Connecticut Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Each year, tens of thousands of bicycle riders tour the scenic and relatively flat coastal roads of Fairfield, Westport, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich, Connecticut. In addition, while school is out, many of the cyclists on these roads are children, who are less experienced, and not nearly as visible as adults while they ride. As a result, children are at greater risk of serious personal injuries while riding their bicycles on the roads, sidewalks and other areas where there are cars moving about.

In a prior article, Injury Prevention Bulletin, I wrote about the World Health Organization report on the number of accidental deaths of children. One of their top suggestions for reducing that shocking number of serious injuries to and death of children was to regularly use bicycle helmets.

In an effort to reduce the severity of accidents when they do occur, Connecticut, has a strict (Bicycle Helmet law: CGS section 14-286b) which requires all riders under age 15 to wear an approved helmet. This Connecticut helmet law (one of only 22 states that have one at all), appropriately holds parents accountable for ensuring compliance. To determine if a helmet is "approved," look for a label referencing either American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling/ and click on "certified helmets" under "Find Out."

Having three young children, all of whom ride, I, too wear a helmet at all times, even when just cruising in our driveway. This consistent use of a helmet is not only an example for my kids, but has, on at least one occasion, saved me, a former triathlete and bicycle racer, form a potentially serious injury. While exiting my own driveway, I had a mechanical malfunction, which caused my bike to come to an unexpected stop, pitching me over the handlebars so suddenly I had no chance to make any mid-flight adjustment to protect myself. I landed squarely on my head, which was fortunately covered by a good helmet. While I was certainly surprised, and embarrassed, I was also relieved not to have been hurt, at all, despite cracking the top of the helmet.

Continue reading " Connecticut Bicycle Helmet Safety Regulation " »

An Easton, Connecticut student's attempt to break up a fight on the Staples Elementary School recess field resulted in her being seriously injured with a broken arm. In the realm of "no good deed going unpunished," the student's injury could have been prevented, say her parents, in a lawsuit alleging negligent supervision against the school's principal and the Easton Board of Education.

Boards of Education, and each school under its purview, are required to have safety protocols in place with regard to how teachers and others supervise students both inside the classroom, and everywhere else on school property and during school sponsored activities. Having those protocols is not, however, enough. There must be affirmative steps taken at all times to ensure those protocols are followed, every day. Unfortunately, even a small lapse in procedure can result in a serious compromise of student safety.

In this Easton, Connecticut school playground injury incident, one of the key elements of the claim is that there were too few recess monitors, a seemingly easy problem to have prevented. The girl's injuries are alleged to have been a broken arm requiring surgery, which has left her both mentally and physically scarred. In negligent supervision claims such as this one, it is the injured party's burden to prove that the school's negligence (not having adequate protocols, too few recess monitors) caused her injuries. If it is clear to the students that certain behavior will not be tolerated, and that there are teachers and staff diligently watching them, the risk that students will fight, or be bullied, is dramatically reduced. At the very least, we can be more comfortable that those to whom we entrust our children for most of the day are as safe as they can be.

Continue reading " Easton, Connecticut Student Injured on School Playground " »

Bunnell High School in Stratford, Connecticut was the scene of an allegedly racially charged fight between students at a talent show. The victim of this Stratford, Connecticut bullying incident, a participant in the talent show, and African American, alleges that she was bullied verbally during the show. When the show ended, the verbal bullying continued, and, the victim stated, threats were made by the two white girls verbally assaulting the participant.

It is unclear as to why school officials or security did not remove the two white girls, who were making the verbal assaults, from the show, or otherwise intervene to avoid a physical confrontation. The white girls were apparently told to stop, but nothing further was done, according to news reports (Connecticut Post, Thursday February 12, 2009), until the verbal confrontation turned physical. All involved were arrested on a variety of charges.

It is highly likely that, given the nature of the verbal assaults, and the claims of a racially motivated component, that this Stratford, Connecticut bullying incident will require further investigation. The question for this writer is why the school representatives and others officiating at the show did not take much earlier steps to avoid the escalation to violence, especially in light of their obligations under Connecticut's newly enacted anti-bullying statutes .

Continue reading " Stratford CT High School Talent Show Fight-Bullying Suspected " »