Boston Child Brain Injury Blog

Boston introduced its new Hubway bike-sharing program a few weeks ago, which means more bicycles will be on the busy roadways of the city. According to a recent article in The Boston Globe, the new eco-friendly program will hopefully also result in more bicyclists wearing their bike helmets whenever they go out for a ride.

With the warmer weather still here, kids are enjoying being out of school and many ride their bicycles through their neighborhood or local parks. However, the Globe article reported that less than 50% of all kids who ride bikes actually wear their helmets and about 50% of injuries stemming from bicycle accidents require medical attention, specifically for treatment of a head injury.

The article also mentioned studies that are looking into the long-term or even permanent toll that head injuries can have on those who have sustained a head injury. Additionally, there was a focus on just how important it is to try and prevent this type of devastating injury by encouraging the use of helmets while bicycling and while participating in various other sports.

Under Massachusetts law, children younger than 16 are required to wear their helmet while on their bikes. Are you making sure your child wears his helmet whenever he goes out for a ride – even if it’s just in the driveway?

Safety Tips Regarding Helmets
Parents should always be a role model for their children, especially so with wearing a helmet.

• Show your child just how important biking safe is by always wearing your helmet when bicycling
• Praise your son or daughter whenever he or she puts on their helmet without being asked
• Have your child pick out their own color and style of bicycle helmet. This will make your kids want to wear the helmet more

Bicycling Reminders for Kids
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that parents go over these essential bike safety reminders with their kids:

• Always ride on the right side of the roadway, biking with traffic
• Make sure you follow all of the posted traffic signs and lights at all intersections
• When you want to cross the street, make sure you look both ways several times before riding across the road
• Remember to use your hands to signal which way you’re going to turn
• Look ahead of you at all times so you can avoid any rough patches, sand or gravel in the road
• Never wear your headphones or earbuds while biking

When Should You Contact a Boston Child Injury Attorney?
If your child has suffered serious injuries in a bicycle accident due to a reckless driver in Massachusetts, contact a Boston child injury lawyer with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options before you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer.

Attorney Tom Kiley, also known as The Million Dollar Man, has over 30 years of experience and a successful track record of obtaining seven figure wins for clients in auto accident cases, medical malpractice, child birth injuries, brain injuries, and other personal injury cases.

Call 800-410-2769 to receive your FREE legal consultation today. And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

Boston introduced its new Hubway bike-sharing program a few weeks ago, which means more bicycles will be on the busy roadways of the city. According to a recent article in The Boston Globe, the new eco-friendly program will hopefully also result in more bicyclists wearing their bike helmets whenever they go out for a ride.

With the warmer weather still here, kids are enjoying being out of school and many ride their bicycles through their neighborhood or local parks. However, the Globe article reported that less than 50% of all kids who ride bikes actually wear their helmets and about 50% of injuries stemming from bicycle accidents require medical attention, specifically for treatment of a head injury.

The article also mentioned studies that are looking into the long-term or even permanent toll that head injuries can have on those who have sustained a head injury. Additionally, there was a focus on just how important it is to try and prevent this type of devastating injury by encouraging the use of helmets while bicycling and while participating in various other sports.

Under Massachusetts law, children younger than 16 are required to wear their helmet while on their bikes. Are you making sure your child wears his helmet whenever he goes out for a ride – even if it’s just in the driveway?

Safety Tips Regarding Helmets
Parents should always be a role model for their children, especially so with wearing a helmet.

• Show your child just how important biking safe is by always wearing your helmet when bicycling
• Praise your son or daughter whenever he or she puts on their helmet without being asked
• Have your child pick out their own color and style of bicycle helmet. This will make your kids want to wear the helmet more

Bicycling Reminders for Kids
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that parents go over these essential bike safety reminders with their kids:

• Always ride on the right side of the roadway, biking with traffic
• Make sure you follow all of the posted traffic signs and lights at all intersections
• When you want to cross the street, make sure you look both ways several times before riding across the road
• Remember to use your hands to signal which way you’re going to turn
• Look ahead of you at all times so you can avoid any rough patches, sand or gravel in the road
• Never wear your headphones or earbuds while biking

When Should You Contact a Boston Child Injury Attorney?
If your child has suffered serious injuries in a bicycle accident due to a reckless driver in Massachusetts, contact a Boston child injury lawyer with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options before you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer.

Attorney Tom Kiley, also known as The Million Dollar Man, has over 30 years of experience and a successful track record of obtaining seven figure wins for clients in auto accident cases, medical malpractice, child birth injuries, brain injuries, and other personal injury cases.

Call 800-410-2769 to receive your FREE legal consultation today. And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

Erica Ryan, 25, of Roxbury faces a charge of assault and battery on a child that stemmed from an incident last Tuesday afternoon on an MBTA bus in Roxbury, after Ryan reportedly punched her 2-year-old son in the mouth and caused him to bleed.

Thankfully, her fellow MBTA riders stopped Ryan from walking away and immediately called police to report what they had witnessed.

The Boston Globe reports that around 3:30pm that day, police responded to a group of individuals who had surrounded Ryan and her infant.

Ryan had reportedly been attempting to feed her toddler while on the Route 23 bus. When her son would not eat, Ryan used vulgarities and obscenities towards the child and then punched him in the mouth.

After Ryan punched her son, MBTA riders approached her and the boy out of concern for his well-being after seeing the child abuse incident and called police. When Ryan tried to leave the bus, the riders continued to follow her and then surrounded her, in order to prevent her from leaving before police responded.

Police confirmed that the toddler had dried blood around his mouth from being hit. There is also security footage of the shocking situation and it reportedly shows Ryan hitting her son, with his head snapping back while seated in his stroller.

The little boy was taken to a Boston hospital for an evaluation and was then released to his grandfather.

Child Abuse Statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that child protective services identified 772,000 children in the U.S. in 2008 who were suffering from abuse, neglect, or another form of maltreatment.

It is a sad reality that many child injuries result from parental child abuse. The culprits are oftentimes mostly young, inexperienced, and frustrated parents who take out their frustrations on defenseless and vulnerable infants, often resulting in serious physical harm.

In some instances, this can lead to irreversible brain damage, other severe injuries, or even death. Last week, a Lawrence man caused his infant son to go blind after it was reported that he violently shook him.

Shaken Baby Syndrome
The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome reports that Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a serious form of child abuse that can cause permanent damage in an infant within seconds. Research shows that the perpetrators of SBS shake an infant because they are frustrated or angry over a child’s constant crying or a child’s feeding problems.

When Should You Contact a Boston Child Injury Attorney?
If your child has suffered serious injuries while in another’s care in Massachusetts, contact a Boston child injury lawyer with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options before you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer.

Attorney Tom Kiley, also known as The Million Dollar Man, has over 30 years of experience and a successful track record of obtaining seven figure wins for clients in auto accident cases, medical malpractice, child birth injuries, brain injuries, and other personal injury cases.

Call 800-410-2769 to receive your FREE legal consultation today. And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

Erica Ryan, 25, of Roxbury faces a charge of assault and battery on a child that stemmed from an incident last Tuesday afternoon on an MBTA bus in Roxbury, after Ryan reportedly punched her 2-year-old son in the mouth and caused him to bleed.

Thankfully, her fellow MBTA riders stopped Ryan from walking away and immediately called police to report what they had witnessed.

The Boston Globe reports that around 3:30pm that day, police responded to a group of individuals who had surrounded Ryan and her infant.

Ryan had reportedly been attempting to feed her toddler while on the Route 23 bus. When her son would not eat, Ryan used vulgarities and obscenities towards the child and then punched him in the mouth.

After Ryan punched her son, MBTA riders approached her and the boy out of concern for his well-being after seeing the child abuse incident and called police. When Ryan tried to leave the bus, the riders continued to follow her and then surrounded her, in order to prevent her from leaving before police responded.

Police confirmed that the toddler had dried blood around his mouth from being hit. There is also security footage of the shocking situation and it reportedly shows Ryan hitting her son, with his head snapping back while seated in his stroller.

The little boy was taken to a Boston hospital for an evaluation and was then released to his grandfather.

Child Abuse Statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that child protective services identified 772,000 children in the U.S. in 2008 who were suffering from abuse, neglect, or another form of maltreatment.

It is a sad reality that many child injuries result from parental child abuse. The culprits are oftentimes mostly young, inexperienced, and frustrated parents who take out their frustrations on defenseless and vulnerable infants, often resulting in serious physical harm.

In some instances, this can lead to irreversible brain damage, other severe injuries, or even death. Last week, a Lawrence man caused his infant son to go blind after it was reported that he violently shook him.

Shaken Baby Syndrome
The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome reports that Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a serious form of child abuse that can cause permanent damage in an infant within seconds. Research shows that the perpetrators of SBS shake an infant because they are frustrated or angry over a child’s constant crying or a child’s feeding problems.

When Should You Contact a Boston Child Injury Attorney?
If your child has suffered serious injuries while in another’s care in Massachusetts, contact a Boston child injury lawyer with Kiley Law Group to find out about your legal options before you sign any forms, talk to the insurance company or hire a lawyer.

Attorney Tom Kiley, also known as The Million Dollar Man, has over 30 years of experience and a successful track record of obtaining seven figure wins for clients in auto accident cases, medical malpractice, child birth injuries, brain injuries, and other personal injury cases.

Call 800-410-2769 to receive your FREE legal consultation today. And while the call is free, the information may be priceless.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

According to an article out in The Boston Globe this week, the family of Mark DiBona, 4, has announced that it has filed a wrongful death claim for the death of their son. DiBona fell to his death in an escalator accident on March 11 at the Auburn Mall.

There was a large gap that should have had a protective guard covering it at the very top of the escalator that DiBona had fallen through while riding the escalator. The lawsuit was filed in Worcester Superior Court yesterday and aims to hold a number of companies liable for the little boy’s tragic death.

Massachusetts Escalator Inspections
It has been previously reported by the Globe that just 44 out of the nearly 200 escalators
in Massachusetts malls were inspected over the course of 2 years, from 2008 to 2010. Inspectors reportedly failed to examine certain escalators at all for those 2 years and those that were reviewed by inspectors were found to be in need of repairs in over 50% of reviews. Additionally, 22 escalators within malls across the state had to be completely shut down for serious public safety concerns.

When You Need to Talk to a Boston Injury Attorney
If your child has been seriously hurt by another, you shouldn’t have to pay for ongoing medical care and treatment. A serious injury may require lifelong care and financial support. Accepting a settlement offer without the guidance of a skilled Boston injury attorney can leave you and your child ill prepared for the road ahead. Your child deserves a legal team who is experienced in handling child injury cases in Massachusetts and one who can ensure that he or she will receive fair compensation for his or her injury.

Before you sign any insurance claim forms, give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster, or agree to a settlement offer, schedule your FREE case evaluation today by calling 800-930-8145.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us at 800-410-2769, or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

A few weeks ago on March 12, 4-year-old Mark DiBona of Dudley died from severe injuries that he suffered after he fell off of an escalator the evening before at the Auburn Mall while he was shopping with his family. It was reported last week by The Boston Globe that Mark’s family has donated four of his organs, including his heart, to other children who were in need of transplants.

The DiBona family made the announcement of the organ donations at Mark’s funeral mass. The boy’s heart was donated to a boy who is 8-years-old and his liver was donated to an infant who is 6-months-old. Mark’s family also donated his kidneys to two other children on the waiting list for transplants. None of the patients who received the donations were named.

When You Need to Talk to a Boston Injury Lawyer
If your child has been seriously hurt by another, you shouldn’t have to pay for ongoing medical care and treatment. A serious injury may require lifelong care and financial support. Accepting a settlement offer without the guidance of skilled Boston injury attorneys can leave you and your child ill prepared for the road ahead. Your child deserves a legal team who is experienced in handling child injury cases in Massachusetts and one who can ensure that he or she will receive fair compensation for his or her injury.

Before you sign any insurance claim forms, give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster, or agree to a settlement offer, schedule your FREE case evaluation today by calling 800-930-8145. You can also learn more about how to best handle your child’s injury by requesting a FREE copy of our Massachusetts child injury book.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us at 800-410-2769, or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.

An unidentified nurse who left a special needs child alone for over an hour has been suspended from working in the after-school program with the Discovery Club at Golden Hill School in Haverhill. Laylani Booker, 6, of Haverhill was allegedly left alone at the program last year on October 17. Booker’s mother, Rhonda Lee, stated that her daughter got hit by a ball in the afternoon that day and was sent to the nurse to be checked at about 4:30pm. Booker then reported that the nurse told her daughter to lay down and Laylani fell asleep at that point.

When she awoke around 6:00pm, only the janitor and a substitute teacher were left at the school. The teacher was able to contact Mrs. Booker, who picked Laylani up and went home. Attendance is typically taken each night before the program ends, but it is unclear if all students were accounted for that particular evening.

The Eagle Tribune has reported that the nurse may be able to continue working in Haverhill schools down the road but she is barred from working alone with any children and must work with another nurse at all times. The nurse is not being identified by officials at this time pending a full review of the incident, but the Tribune reports that she is a retired city nurse who works part-time for the program, as needed, and was being paid $30 per hour.

Child Neglect in the U.S.
Child neglect cases are categorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as acts of omission, which occur when a caretaker fails to provide a child with basic needs and fails to protect a child from potential harm. Failure to provide a child with something can range anywhere from physical neglect to educational neglect. Failure to supervise a child is also child neglect, as inadequate supervision can lead to potential harm. The CDC reports that 71% of reported incidents of child maltreatment in 2008 were child neglect cases.

When You Need to Talk to a Boston Injury Lawyer
If your child has been seriously hurt by another, you shouldn’t have to pay for ongoing medical care and treatment. A serious head or brain injury may require lifelong care and financial support. Accepting a settlement offer without the guidance of skilled Boston injury attorneys can leave you and your child ill prepared for the road ahead. Your child deserves a legal team who is experienced in handling child brain injury cases in Massachusetts and one who can ensure that he or she will receive fair compensation for his or her brain injury.

Before you sign any insurance claim forms, give a recorded statement to the insurance adjuster, or agree to a settlement offer, schedule your FREE case evaluation today by calling 800-410-2769. You can also learn more about how to best handle your child’s injury by requesting a FREE copy of our Massachusetts child injury book.

DISCLAIMER: The Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited within the article. If you were involved in this accident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and legal options, call us at 800-410-2769, or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a legal evaluation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to all not-at-fault persons named in this article and to their family members as well.