Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

Windows Can be an Unexpected Hazard in Your Hialeah or Florida Home

Published on: April 14, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Many of us don’t think too much about the safety of windows, but windows are in fact responsible for many serious injuries to children in Hialeah and across Florida. There are several ways that children can be injured and several ways that we can help prevent these types of injuries:

1) Falls.

Children are sometimes able to open a window in an apartment complex or in a home and are able to crawl out of the window, falling to the ground below. This often results in fatalities, spinal cord injury, or head injury. If you have curious toddlers or young children, make sure that the windows in their room are securely latched and cannot be opened easily. Do not push cribs, beds, or other furniture up against a window or under a window; these can provide a surface for a child to climb up onto the window.

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Keeping Homestead Kids Safe: Preventing Injury in Youth Sports

Published on: April 9, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Research has shown that youth participation in sports can help build confidence, good fitness levels, discipline, leadership skills, social skills, and more. Student athletes also qualify for scholarships and other awards. While there are certainly many benefits to taking part in sports during high school and college, athletes are at risk for certain types of injuries.

This month is National Youth Sports Safety Month, and it’s a good time to make sure that you and your child’s school are doing everything possible to keep your child safe. This month, you will want to:

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Coaches and Other Staff are on the Front Lines in Preventing Sports Injury

Published on: March 10, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

The Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention released a study last month finding that football coaches with a sports-based education may help make football safer for young athletes. Researchers examined data for about 2,108 athletes between the ages 5 and 15. The study found that the football athletes were 43% less likely to sustain concussions in practices and 29% less likely to sustain a concussion when playing a game if their coaches had taken part in the USA Football “Heads-Up Football” training program.

The study is important in that it suggests that all coaches are not made alike. Whether a parent is choosing a coach for afterschool practice or a school is hiring an athletic director for their sports department, experience and training matter. There many ways that we can ensure that our children can avoid sports injuries in Hollywood and across Florida:

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Do You Have a Tree on Your Property? Here are Some Tips to Keep You and Your Family Safe

Published on: January 6, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Miami Beach and other Florida communities are known for their natural beauty and their green spaces. Many homeowners across the state enjoy year-round gardening and have large yards. Many suburban communities in the region are also built along include tree-lined streets, so many residents have at least one tree on their property. If this is the case with your home, did you know that your tree might put you at risk of injuries and legal action? The most common issues that homeowners have with trees include:

1) Child injuries.

If a child enters another property and climbs onto a tree or into a tree house or on a tree swing, they can easily be injured. Under Florida law, property owners have a special duty of care to children, especially if they have something on their property – such as a tree swing or tree house – that may attract a child. In these cases, property owners are expected to take extra precautions to ensure that children who wander onto the property are not injured.

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Do You Have Young Guests Coming Over this Holiday Season? Here’s How to Make Your Home Safe

Published on: December 2, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

If your holiday plans this year include inviting guests to your home, you will want to take steps to make sure that your home is safe. This is especially the case if any of your guests will be bringing their children with them. Florida laws state that property owners have a special duty of care to children that may be on their property. If any of your guests will be minors, you will want to:

1) Secure any areas that pose a drowning danger.

If you have a swimming pool on your property, prevent drowning and pool injury in your Homestead or Florida home by keeping the area locked and secure. However, keep in mind that even a decorative pond or a few inches of water that are part of holiday décor can pose a drowning hazard for small children.

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Fun (and Safety) At Florida’s Theme Parks and Amusement Parks

Published on: November 14, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

If you have friends and family visiting your Miami or Florida home for the holidays, it is likely that you will take your guests out to see the many visitor attractions that South Florida has to offer. If you have children visiting, you will want to visit one of the area’s many theme parks or amusement parks. To keep you visit safe as well as fun, be sure to follow these safety tips:

1) Check and follow all park rules. Read the individual rules for each ride as well as overall rules for the theme park. These rules exist to keep you safe.

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Teaching Your Child to Avoid School Bus Accidents

Published on: October 22, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

School bus accidents in Homestead and Florida are thankfully not very common. School bus drivers are trained to transport children safely and passenger car drivers are taught to slow down and stop when children are entering or disembarking a bus. While car accident collisions are far more common, however, this does not mean that school buses are completely safe. Unfortunately, some negligent drivers illegally drive around school buses that are stopped, putting children at risk.

If your child uses school buses in Homestead or any Florida community, you will want to teach your child a few safety tips to ensure that they can avoid a pedestrian collision, even if drivers are negligent:

1) Teach your child to look both ways when getting off a bus.

While children may simply rush into moving traffic, expecting it to be stopped, there may be drivers who ignore the rules. Teach your child to look for traffic before proceeding. This is a good skill that will help them when they walk to school, too.

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Time to Review Halloween Safety Tips to Prevent Child Injury

Published on: October 3, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

At this time of year, stores are filled with Halloween candies and costumes. This is also the season when many parents are stocking up on candies, costumes, and festive decorations. Unfortunately, some of these items can lead to child injury in Homestead or your community – especially if costumes and decorations are not used as intended. To keep your family safe, follow these safety tips:

1) Buy or make costumes that allow for easy mobility.

Whether you buy costumes, rent them, or make your own, make sure that they are easy to move in. Costumes that upset a child’s balance or restrict their arms or legs too much can create fall hazards.

2) Be careful of tripping hazards.

Long cords, hems, and tails on costumes can pose a tripping hazard. For younger children, long necklaces or drawstrings can also pose a strangling hazard. Look for costumes that fit properly and will not trip your child up.

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Bullying and Child Injury in Homestead and Florida: What to Do if Your Child is Affected

Published on: September 26, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

In many cases, families don’t know what to do about bullying. Parents can also have a hard time stopping bullying because:

Children who are bullied may be too embarrassed to come forward or may try to hide evidence of bullying
Bullies may deny their actions
Bullying may happen online, where it leaves few clues
Schools and school boards may do little to stop a bully once the bullying is revealed
The bullying may happen in situations or areas where there is little adult monitoring, making it harder to stop

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Avoiding Back-to-School Child Injuries

Published on: August 13, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

While schools work hard to provide a safe environment for students, accidents and injuries do happen at schools. Child injury in Hollywood and other Florida communities can especially be a risk during the first few weeks of the new year. There is a new routine for students to get used to, and in some cases a new school means new challenges. Sometimes, children are so focused on getting back to class that they may be less cautious. There are a few things that parents can do, however, to keep their children safe at this time of year:

1) Consider traffic and pedestrian accidents.

Traffic crashes in Hollywood and other Florida communities are among the leading causes of child injury. Whether you are driving your children to school or your children are walking to school, come up with a way to keep them safe. If your child walks or bikes to school, that may mean having your child head to school with an older sibling or friends. If you drive your child to school, staying safer may mean carpooling or leaving a little earlier to avoid distracted and unsafe driving.

2) Take a look at your child’s schedule and after-school activities.

Injuries can happen at school, so take a look at what your child does at school to find ways to reduce the dangers. If your child takes part in after-school sports, for example, does your child have the right helmet and other safety gear to prevent sports injury at their Hollywood school? Is the coach qualified to train and supervise students? If your child has a science class, does he or she have safety goggles and any other required safety equipment?

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