Connecticut Child Injury Lawyer Blog

The recall of certain MacGregor and Mitre Soccer goals was prompted by the strangulation death of a 21 month old boy. The netting must have looked like an attractive climbing area. What he could not know was that the netting he was climbing on had cords set up in grids that were five inches (5") wide. Wide enough to allow his head to easily pop through, but trapping him there. As a result of this defectively designed piece of athletic equipment, the boy was strangled, and died. Because the grids were probably too wide, the goal, and 190,000 others manufactured by MacGregor and Mitre, were recalled, to avoid causing additional serious personal injuries to young children, according to Sporting Kid, the National Alliance for Youth Sports Winter 2008 publication (www.nays.org)

Sports are risky enough. Defective sporting equipment and other defective products used in sports enhance those risks, especially when used by children. Serious personal injuries occur every day on the sports fields. I have been coaching for six years, and make it a priority to check the fields, equipment, courts and players' personal equipment prior to the start of practice or a game. Most towns encourage feedback on the condition of their athletic facilities. Parents and coaches must be on the lookout for problems with defective equipment, and notify officials and those responsible for the equipment of concerns with the safety, design and set-up of sports equipment and facilities. If you or your child were injured while participating in a sports event, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer who has handled these types of claims, and can explain your rights.

More information on product safety, recalls and warnings can be found at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website, or at the State of Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection

Two students at Milford, Connecticut’s Pine Academy, based in the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club, were allegedly subjected to an illegal and humiliating search when they were ordered to open their drawers (their pants) on authority of the principal, to allow two male teachers to look beneath their clothing for money another teacher claimed was missing. This type of search is not allowed. If true, the illegal search on school grounds is not only an invasion of the students’ privacy, but could expose Milford and its Board of Education to civil penalties, including compensatory and/or punitive damages under both state and federal civil rights laws.

Whenever a student suffers serious personal injuries, or is otherwise exposed to a wrong at school, or when a student claims his rights were violated, both the town and the board of education, which operates as an independent entity in Connecticut, can be held responsible. However, state and federal laws have notice requirements whenever a claim is to be made against a town, municipality or board of education, which can be as short as 180 days from the date of the occurrence. The notice must be in strict compliance with the requirements, or all bets are off, and the claim will be barred.

If you suspect that your child suffered serious personal injuries, or was the victim of inappropriate conduct while at school, or under school supervision and authority, you should consult a qualified Connecticut personal injury attorney to ensure your rights are protected.

Strip searches probed; principal on leave, Connecticut Post, On-line edition, Melvin Mason Staff Writer 12-11-08