large majority, 94 percent were under the age of 5, and 81 percent of the drowning accidents occurred during the summer. The difficulty for parents, in regards to portable pools, is that the safety systems normally in place for larger in-ground pools (fences with self-closing and latching gates) don't apply to kiddie pools, and often the necessary layers of protection escape them.

Overall, according to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning ranks second as the cause of accidental injuries and deaths among children ages 1-14. But, the Centers note that toddlers are at the greatest risk when it comes to drowning.

Continue reading "Your South Carolina Child Injury Lawyers Continue Discussion on Drowining" »

In Monday's Post and Courier, your South Carolina auto accident lawyers read an article that brings attention to a sad reality concerning parents, their children, and their cars. Last year, 49 children died of heatstroke after they were left in hot cars in the United States. Considering the outrageously hot temperatures we've been having the last couple weeks, it is important that efforts be made to prevent incidents where a child is left in car and subjected to extreme heat.

Experts report, in the last 12 years, that the parents of more than half of the 500 children who died from being left in a hot car simply forgot their kids were even in the vehicle. Founder of the nonprofit organization Kids and Cars says that, "If you have the ability to forget your cell phone, you can forget your child." The reality of the situation is that terrible things don't only happen to terrible parents, while good parents may think they will never forget their youngster is in the back seat, they can.

Kids and Cars is planning to print warning tags that read "Look Before You Lock." These warning tags will go into hospital take-home kits for new mothers as reminders to not forget their child in the car. It was not specified in the Post and Courier's article how these tags are to be implemented, but your child injury attorneys at Howell and Christmas, LLC think they are to be used in a similar manner as the handicap parking tags that hang from the rearview mirror.

Continue reading "One Mother's Tragic Tale Helps Gain Awareness About Kids Being Left in Cars" »

A couple weekends back your South Carolina workers' compensation lawyers read of a sad incident where a 21-month-old toddler died after drowning in a pool behind her home. It's no surprise kids want to have some summer fun in the pool, but it is a major concern of Lowcountry officials that kids be safe this summer when enjoying their time away from school. Sadly, the toddler is not the only instance of a child drowning so far this summer, two young boys have also died in accidental drownings in St. Stephen and a 4-year-old girl had to be rescued from a Mt. Pleasant pool.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10 people die everyday from drowning. Charleston area officials are hoping heightened attention to child drownings will help keep our area kids safe this summer and curb this unfortunate trend of child injury and death.

In a report from the Post and Courier, the 21-month-old toddler died from drowning after being found in her family's pool in North Charleston. According to the report, her family lost sight of the little girl and after a short search spotted her in a pool. Authorities responded to a drowning call made by the family and took the unconscious and unresponsive toddler to Medical University Hospital. Unfortunately, medical staff was not able to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the hospital 45-minutes after the call was made to police.

Continue reading "Recent Child Death in North Charleston Determined to be a Result of Drowning, Tips for Child Drowning Prevention" »

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" »

While browsing internet news sources your Charleston drunk driving accident lawyers read a tragic article that makes one wonder how some individuals can willfully put, not only their own life, but the lives of children in immediate danger. The Chicago Tribune reported that a 47-year-old woman, while driving drunk, lost control of her 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass when she attempted to pick up a fallen potato chip. At the time of the Memorial Day crash there were a total of 8 people were crammed into the Cutlass, which only seats five, four of which were young children. Because of the car was well over capacity none of the children were wearing seat belts, much less a car seat.

According to prosecutors, after losing control of the '93 Olds the car crashed into a guard rail and proceeded to spin around 7 times. Prior to the fatal auto accident, witnesses said they noticed the car swerving, and afterwards, State Police found a number of open beer cars inside the car. Reportedly the driver told the responding officers that she had been "drinking a lot of beer" at a barbeque before getting into the car, but the open cans within the vehicle suggest she, or one of the other passengers, had taken beers to drink on the road.

The female driver has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence (DUI) for an accident causing death and reckless homicide and held on $350,000 bond. Also according to the prosecutors, the woman's blood alcohol content was registered at .164, more than double the legal limit.

Continue reading "Drunk Driver Crashes Car Filled Beyond Capacity, Child Killed and Three Others Critically Injured" »

Back in March of this year, your Charleston child injury and death attorneys remember hearing about, but not posting an entry on, a horrific accident involving a miniature train ride. The accident occurred in Spartanburg's Cleveland Park when the miniature train derailed and flipped into a ditch. Now, according to authorities, excessive speed was to blame for the accident that killed a 6-year-old boy and injured dozens of others.

Thanks to a video shot by one of the young passengers investigators were able to determine the mini train was traveling more than 20 mph, which is nearly three times the recommended speed for such a ride. One investigator and accident reconstruction specialist said, "Too Fast. That was the complete cause of the accident, just too fast."

But, the attorney for the train's operator says his client is not totally to blame for the fatal accident. According to the operator's attorney, the speedometer on the train wasn't working properly and his client was never informed that there was a maximum speed he was not to exceed, and for the cause of this accident to be solely operator error, his client would have had to do something he was told not to do. Furthermore, he claims the device intended to restrict the train to a safe speed was never set correctly.

Continue reading "New Developments in Spartanburg Miniature Train Accident that Killed One and Injured Dozens" »

The Charleston prescription drug injury lawyers found that according to a study conducted by the Medical University of South Carolina, doctors and pharmacists may be giving babies and toddlers overdoses of prescription painkillers, says an article in yesterday's Post and Courier. The research was done by the Division of General Pediatrics at MUSC, and they hope the study's findings will lead to more cautious and possibly automatic drug dispensing. The division will now study whether these overdoes led to any harm or serious child injuries.

The research, which was presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Denver, studied South Carolina Medicaid records (from 2000 to 2006) of the top 19 narcotic-containing drugs prescribed to newborns up to age 3.

The findings were as follows. 4.1 percent of actual prescriptions were overdoses. About 40 percent of overdose prescriptions were dispensed to babies 2 months old and younger, and only 3 percent of prescriptions for children older than a year. Of all the overdose prescriptions, the amount of narcotic drug dispensed was an average of 42 percent more than expected.

The study assumed each child's weight was in the 97th percentile for his/her weight. The MUSC Division of General Pediatrics' research was done using a four-year, $508,000 federal grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

According to the Director of MUSC's Division of General Pediatrics, narcotics (codeine and hydrocodone) are prescribed to babies as a cough suppressant and painkiller, but these can be dangerous to youngsters because of their sedative effects. These effects increases the risk of dehydration because infants and toddler do not wake up enough to eat and drink while under the influence of these drugs. Severe side effects of narcotics on babies and toddler could lead to breathing problems and death.

Continue reading "MUSC Study Has Alarming Findings on Babies and Toddlers" »

Charleston child injury lawyers recently took notice of a study released by The Partnership at Drugfree. The study's finding were quite astonishing, and a bit disturbing, teens today see downing 5 or more alcoholic drinks almost every day as not a big deal. When teens were asked if they see a "great risk" in consuming that amount of alcohol on regular basis, 45 percent of the teen respondents didn't see it as a big problem.

While this study shows that today's teens do not view heavy drinking as a serious threat, the percentage of teens drinking is actually on the decline. An article on the study reported by the Post and Courier quotes the former chairman of the American Medical Association as saying, "It's important that we not lose sight of the progress our country has made in fighting underage drinking," and, "U.S. government data shows underage drinking and binge drinking are at record low levels."

But, even with this progress, the car accident attorneys at Howell and Christmas, LLC, being parents themselves, want to stress the importance of being involved with your children as a means of protecting your child from destructive behavior. The earlier kids start drinking the more likely they are to get involved in other unsafe behaviors.

Continue reading "South Carolina Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys Talk Teens and Drinking" »

In two months there have been two deaths of toddlers in Dorchester County. Back in mid January two people were arrested and charged with homicide by child abuse and Charleston child abuse attorneys briefly discussed the details of that incident. Now, it is awful to hear of another similar incident of child neglect and abuse. The known facts of the incident are as follows.

The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and EMS, as well as the Old Fort Fire Department were dispatched to house on Jennings Drive the evening of February 16. Firefighters and paramedics administered advanced life support before rushing the less-than-year-old toddler to Summerville Medical Center where he was pronounced dead an hour later.

Continue reading "Another Dorchester County Toddler Died After Beating " »

A 19-year-old Ridgeville woman and her boyfriend from Summerville have been charged with homicide by child abuse. Sadly, this is the second consecutive week that Charleston child injury lawyers have noted this type of cruel incident. Allegedly the woman struck her 16-month-old son because she thought the child was possessed, a more than strange assessment of her child. According to the Dorchester County Coroner's Office, the impact from the strike caused serious head injuries. The child had been rushed to MUSC on January 6, 2011, and died two days later. Doctors called the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office because the injuries were consistent with child abuse.

The woman has been behind bars since January 14, 2011, when she was arrested and charged with homicide by child abuse. Last week, a grand jury returned a direct indictment for the mother's 20-year-old boyfriend for the same charge. The boyfriend has been in jail since last Monday, when he turned himself in at the Dorchester County Detention Center.

Continue reading "Young Mother and Boyfriend Charged With Homicide by Child Abuse" »

In the following case, South Carolina child injury attorneys find that the South Carolina Department of Corrections failed to have any affect on a man who pleaded guilty 14 years ago to killing an infant. A 42-year-old Greer man has been charged with homicide by child abuse, for the second time, after his 5-month-old daughter died two Sundays ago.

Authorities didn't go into details about the death of the 5-month-old baby girl, but it was noted the cause of death was from serious head injuries. Regardless of the actual events that caused the injuries, this is the second time this man has been faced with the charge of homicide by child abuse. Prosecutors confirmed that he plead guilty in 1996 to the charge in the death of his 11-month-old daughter in Spartenburg County. He was sentenced to the minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and would have been eligible for parole after five years. No doubt prosecutors will be looking for a much harsher penalty if convicted for the second time.

Continue reading "Greer Man Held on Second Charge of Homicide by Child Abuse" »

Last weekend a serious auto accident involving a single vehicle killed a 16-year-old Charleston boy. The boy was a junior at Charleston's First Baptist School, located in historic downtown Charleston. The boy was travelling along Riverland Drive on James Island when the wreck occurred. Authorities say the young man's black 2000 Mercedes Benz overturned near George Griffth Boulevard around 7:30 p.m. last Sunday evening.

Charleston County Coroner said the high schooler died from severe injuries sustained from the accident around 11:30 p.m. that same night. Authorities also noted that the young man was not wearing his seat belt at the time of accident.

These types of incidents are extremely tragic, it is an unfortunate when a young person loses their life in a seemilngly preventable circumstance. Furthermore, the frequency at which fatal car accidents happen among teens is the most frightening aspect for many families, friends, and communities of teen drivers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than a third of the deaths in the age group. This next fact from the CDCP is almost unbelieveable, in 2009 eight teens ages 16-19 died every day from injuries sustained in car crashes. However, proper driver training and safe driving practices can help prevent fatal teen car accidents.

Continue reading "Teen Driver Dies After Single-Car Crash on James Island" »

South Carolina child injury lawyers came across the following disturbing incident. A woman operating a daycare out of her home in Aiken, SC has been arrested at that location and charged with homicide by child abuse. The powers that be say that the women had shook 16-month-old boy while under her resulting in the death of the infant. South Carolina child injury lawyers work hard in cases such as these to prevent future wrongdoing by the State's childcare workers.

According to wire reports investigators and medical workers say the boy died of brain injuries, which resulted from shaking and were sustained prior to his mother picking him up from the in home daycare. A child's crying and irritation are common triggers for the frustration that can lead to violence in a caregiver, but there is no reasonable or acceptable excuse to harming an infant.

Around three hours north of the offices of Howell and Christmas, LLC, Charleston accident and injury lawers, is Bennettsville, South Carolina, where last week a woman was charged with neglect in the death of her stillborn child. The 27-week-old child was delivered at Marlboro Park Hospital to a 29-year old woman who tested positive for cocaine in a test administered by hospital officials after the delivery.

The Marlboro County Coroner, Tim Brown, is awaiting the results of the autopsy to determine the exact cause of the infants death. The autopsy is being conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina in downtown Charleston.

Continue reading "South Carolina Woman Gives Birth to Stillborn and Arrested" »

South Carolina injury attorneys came across this troubling case that involves a medical malpractice suit filed against the United States after two deliveries were botched at two different military hospitals that resulted in the death of one child and left the other permanantly disabled. If the plaintiffs in these cases are successful the U.S. Government could potentially pay out a combined sum of over $20 million to the parents of the two children.

Last week a wrongful death lawsuit led to a U.S. District Senior Judge awarding $10.2 million to the family of a child born at the U.S. Naval Hospital down in Jacksonville. The child survived the delivery, but was left with severe brain damage due to the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. At the age of three the severe brain injuries culminated in a fatal seizure.

Continue reading "Delivery Mistakes at Military Hospitals Lead to Wrongful Death, Permanent Brain Damage, and Federal Pay Outs" »

On a cold night in late December, a car carrying 4 teens was traveling at high speed down West Shiloh Unity Road in Lancaster, SC. The fatal car crash occurred after the car took a 45 MPH turn at speeds in excess of 119 Miles per hour. The car apparently went airborne, snapping a telephone pole and then came to rest approximately a football fields length away. During the crash, a 15-year old girl was killed after she was ejected from the car, this as a result of her seat belt not being properly fastened. The other two teens in the car were injured and the boy himself suffered severe head and neck injuries and underwent surgery at Carolinas Medical Center. The boy was charged with Reckless Homicide and a violation of Restricted License.

The crash occurred on Dec 29th, 2009 and investigators believe that the driver's inexperience and the high speed of the car were the primary factors involved in the incident. The driver, 16 had a restricted drivers permit. Under SC law, permit holders are only allowed to drive between 6 am and 6pm, carrying a maximum of two minors in the car. In the case of this crash, both of those restrictions were violated by the teen boy. The boy plead guilty to Reckless Homicide and Violation of a Restricted License. He will be evaluated by the Department of Juvenile Justice and then be sentenced. He will lose his Driver's License for a duration of 5 years and will be under house arrest, monitored by an electronic bracelet. After sentencing he could also serve time with the Department of Juvenile Justice until he is 21.

Excessive speed and the inexperience of young drivers are often cited factors in fatal crashes. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration states that almost 32% of crashes are caused by drivers aged 21 and younger. A Key factor in this case was the apparent ignorance of the boy's parents of his whereabouts the night of the crash. Charleston child injury lawyers want to urge the public to pay special care to their child's behavior and activities when they are just learning to operate a motor vehicles.

Sources: The State, " Lancaster teen pleads guilty in death of girl, 15" Kimberly Dick, The Rock Hill Herald

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration

In a case that both shocks and startles, A Moncks Corner man is accused of death by child abuse when he allegedly refused to allow his 2 year old son to receive medical treatment when a complication developed. The man and his girlfriend then allegedly placed the boy in a trashcan and filled the trashcan with cement. They then left the trashcan behind an abandoned mobile home in Walterboro, SC. Investigators said that the cause of death was as yet undetermined but there was strong evidence of foul play, due to statements about the boy being abused in the past. The man then allegedly fabricated a story about the boy falling over the seawall at the Battery and being lost in the sea. The subsequent search cost Charleston County man-hours and funds looking for the lost child. Charleston child injury lawyers urge the public to report any incidents of child abuse they come in contact with to Law Enforcement immediately.

Officers investigating the incident, report that the boy had been staying with his father for summer. The Arrest Affidavit states that “the boy died from injuries and/or physical distress" around June 6 while he was in the girlfriend’s care at her Summerville home. The father was away from home when the girlfriend contacted him about "an ongoing medical issue with the child." He allegedly ordered her not to seek medical help for his son and, upon returning home, he refused to take action himself to save the boy”. The fabricated report of the boy falling into Charleston Harbor occurred when the boy’s mother was on his way down to see him.

The pair is being held on a $250,000 dollar bail while investigators work to build a case against them. Forensic specialists took apart the concrete filled trashcan and have begun to exhume the body. Investigators are also going through medical records at MUSC where the boy had been apparently treated several times. As to the severity of the case, a neighbor was quoted as saying “it's a crying shame,” There is no need to kill a 2-year-old child. No need whatsoever."

The Child Abuse and Neglect Data System reports that each year, an estimated 1,760 children die from child abuse; often at the hands of someone they know. In terms of Vulnerability, Children between the ages of 1-3 years of age make up 33.7% of all reported child fatalities.

Sources: The Post and Courier, “Officials: Father let boy die Sheriff says body then encased in Concrete in trash can”, July 9, 2010

The Child Abuse and Neglect Data System

Charleston Child Injury Attorneys want to remind all pool owners and operators of the potential safety hazards that arise every summer in the Low Country. In Darlington, SC a teenager died and another child was injured while swimming in a public pool.

The Children were playing at the Darlington City Pool when lifeguards cleared the pool due to weather-related concerns. After the accident occured, both children were rushed to the Hospital for treatment. Sadly, one teen was declared dead.The other child is still being treated for his injuries.

An estimated 5,000 children, ages 14 and under are hospitalized due to water immersion and drowning-related causes each year. Proper prevention techniques like careful pool maintenance and supervision of one's children during playtime can help save lives.

Source: The Charleston Post and Courier, "1 dead, 1 Hurt in Pool Accident" May 31st, 2010

South Carolina child death lawyers advise state citizens and locals to demand their representatives to install the Child Death Review board in their local community. A child's death is traumatizing for the family and heartbreaking for the community. Many times these deaths could have been easily prevented. In order to make proactive changes many states and local communities have formed a Child Death Review system that will help pinpoint changes parents, guardians, and members of the community can make to prevent future child fatalities.

In 1978 a multi-agency review of unexplained child deaths began in Los Angeles, California. In 1997 there were multi-disciplinary teams in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, that investigated children deaths. Typically these teams included a coroner, social services, law enforcement, medical representatives, child protective services, and mental health.

Today some states have expanded their multi-disciplinary teams from the original statewide team. These states have formed the teams that work within a community and then report their findings to the state multi-disciplinary team. The state team serves as a data collection team that reviews information and then suggests new legislation to state representatives and areas for law enforcement to focus on. This system has proven to work best because it is unrealistic for a state team to conduct a thorough investigation of all child deaths throughout the entire state. Local teams vary due to county population size and city population size. Sometimes one team will oversee multiple counties, as well as multiple teams may be needed for large counties.

These teams have been proven to be effective, because they can spend more time conducting a detailed investigation of the death of a child than law enforcement can. These findings are then are reviewed and transformed into precautionary tips that are released to the community. Child fatalities are typically preventable and the team's tips remind locals of easy precautions they can take that can save a child's life. If your community does not have a Child Death Review system currently in action write your local representatives and request them to look into the system.

Source: Injury Prevention Web-AInjury Prevention Policy- "Child Death Review and Injury Prevention."March 23, 2010.