Arizona Accident Lawyer Blog

As child injury lawyers in Arizona, we have a few tips that may help children avoid being injured at day care centers. Of course, this is not to say that if these tips are followed that children will never be injured at the facility. Unfortunately, many children are seriously injured each year while in the care of day care centers that parents trust to watch and protect their children.

Tips for Preventing Injury

Parents should receive reports from the day care center about their children. Having reports on how your children are doing each day will help to ensure that the facility staff are paying attention to the environment and the general safety of the children. Parents should make sure that the facility is always available for conversations. If new play equipment comes into the school, it is always a good idea for the parents to be aware of the play structures and to decide if the equipment is safe.

Arizona State Day Care Law

A day care has its own standards that staff must follow before it is given a license. The facilities and the staff should be adequate for the children in the day care center. The toys should be appropriate and the food should be healthy and nutritious. This is required to maintain a license.

Contact an Experienced Arizona Child Injury Lawyer

An experienced Arizona child injury lawyer should be contacted in the case of a day care child injury. Breyer Law Offices has been helping injured parents and children for years. If you believe your child sustained an injury while at a day care facility or home, call Alexis and Mark Breyer to give you guidance on your potential child injury claim. Contact us today for your free consultation.

As lawyers who work on child injury claims in Arizona, it is important to let guardians and parents know that they should ask the providers at their child care what policies they have implemented to prevent serious injuries to your child. Questions that are important to ask are what are the credentials of the staff members and how many staff members are at the facility each day. There should be a designated number of staff members to a certain amount of children. Also, each staff member should know their role at the facility and which children they are responsible for to make sure that no child injuries occur while they are supervising young children. Ask the child care director what policies have been implemented to make sure that the environment is safe.

For instance, what is the rule for safety measures for:

• Swimming pools
• Small objects
• Using scissors
• Playing on play equipment
• Playing outside if there are rocks or sand
• Climbing over gates
• Children fighting
• Hot appliances

Arizona Child Care Statistics

The most recent statistics on Arizona states that there are currently 501,263 children ages 0-4 years in Arizona. The number of children ages 5-11 are 631,903.

Arizona State Child Care Law

The law states that the director of the facility should be able to establish reasonable rules regarding the safety, health, and well-being of children who are left in the care of the facility. There should be an adequate amount of staff in the child care center for the number of children.

Liability Issues in Arizona Child Care

Safety of children should always be the top priority of child care givers. Having an adequate number of staff for the amount of children is very important. In addition, it is vital that the staff is qualified to work with children. The most common causes of injury in children are burns, falls, and choking from ingestion of foreign objects.

Do You Need an Arizona Child Injury Lawyer?

If you need an Arizona child injury lawyer, or just have questions because youryour child was injured and you feel it was the fault of the childcare provider, give us a call for a consultation at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. Being an attorney who helps parents and guardians, we know that there are many questions that one has when their child is injured while under the supervision of an Arizona day care provider. To have your questions answered, call for your free consultation at (602) 457-6222.

Did you know that 150 children ages 19 and below are treated in hospitals every hour due to crash related injuries? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 1,538 children ages 15 and below were killed in fatal car crashes in 2009.

As parents, we often forget the importance of safety devices especially when it comes to our children. According to NHTSA, the use of child safety devices can decrease fatalities for babies by 71% and toddlers by 54%. Out of 762 crash-related fatalities in Arizona, children age 14 and younger accounted for 31 deaths. While 3,881 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2010.

In Maricopa, a 3-year old boy died after falling out the window of a moving vehicle on Monday around 5:30 pm (09-19-11). According to initial reports, the boy fell from the rear passenger window of a Ford Explorer on Anthony Boulevard near Bowlin Road. He and his two siblings, ages 4 and 5 were not wearing seatbelts or seated in safety seats. He was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead. The boy's mother was driving the SUV when the tragic incident happened. There is no question that this is a tragic event and a traumatic experience for everyone. Our hearts go out to the family of this little boy.

Parents play a vital role in protecting their children from motor vehicle injuries and fatalities. Safety devices are not only for adults. Child safety seats, booster seats are two of the best protective measures for children depending on theirs age. Babies weighing 20 pounds are placed in rear-facing car seats while toddlers weighing 40 pounds are placed in front-facing car seats. Children ages 4 to 8 years old with a maximum height of 4'9” should be in booster seats. Lastly, children who are not more than 12-years old should be in the back seat.

Our Arizona child injury attorneys at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. have experience in helping child victims of motor vehicle accidents and their families. It is important to seek the assistance of attorneys with credible experience in handling car accident injury claims. Contact us at 602-457-6222 to speak with a highly qualified personal injury lawyer.

One major concern of every parent is how to keep their kids from injuries. Car crashes are one of one of the leading cause of deaths among children. Therefore it is quite difficult to keep our children safe even within the boundaries our own homes. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention also revealed that more children ages 5 to 19 die from crash-related injuries than from any other type of injury.

Did you know that 150 children between ages 0 and 19 are treated in emergency departments every hour due to injuries sustained in car crashes? In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among those ages 5-34. In 2009, reported fatal car crash fatalities reaching up to 820 were from ages 9 and below.

On Wednesday night around 6:30 pm, a tragic accident occurred which killed a 5-year old boy in Flagstaff (7/20/11). According to investigations, the boy's father was pulling his tractor out of their driveway when he saw an approaching vehicle. He reversed back into the driveway without noticing his son. Authorities believed that the man did not see the boy..

A neighbour administered a CPR on the child before he was taken to the hospital right after the fire-fighters came. However, officials said Thursday that the boy had died.

As parents we always want our kids to stay safe. However, due to some circumstances, incidents such this happen. Despite of this, we still have to do our part and keep them away from harm.

If you or your child has been a victim of personal injury and would like to seek compensation, call us at (602) 457-6222 for a free consultation. Call now and an Arizona child accident lawyer will be with you shortly.

Pedestrian/motor vehicle accidents are a serious problem in the United States. Pedestrian deaths and injuries in the country reach up to approximately 5,000 pedestrian fatalities and 64,000 injuries in motor vehicle accidents every year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported a total 4,092 pedestrian fatalities in 2009, a decline of about 300 from 2008. These recent pedestrian death statistics account for 12 percent of the total traffic fatalities of 2009. Pedestrian accidents usually occur in urban areas due to higher pedestrian activities and greater volumes of traffic as compared to rural areas.

On Saturday (6/25/11), a 4-year-old girl was flown to Phoenix Children Hospital after she was struck by a car. Initially, she was said to have life-threatening injuries but improved to stable and good condition.

According to police officials, the girl was crossing the street near 89th Avenue and Deer Valley Road when an 18-year-old driver struck her. The driver was on her way to pick up a friend when she hit the victim. Police officers revealed that charges appear unlikely for the driver.

Despite the decline of traffic accidents involving pedestrians, the risk of becoming a victim of such unfortunate accident is still high. In order for us to prevent injuries and fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes, here are some tips from NHTSA:

• Pedestrians should be especially careful at intersections, where drivers may fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians while turning onto another street.
• Pedestrians should increase their visibility at night by carrying a flashlight when walking and by wearing retro-reflective clothing.
• Whenever possible, pedestrians should cross the street at a designated crosswalk. It is much safer to walk on a sidewalk, but if pedestrians must walk in the street, they should walk facing traffic.

For victims of pedestrian accidents in Phoenix, don’t hesitate to call our free consultation hotline at (480) 389-2463. As Arizona pedestrian accident attorneys, we are ready to assist you in getting what you deserve.

Vehicles should be taken care of by the owners whose responsibility is to make sure that their cars are always properly maintained and owners need to have and follow an auto safety checklist. Cars require frequent tune-ups and check-ups too. One of the problems that arise in vehicles is their radiators, which may leak. Leaking radiators can cause a vehicle to overheat and may cause a fire in the car. If the leaking radiator gets onto the skin, it could cause burns. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on non-crash injuries lists Radiator/Antifreeze burns as one of the top causes of injury.

In Phoenix, a child was injured due to a radiator leak from a school bus (ABC15 08/07/2011). Two buses were on a field trip when the radiator in one of the buses leaked. Police say that the radiator fluid came in contact with the ankle of one child. The child was then taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The second bus continued with the field trip.

One of the effects of coolants being in contact with the skin is that it may cause irritation. Because machine coolants dissolve metal, and these dissolved metal causes the allergic reactions in the skin that it comes in contact with. When this happens, make sure to wash the skin immediately with soap and water, and if irritation persists, please consult a doctor.

If your child has been injured by a radiator leak in their school bus, you may call us for a free consultation at (602) 267-1280. We are Arizona child injury lawyers and we may be able to help.

In the United States, injury and violence are considered to be serious threats to our children's health and well-being. Children and adolescents are at high risk for many injuries that can lead to death or disability.

According to the research from1987 to 2004 (safekids.org), child injuries acquired from motor vehicle crashes lead the list of unintentional injury and deaths among children ages 14 and below – second is drowning. Meanwhile, deaths from fires and burns are the third leading cause of fatal home injury (Runyan 2004). In fact, costs of this type of accident were: $3 billion fatal fire and burn injuries, $1 billion for hospitalized fire and burn injuries, and $3 billion non-hospitalized fire and burn injuries.

Although school fires do not often happen, it is still a threat to students especially those who do not have enough knowledge on how to deal with these types of incidents. In Ontario, a high school is currently under investigation due to the blast that occurred in a shop class killing a student and fatally injuring others.
This explosion has made parents doubt how safe their children really are while in school.

Being a victim of this type of serious fatal accident, one must know that, just like drivers or auto owners, schools can be sued for negligence. School boards have insurance that will take care of the claims.

If you child has been involved in a school accident, and you believe that the accident occurred because of negligence, contact us at (480) 389-2463 for a free consultation with one of the best child injury attorneys in Arizona.

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in children. The CDC says that every day, three children die as a result of drowning. It is the leading cause of injury or death in children aged 1-4 years old. Perhaps this is because when families go to the beach or the pool, injuries are not the first things that come to mind.

In Queen Creek, Arizona, a 2-year-old boy was found nearly drowning in just about 9 inches of water in a kiddie pool (KPHO 5/2/2011). Officials say that the mother and her children were playing in the front yard. When they went inside, they realized that the youngest wasn’t with them. They found the child in the kiddie pool. He was then airlifted to the hospital, in extremely critical condition.

Parents and relatives who have children in the house should be aware of safety measures against drowning. Children should have ample supervision when near a pool or any body of water. Apart from drowning, accidents like slipping and falling might happen. Parents could also install a fence with self-closing and self-latching gates around backyard pools to help keep the children away when the parents cannot supervise them. Kids should wear life jackets in and around beaches or lakes, even if they know how to swim. It would help if the parents know how to perform CPR, this skill comes in handy, just in case. And of course, the golden rule of parenthood is to always supervise children at all times.

If you know someone or a loved one who has been involved in an accidental or non-accidental drowning, call our Arizona child swimming pool accident lawyers for a free consultation at (480) 753-4534. We may be able to help.

Did you know that pedestrians composed roughly 12 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2009 and 3 percent of those injured in car crashes? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 276 pedestrian fatalities of children ages 15 and younger. Approximately 72 deaths occurred in intersections and 199 in non-intersections. Pedestrian injuries and fatalities are a serious national problems in the United States. In fact, research shows that motor vehicle crashes are the leading causes of unintentional injuries and deaths of children below 14 years of age.

In the recent statistics from NHTSA, it revealed that there were 4,092 pedestrian fatalities and 59,000 pedestrian injuries due to motor vehicle accidents in 2009. This only shows how vulnerable pedestrians and especially children are to such tragic incidents.

A Scottsdale pedestrian accident occurred on Lakeview Drive near Via Linda at about 3:30 p.m. Monday (04/18/11). It involved an 11-year-old girl who was crossing at midblock between two vehicles. She was hit by an Acura SUV after entering the westbound lane. The injuries was not serious but the victim was still taken to the hospital for treatment.

Police said that the girl did not cross the proper crosswalk and was about 300 meters away. Because of this, the driver of the SUV was not cited.

As precautionary measures, always use proper crosswalks and check both ways when crossing the street. Also, report any sign of negligence on the road that may lead to fatal car accidents such as impaired or speeding drivers.

If your child has been victim in a pedestrian accident, you can reach us at (602) 267-1280 for a free consultation. As one of the top Scottsdale auto accident lawyers, we may be able to help you in getting the payment you deserve for the damages you have acquired.

Bullying has become an alarming concern not just in the U.S. but for the rest of the world as well. As Arizona personal injury lawyers, hearing reports from parents about their children being injured by bullies have become more common as of late. But how widespread and big of a problem has bullying become? The Michigan personal injury attorneys of Buckfire Law have found some interesting statistics on the epidemic:

[Source: Buckfire and Buckfire.com]

85 percent of youth violence ends without any intervention from adults or peers. The high percentage of bullies who get away with their acts without any form of intervention can become an encouragement factor for them to continue such behavior.

One in every four students will become a victim of abuse by another youth, and one in every five admits to be a bully or have done acts considered as bullying. Moreover, 280,000 students in secondary schools are physically attacked each month, 160,000 students miss school each day for fear of being bullied, and 77 percent of students are victims of mental, verbal, and physical bullying.

In the U.S., Georgia was the first state to pass a law against bullying and all but 6 states have followed suit.

How does bullying affect the aggressor and its victim? Bullying can be a warning sign of greater trouble to come for bullies. Teenage bullies are prone to engage in other delinquent behavior as they grow old and are four times more likely to be convicted of crimes by age 24 as opposed to normal teens. Victims of bullying on the other hand often develop anxiety, fear, and low self esteem. There have also been numerous reports of teens committing suicide because of bullying.

If you know a victim of bullying who has been seriously injured, please call us for a free consultation at (480) 753-4534, we may be able to assist you in seeking the justice you deserve.

Parents play a vital role in protecting their kids from Arizona child injury accidents. In United States, traffic injuries are the leading cause of death of children below 14 years old. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also revealed that every hour, 150 children ages 0-19 are being treated in emergency rooms due to traffic-related injuries. As compared to other injuries, traffic injuries have a higher number of deaths for children from 5-19 years old.

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 1,538 deaths of children 15-years old and below. In the same year, out of the total fatalities of 807 in Arizona, 50 were children ages 15 and below. As compared to 2008, these numbers have decreased by 100.

In Surprise, a mother was arrested and accused of running over her daughter with her car (KPHO 3/31/11). According to police reports, the driver, a 37-year-old mother, was arguing with her 17-year old daughter inside the car, and at some point, the girl exited the car. The mother then drove towards her daughter and hit her.

Although she was not taken to the hospital, the girl sustained some injuries and was treated by paramedics on the scene. Meanwhile, the mother was arrested; assault and domestic charges were filed against her.

On Tuesday, April 5, the charges were dismissed due to lack of probable cause.

If you or your loved one has been injured in a car crash, we can be reached at (480) 753-4534. As AArizona auto accident attorneys, we are committed to helping victims obtain justice and rightful compensation.

Did you know that distracted driving accounted for 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009? On U.S. roadways, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 5,474 fatalities and about 448,000 of motor vehicle crashes involved distracted driving. NHTSA also revealed that of the total fatalities, 995 or 18 percent reported to have cell phones as their distraction.

Distracted driving can offer a serious and potential deadly threat to everyone. As defined by Distraction.gov, “distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing.”

Distracted driving are categorized into three main types:

-Visual or taking your eyes off the road;
-Manual or taking your hands off the wheel;
-And cognitive, taking your mind off what you are doing.

Some common forms of distractions are the use of cell phones, texting while driving, talking with passengers, and in-vehicle technologies and portable electronic devices usage.

Ever notice why motor-vehicle crashes are still considered to be the number one killer of American teens despite the declining number of alcohol-related crashes? This is because distracted driving habits are growing among teens, and resulting accidents are still on the rise. Research shows that about 16 percent of fatal accidents involving distracted drivers are also drivers under-20 years old, according an NHTSA study.

Continue reading "Distracted Driving Threatens Youths" »

Statistics show that vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among American teens. Most of these fatalities were caused by reckless driving, drunk driving or distracted driving. Teens are unfortunately at a higher risk of being involved in a car accident. The National Young Driver Survey found that 20 percent of 11th graders have had at least one crash for the past year and 3 percent have had about 2. The fatality rate of drivers age 16 to 19 is four times higher than that of drivers age 25 to 69.

Because of this, the Arizona Highway Patrol Association (AHPA) in collaboration with Impact Teen Drivers, arranged a public awareness program that aims to educate teens on the dangers of drunk, reckless, or distracted driving. These sponsors are in charge of giving educational materials not only to teens, but to parents, teachers and members of the community as well. The program also let teens experience real-time driving scenarios. The experience is kept in a controlled, safe environment at a track at Avondale Toyota/Scion.

Indeed this event is helpful in educating teens about the dangers of distracted driving to help reduce these incidents in Arizona. Another effort to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving is the American Lawyer Academy’s Viral Video Scholarship contest, for which the Husband and Wife Law Team is the Southwest regional sponsor. Students were instructed to create a video enforcing safe driving habits to enter for a chance to win up to a $10,000 scholarship. Videos are open to public voting today! Cast your vote every day to help your favorite video!

Continue reading "Preventing Teens from Distracted Driving" »

More than 1,300 people suffer serious injuries and 16 people are killed every day due to accidents caused by distracted drivers (CDC). Distracted driving is taking one’s attention away from driving due to preoccupation with something else, such as using a mobile phone. In 2009, about 5,500 people were killed due to distracted driving in the U.S. alone (AZfamily 3/7/2011).

In a recent poll conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Consumer Reports on distracted driving, it was found that 63% of those aged below 30 were guilty of distracted driving, being on their mobile phones or texting while driving. The rates were lower for those who were 30 and above. Only a small percentage of the younger population felt that driving while using a mobile phone was actually dangerous (AZfamily 3/7/2011).

Being distracted while driving increases the chance of crashing into another vehicle, resulting in injured people, or even death. Teens have the highest proportion of distracted driving (CDC). Researchers say the reasons are the teens’ lack of experience behind the wheel as well as peer pressure. Socialization plays a big role in distracted driving, as teens are becoming more conditioned into the habit of immediate responses to text messages and phone calls, even while driving.

The U.S. government is currently taking steps to halt this rampant problem by enacting laws, which are geared towards reducing this problem. Also, proper education through the family and school is being encouraged by the government.

Continue reading "Distracted Driving Accidents" »

Teenagers are three times more likely to be involved in fatal car crashes than any other age group. A recent poll about distracted driving from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Consumer Reports Magazine revealed that 9 percent of people over thirty years old have admitted to sending text messages on the road, while this number is 30 percent for people below the age of thirty.

More shockingly, the poll stated that 41 percent of people above thirty years old have made calls as they were driving, while for people below thirty, this number was a staggering 63 percent.

Within quite close time frames of each other, Mountain Pointe High School suffered a traumatic loss from the deaths of two of their most brilliant and remembered graduates. A wonderful student described as exemplary for both her academic achievements and her heart, was killed on February 18 shortly after moving to California. She was a Mountain Pointe High School graduate of 2007 and was killed in a car crash on the 405 freeway near LA.

Almost immediately following this young woman’s death, a second blow was dealt when another former female student, a track and field legend in both her school and the state, was killed in a Maricopa street intersection while riding her bike. She was hit by a pickup truck and died at the age of 27.

Today, teens are killed by car crashes more than any other cause of death. And according to the Department of Transportation in 2009, traffic accidents were responsible for the deaths of 5,500 people in the U.S.

Continue reading "2 Former Mountain Pointe High School Students Killed in Car Wrecks" »

Every 50 minutes, a life is lost due to a drunk driving accident in the U.S. (NHTSA, 2009). In Arizona, the Department of Public Safety and police departments reported that 7,756 car crashes every year involve a pedestrian or a drunk driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .01 or more (AZfamily, 3/15/11).

While a BAC of .01 may seem insignificant, individuals can react at different levels to alcohol, so even at this low level, some users can actually become significantly impaired.

As the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day approaches tomorrow, the Scottsdale Police Department has placed safety as a top priority during the event. Police officers will be out on DUI inspections at a checkpoint at Palm Lane and Scottsdale Road, from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. The police will be paying special attention to drivers going southbound on Scottsdale Road, heading from Old Town bars and nightlife.

For every impaired driving fatality, Arizonans pay approximately $3.3 million in monetary and quality of life losses. If alcohol-related crashes in Arizona were reduced by even 10%, it would save $50 million annually in insurance costs.

If only to spare the financial implications of a drunk driving accident, please drink responsibly during your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. AAA Arizona is again offering their free “Tipsy Tow” service starting at 6pm Thursday night through 6am on Friday. You don’t even have to be an AAA member—just call 1-800-AAA-HELP and say you need a “Tipsy Tow” and an AAA truck will provide a free one-way ride home within a 10 mile radius of the starting location.

Continue reading "Scottsdale Drunk Driver Checkpoint Planned for St. Patrick's Day" »

Safe Kids USA, an organization working towards preventing unintentional child injuries, revealed that motor vehicle crashes ranks first in leading causes of unintentional injury and deaths among children below 14 years old in the United States.

Every year, there are over 3,000 large trucks involved in fatal crashes nationwide (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2009). Arizona alone lost 67 lives to fatal truck accidents in 2009. Out of the 67 fatal accidents, 18 trucks were involved in single-vehicle crashes and 49 were involved in multiple-vehicle crashes.

Two people were seriously injured and hospitalized as a result of an accident in Glendale on Wednesday night (AZ Central 3/2/11). The incident started when the driver of a landscaping truck with a trailer came to a stop near 47th and Olive avenues to avoid hitting a person, who was at that time, crossing the street. Due to the sudden stop, a silver car carrying two women and a young boy struck the trailer. Then another car rear-ended the silver car. The driver of the silver car was critically injured, and the boy who was with her had to be extricated from the car, suffering life-threatening injuries.

Many studies have been done on child fatalities, and sadly, car crashes have been found to be the number one killer of children in the country, over and over again. As parents, we don’t want to see this trend continue. There are many safety precautions to take to protect your children in the car—most important is the appropriate child seat. Children should ride in car or booster seats until they reach 80-100 pounds or 8-12 years of age. Take the time to make sure your child’s seat is properly installed; an incorrect installation renders the seat useless in a crash. Free car seat checks are available all over the valley: Visit www.seatcheck.org to find a location near you.

Continue reading "2 Seriously Injured in Glendale Truck Accident" »

A man was arrested earlier this week after endangering the lives of seven kids. In what could have led to another Mesa accident, the 23-year-old suspect was stopped and is accused of drunk driving with seven kids with ages ranging from 6 to 13 on board (AZ Central 02/22/11).

Mesa police say the person looking after the kids asked her good friend to drive them all home. Unfortunately, the driver was drunk. Further investigations revealed that his blood alcohol concentration was two times over the legal limit.

According to one of the kids, four of them sat at the backseat while the other three were stuffed inside the trunk of the drunk driver's sports car.

Luckily, the suspect was apprehended by police near Mesa Drive and Broadway Road and the terrified children were saved.

The person originally looking after the kids was present the whole time and was in fact the mother of two of the kids that were inside the trunk of the car.

Police added the suspect had been involved in a number of traffic incidents, one of which was a fatal hit-and-run accident and has previously been cited for DUI.

The driver faces seven counts of child endangerment and DUI and is now locked behind bars while the other adult faces child endangerment.

Continue reading "Mesa man arrested for DUI, 7 kids on board" »

Did you know that injuries from car accidents are the leading cause of death among children in the United States? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 150 children between 0 and 19 are treated in emergency departments due to traffic-related accidents every hour, and more children from ages 5 to 19 die from crash-related injuries as compared from any other type of injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System reported that the total number of fatalities of children ages 15 and below was 1,538 in 2009. Although that is 100 fatalities less than 2008, the number is still alarming. In Arizona, 50 out of the 807 fatalities in 2009 were children ages 15 and below.

On Sunday evening, an 8-year old girl from Queen Creek was injured after she was run over by her father's car (KPHO 02/06/11). Authorities said that the girl lost her grip and fell after grabbing her father's truck while he was pulling out of the driveway.

The girl was taken to a care facility with broken ribs and then to a hospital.

Parents play a vital role in protecting their children not only against traffic injuries on the road but also within the premises of their own homes. As parents of eight ourselves, we are constantly on the lookout for potential hazards. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has provided some protective tips for parents to apply while in the car with their children:

Know the Stages
• Typically, babies should be placed in rear facing car seats until they are at least 1 year old and weigh 20 pounds.
• When babies move into front-facing car seats, they should remain in these seats until they are at least 4 years old or weigh 40 pounds.
• Children should be seated in booster seats from about age 4 to age 8, or until they reach 4’9" tall.
• All children ages 12 and under should be seated in the back seat of vehicles.

Continue reading "Queen Creek Child Injured in Back-Over Accident" »

Did you know that drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely to crash per mile driven than older drivers? Teen drivers are at a very high risk every time they’re on the road. So high in fact, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated, that fatal car accidents have become the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.

In recent news, another teen driver has been involved in a west valley accident Tuesday morning (KPHO 01/25/2011). The 17-year-old driver, for reasons yet to be known, veered his SUV into the westbound lanes of U.S. 60 and sideswiped two cars just before crashing into another in the far left lane.

The accident left three people injured including the teen driver who suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries. Hurt victims were transported to nearby hospitals.

While investigations continue to pinpoint the exact cause of the accident, witnesses told authorities that speeding could have been a factor.

The wreck caused Eastbound U.S. 60 to be closed and was not available until 8:30 a.m.
In 2009, eight teens ages 16 to 19 died every day due to injuries acquired from motor vehicle crashes (CDC). Factors such as driver inexperience and distracted driving, cell phone use in particular, play a big role as to why teen drivers are at the greatest risk.

Continue reading "Teen Driver and 2 Others Hurt in Surprise Car Crash" »