Staten Island, New York Child Injury Lawyer Blog | Brooklyn Child Accident Attorney » death

Car Seat Safety

Frank Dito — Sat, 30 May 2009 02:13:29 +0000

As an attorney and father of two young children, nothing angers me more than an incorrectly installed car seat. I have seen firsthand how a car accident can wreck so many lives. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that car accidents are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, but many of these deaths can be prevented. Placing children in age– and size–appropriate car and booster seats reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.

What You Can Do To Keep Your Child Safe:

Seat all children ages 12 and younger in the back seat and be sure they are properly restrained every time they ride with you–even during those quick trips to CVS, which Staten Island has far too many of.
Read the instructions to make sure you are properly installing and using the seat. One study found that 73% of nearly 3,500 observed child restraint systems were misused in a way that could increase a child’s risk of injury in an accident.
Send in your car seat registration card so that the manufacturer can contact you about any recalls. You can also call the NHTSA Auto Safety Hotline at (888) 327–4236 to find out about recalls.
Replace any car seat that was used during a car accident. They are made of styrofoam that compresses in an accident, making them one-time use only.
When choosing a car or booster seat, it’s important to find one that is age–and size– appropriate and fits in your car.
Children should start using a booster seat when they grow out of their child safety seats (usually when they weigh about 40 pounds). They should continue to ride in a booster seat until the shoulder belts in the car fit properly, typically when they are about 4′9″ tall.

Booster seats have been shown to reduce injury risk by 59% compared to safety belts alone, for children ages 4 to 7.

If you have any question or concerns about the installation of your car seat, stop by your local firehouse and ask for free inspection or use the following link to find a Child Safety Seat Inspection Center near you. On Staten Island, the Staten Island Safety City Learning Center is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It could be the most important 10 minutes that you spend.

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Falling Flat Screen TV’s Pose New Danger to Children

Frank Dito — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:18:18 +0000

The proliferation of readily affordable large flat-panel displays in the home has brought about an unintended and dangerous consequence. The increase in flat-panel televisions and the furniture they rest on has led to a proportionate increase in the number of children rushed to emergency rooms because of the TV or furniture falling on them. Over the past few years, two children have been killed or injured on Staten Island by falling TV sets. On March 17, 2006, 2-year old Christopher Dylan Damiano of Great Kills died after a 32-inch television fell off its stand in his Nelson Avenue home. A 7-year old Tottenville girl was injured in February 2007 by a falling TV. Two other children were killed in the Bronx. The tragedies occur when children climb furniture to either get to the TV or to the vcr/dvd player usually located on top of the furniture. The TV’s or the furniture they are on tip over with tragic consequences.

Statistics have shown that 3/4 of the 17,000 children injured yearly by falling furniture are younger than 6 years old. Children of that age are unable to understand the danger of climbing on furniture. The new flat panel TVs have a very high center of gravity and are prone to tipping over. Although they are light compared to the old style tube TVs, an average 32″ flat panel weighs approximately 25 pounds, sufficient to fatally injure a child, especially when falling from atop a dresser. The furniture that the TVs are placed on also has changed. as the TVs have become narrower and less stable, so has the furniture upon which it rests, creating a very dangerous situation.

Although legislation was introduced to to require stringent standards for the manufacturer of furniture that poses a substantial risk of tipping. Unfortunately, the legislation twice died in committee.

You can prevent such tragedies from occuring by following some simple precautions. The simplest and most secure is to use the straps and brackets that are supplied with some flat-panels. Sure, you’ll have to make some holes in your wall but holes can be easily fixed. Would you want to risk serious injury to your child because you were too lazy to drill a few holes in a wall? I didn’t think so. Also, eliminate temptation by removing toys and remote controls from atop the TV or furniture. Finally, the simplest and best solution: always be aware of what your children are doing and where they are.

If your child has been injured by a falling TV or furniture, please contact attorney Frank J. Dito, Jr., Esq., at (718) 979-4300 so that you may discuss your legal rights. Remember, your time to do so is very limited so please call today

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14-year old Staten Island girl killed in car accident

Frank Dito — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:42:38 +0000

Staten Island resident Regina Kriklivy, 14, was killed Sunday night on Route 80 in Roxbury Township, New Jersey, nj.com is reporting. Ms. Kriklivy was a passenger in the back seat of her family’s minivan and was ejected as it spun out of control across the interstate’s east bound lanes at around 7:30 p.m. The Staten Island Advance reported that

Regina Kriklivy was riding in the eastbound lanes when the minivan collided with a school van carrying 14 children from New Jersey, starting a chain of crashes that also involved a tractor-trailer.

Her father Oleg, 45, mother Larisa, 45 and brother Arthur, 18, were also riding in the vehicle but received non-life threatening injuries in the 7:34 a.m. crash. All eastbound lanes of I-80 were closed for nearly eight hours after the crash.

After the minivan collided with the van, it spun across the highway and slammed into a guard rail. Miss Kriklivy was ejected from the minivan when it hit the rail a second time after spinning around.

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Man Settles Case against City of New York for $2.5M

Frank Dito — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:50:02 +0000

Decker, Decker, Dito & Internicola, LLP is pleased to announce the recent settlement with the City of New York for our client who was injured in the October 15, 2005 crash of the Staten Island Ferry boat Andrew J. Barberi. Our client was a passenger onboard the Barberi and sustained serious injuries when the ferry boat crashed into a concrete pier just outside the St. George Terminal. Despite his injuries, the client continued to aid in the rescue of the severely injured passengers on the ferry while awaiting emergency help. The client sustained numerous injuries to his neck, knee and shoulder during the crash. Due to his injuries, the client underwent spinal fusion surgery and multiple knee and shoulder surgeries. The case settled for $2,500,000.00 prior to the scheduled February 16, 2009 trial date. We wish the client well and hope that he will further recover from his injuries as time moves on. It was a privilege and an honor to represent him throughout this ordeal and we know that the future will bring him better days.

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Just Wear It!

Frank Dito — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:04:55 +0000

As the boating season approaches, the North American Safe Boating Campaign kicks off National Safe Boating Week on May 16, 2009. The Campaign focuses on promoting life jacket use amongst recreational boaters. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, of all the boating related fatalities, 90% of those who drowned were not wearing life preservers. Boating combined with the effects of drinking alcohol was a contrubuting factor in 21% of those deaths. What is even more alarming is that drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in those under 15 years of age. The BoatUS Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Program provides free use of over 90,000 child life preservers per year nationwide. Use their online Loaner Site Locator or look for BoatUS signs at your local marina.

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