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

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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Estate of paralyzed Staten Island man awarded $1.2M

Frank Dito — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:13:07 +0000

Silive is reporting the settlement of a lawsuit with the estate of a pedestrian that was hit by a car in 2002. The victim, Lawrence Sinsheimer, was paralyzed after he was struck by a Mercedes-Benz in August of 2002 on Midland Avenue. The driver of the car, Ajay Angras, hit Mr. Sinsheimer with such force that he was knocked out of his shoes and thrown 40 feet into the air. He was paralyzed from the waist down and spent his remaining days in a nursing home, where he died from causes unrelated to the accident, said his lawyer, Bruce G. Behrins. The case settled at a conference before Justice John A. Fusco prior to jury selection. The defendant was represented by the law firm of Connors and Connors.

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8 car pile up in Brooklyn

Frank Dito — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:34:36 +0000

1010wins is reporting that several people were hurt an 8 car accident early this morning in Brooklyn, New York. The accident occurred about 8:15 a.m. on De Kalb Avenue between Wyckoff Avenue and Stockholm. Two people were taken to Wyckoff Hospital, one in critical condition and the other in serious condition.

If you have been injured in a car accident, please call the law firm of Decker, Decker, Dito & Internicola to speak with an attorney that will let you know your legal rights.

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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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Ski Helmets and Traumatic Brain Injuries

Frank Dito — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:03:19 +0000

I recently took my family skiing to Jiminy Peak resort in the Berkshire Mountains, east of Albany, New York. This year, we introduced my 5-year old son to skiing. For his first lesson, we made sure that we bought him a helmet. As an attorney, after representing numerous clients who suffered traumatic brain injuries, I will not ride a bicycle without a helmet or allow my son to use his Razor scooter without one. What I never thought about wearing was a ski helmet. Helmets were always the uniform of downhill racers or snowboarders but not the average skier. For 30 years, I wore a hat and never thought differently despite what I experienced first hand as an attorney. When I was skiing this year, I couldn’t help but notice that something had changed. Helmets were not only more prevalent, they had become an essential piece of equipment. So I decided to buy one. I traded in the wool hat for a plastic and Styrofoam number, similar to a bicycle helmet. Surprisingly, it was very comfortable and warm to wear. When I was able to access the internet, I wanted to know how effective helmets are in preventing injuries. The answer is plainly obvious. The Winter 2005 issue of Ski Safety News cites the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 1999 report “Skiing Helmets: An Evaluation of the Potential to Reduce Head Injury” which concluded that 7,700 head injuries could be prevented or reduced in severity, and 11 fatalities be avoided altogether, simply by helmet use.

Other studies have shown that head injuries constitute only 5-15% of all injuries from ski and snowboard accidents, yet are the primary cause of disabling injuries and death. A study by A. Stewart Levy, M.D. in the Journal of Trauma noted that although head injury represents only a small fraction of skier and snowboarder injuries overall, it is the leading cause of death and serious injury on the slopes, including traumatic brain injury, skull fractures, heamtomas and concussions. The use of helmets, they note, would undoubtedly reduce the incidence and severity of head injury and death among skiers and snowboarders. One patient in the study that was wearing a helmet fell down a 15 foot embankment and struck a tree. He suffered only a mild concussion and was released from the hospital after an overnight stay! The benefits are clear – always wear a helmet. At a cost of only $50 for a basic helmet, can you really afford not to be without one?

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