Child Injuries and Death

July 28, 2017

Deadliest Days For Teens

We are roughly halfway between Memorial Day and Labor Day – that time of year which marks the deadliest days for young drivers. Summer has always been a dangerous time for teens because they are out of school and out on the roads. But, the National Safety Council anticipates the risk to be increasing as a result of cellphone use by teen drivers. In rear-end crashes, teen drivers take zero evasive action (braking or swerving) in the half of those types of car accidents. If a teen driver is using their phone to text, call, take photos, etc., their eyes are off the road for 4.1 seconds of the last 6 seconds before a crash. The end result is that teen drivers are three times more likely than an adult driver to be involved in a fatal car crash. So, what can you do? Below are some easy tips for keeping your teen driver safe: Continue reading

June 7, 2017

Summer Camp: Free Advice From Injury Lawyers

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

In a few weeks, our daughter Kate returns for her second year of overnight camp in North Carolina. She is beyond excited as she had a great time last year, and we are not nearly as nervous as parents this time around. Parents worry about lots of things when their kids head off to camp:

Will they make friends?
Will the camp serve food that my kid will actually eat?
Will they get homesick?
Will they remember to brush their teeth?

Of course, because both of Kate’s parents are injury lawyers, we can’t help but also worry about safety. A lot. So what are some questions you should be asking before you sign your kid up for a day or overnight camp? Continue reading

May 8, 2017

Beware of the “Lawyers”

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Recently, I have seen two instances of people posing as lawyers and engaging in unscrupulous behavior. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery is now involved in one of the cases, and criminal charges are pending against the other. So what exactly are these posers alleged to have done and what can you do to protect yourself? Continue reading

April 26, 2017

Electrical Shock Drowning and How to Prevent It

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

It is that time again. The boat and jet skis are in the water. Spring rains are bringing the lake level up to summer pool. With the warmer temperatures, the water in the lake will soon be ready for swimming. Our family will head down to Tim’s Ford Lake every chance we get. For our family and probably most others, the first ones in the water are the kids. To keep them and everyone else safe this summer from electrical shock drowning, refresh yourself on these life-saving safety tips and teach your children the ones appropriate for them: Continue reading

April 17, 2017

Dogs: Man’s Best Friend (Usually)

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Roughly 44% of all U.S. households have a dog. Ours has a tri-color King Charles Cavalier named Lincoln (pictured above). Lincoln and most other dogs are wonderful companions, protectors, and exercise buddies, but when they want to dogs can inflict a lot of damage primarily due to their bite pressure. So just how strong is a dog’s bite? Continue reading

February 15, 2017

ATVs and Young Drivers: A Dangerous Combination

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Jamie Lynn Spears’ daughter’s accident reminds us that all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) can be very dangerous for children. Spears’ 8-year old daughter’s ATV accidentally went into a pond on the property and the girl was trapped underwater for several minutes. Thankfully, the child appears to have escaped the incident without any neurological injuries.

Unfortunately, Spears’ accident is not uncommon. In 2015 alone, 58 children were killed and nearly 27,000 were injured in ATV accidents. So what age is the appropriate age for ATVS and what steps can be taken to prevent an ATV accident? Continue reading

January 23, 2017

Nashville Pedestrian Accidents

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,376 pedestrians were killed in our country. That total is up from 2014 when 4,884 pedestrians lost their lives. Throughout the United States, a pedestrian is killed roughly every two hours. While that is a startling statistic, in Nashville it may very well be even more dangerous to be a pedestrian. According to a recent report, Nashville is the 37^th most dangerous city out of 104 metro areas according to a study released by Smart Growth America. The good news is that Nashville has improved from 15^th but there is still more room for improvement. In a ten-year period, 209 pedestrians were struck and killed in Nashville. And, of course, many more have been injured. Continue reading

November 21, 2016

Chattanooga School Bus Wreck Tragically Highlights Immunity Issue

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

We wrote just a few days ago about the bus crash in Nashville involving a school bus in Chester County. That school bus wreck was bad enough, but today’s school bus accident in Chattanooga is even more tragic.

Apparently, a school bus filled with 35 children crashed into a tree. It has been reported that six children have died in the crash off Talley Road in Hamilton County and many others have been injured, some in critical condition. The students attended Woodmore Elementary School.

No information about the cause of the crash is currently publicly available, although speed is being investigated as a factor. Reportedly the school bus driver is cooperating with authorities. UPDATE: CNN reports that the bus driver, Johnthony Walker, 24, has been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment and reckless driving and that the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating on Tuesday November 22. Continue reading

October 4, 2016

Safest and Most Affordable Cars for Teens

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

If you have kids, you probably have mixed emotions about them getting their driver’s license. Jubilation because they can run to the grocery store for you, get themselves to sports practice without you having to leave work early, etc. But it can also be a terrifying time and with good reason. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens.

Recently, Mercury Insurance released a list of 2016 model year vehicles that had both good safety ratings and were inexpensive to insure. Based on these criteria, the winners were: Subaru Outback, Kia Sportage, Dodge Dart, Kia Soul, Honda HR-V EX, Hyundai Tuscon, Honda Fit , Honda CR-V LX, Hyundai Elantra GT, VW Golf Sportwagen SW. I know. I can hear some of you already: “There is no way I am buying my teenager a brand new car”. I get it. Our two older kids did not get new cars either. The good news is you can do this same type of comparison yourself for used cars. Continue reading

June 2, 2016

Eleven Safety Tips for Parents of Teenaged Drivers

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

The 100 days after Memorial Day are generally regarded as the most dangerous for teenage drivers. It makes sense, right? Kids are not in school so they are running the roads – headed to the mall, the pool, a friend’s house, etc. Did you know that teenagers are four times as likely to be in a crash than an adult? Six teenagers (ages 16-19) will die everyday in car accidents and nearly a quarter million teenagers will need emergency medical treatment because of car accidents. These statistics are terrifying but here are 10 things you can do to help keep your teenage driver safe: Continue reading