Strollers and baby carriers are the most common ways parents transport children who haven't yet mastered their mobility skills. These devices are such an integral part of parenthood that many of us would not know what to do without them. For this reason, it is scary to learn that they can be extremely harmful to children if left unattended or improperly balanced. In fact, roughly two children visit the ER every hour for injuries sustained from a stroller or infant carrier.
Children 5 and under are the most vulnerable group, with over 360,000 of them needing emergency room service for stroller and carrier injuries between 1990 and 2010 according to a study by The Academic Pediatrics. This equates to about 17,000 injuries per year. The top ways children get hurt? Falling out of their stroller or carrier, having the stroller or carrier tip over when they are still inside. A strong personal injury attorney is an important asset in these situations.
Falling and Tipping
Two-thirds of all stroller and carrier injuries are from falling out of the devices. For this study, carriers include handheld carriers and carriers worn on one's person to hold a child. While TBIs are on the rise, most of the injuries observed as part of the study were soft tissue injuries. These are commonly bumps and bruises. 39% of these injuries occurred in strollers and 48% were from carriers. A quarter of stroller injuries and 35% of carrier injuries were traumatic brain injuries.
TBIs on the Rise
The number of TBIs, or traumatic brain injuries, sustained by young children is on the rise as more of these accidents take place. Traumatic brain injuries like concussions can have serious long-term effects when they happen to young children whose brains are still developing. In 1990, 19% of stroller accidents resulted in a TBI and in 2010, 42% did. In 1990, 18% of carrier injuries resulted in a TBI and in 2010 that number ballooned to 53%! This is in part due to the fact that there is more awareness about the types of injuries children can sustain when they fall from a stroller or carrier, so more doctors are correctly diagnosing the problem rather than the problem is happening more often.
Most children who sustain such injuries turn out alright, but it is important to be aware of the damage these devices can use. While they are the easiest way to transport our children, our children need our supervision. It also helps to double check that they are properly strapped in and that the device is balanced. A stroller, for example, should not be the primary place to hang your handbag and grocery bags. Too much weight on one side will cause it to tip.
For your New Jersey personal injury case, you need attorney James Vasquez on your side. The Law Offices of James Vasquez, PC serves families like yours in pursuing product liability litigation. Call (862) 247-8711 for a free case evaluation today.