Personal Injury Law

Tip-Over Accidents Are a Cause of Florida Personal Injuries

By Flaxman & Lopez

It?s something that many parents do not consider, but a major cause of Florida injuries to children comes from tip-over accidents. These accidents take place when a child pushes or pulls a heavy object ? such as a television ? over onto themselves. Tip-over accidents often result in fatal Florida brain injuries for small children and serous injuries for older children.

In 2009, a young Florida girl was killed when a television tipped over on her. Most years, there are a few such tragedies ? and in many cases they are quite preventable. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, tip-over accidents are quite common and cause serious injuries each year. The most common culprits are televisions, but shelves, bookcases, appliances, and dressers also mean a high risk of tip-overs. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of one child is killed every two weeks due to tip-over accidents.

The most common risk occurs when a child falls against, climbs up on, or pulls against an appliance or piece of furniture. It?s not just the pieces of furniture that are a risk, either. According to Safe Kids Inland Empire at Loma Linda Children's Hospital, objects which may be on top of a piece of furniture may also fall on top of a child, causing potentially life-threatening injuries. According to Safe Kids Inland Empire at Loma Linda Children's Hospital, objects falling on children is a leading cause of death among children. Tip-overs and falling objects are also a leading cause of Florida brain injuries among children.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission was informed of almost 200 tip-over deaths between 2000 and 2008. All incidents involved children who were 8 years of age or younger. In about 93% of cases, children were between 5 and 8, a time when experts note children are most actively exploring the world around them and may have the strength to tip over larger items. Between 2000 and 2008, over 16,000 children ages 5 and younger visited ER for injuries related to tip-over accidents.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are several things that parents can do to help prevent tip-over deaths. An important preventative action is to walk through the home and look for any tip-over dangers. All furniture and appliances should be attached to walls using screws, wall straps, and brackets. Televisions ? especially older models ? should be secured on low stands so that they cannot be tipped over. Some experts have suggested that newer flat televisions are in fact safer. They do not have the tendency to tip over as readily and are generally secured to the wall.

Full post as published by Florida Injury Lawyer Blog on February 01, 2011 (boomark / email).