Florida Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Michael Grady will forever be a hero to his son, family, and the community. While on vacation in North Carolina, 12 year old, Austin Grady, got stuck in some boulders in a mountain stream. His father, Michael Grady, got into the water and positioned himself to save his son and keep his son above water. Tragically, Michael Grady got trapped as well and ultimately died from hypothermia from being in the water too long. The incident happened in the Cullasaja River near Highlands, North Carolina. You can read more about this story at Father Loses His Life Saving Son from Drowning in North Carolina.

A toddler was recently hospitalized after being hit by a a vehicle at the Coquina Oaks Trailer Park in St. Johns County, Florida. The driver, Preston Storey, informed the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office that he did not see the child as he was driving out of the trailer park. The child was rushed to Shands Jacksonville via air ambulance. You can read more about this story at Toddler Rushed to Shands Jacksonville After Being Hit by a Vehicle.

In Florida, summer time gets kids outside. It is a time for swimming, bicycle riding, running away, going to the beach, and playing all kinds of other sports. It is also a time for kids to get injuries from minor ones to more serious personal injuries. It is helpful for parents, counselors, caregivers, and others to have some first aid essentials available for children including: sunscreen, hydrocortisone cream, antibiotic creams and ointments, bug spray, bandages, band aids, gauze pads, hydroperoxide, and other essentials.

It is vital that children stay well nourished and hydrated during these hot summer days. Parents and caregivers should do their best to prevent problems or injuries from taking place at all. When there is a problem, use your first aid kit. For more serious problems and injuries, consult with your pediatrician or go to a local emergency room. You can read more about common summer time injuries at Summer - A Time for Fun and a Time for First Aid.

In Georgia, Florida, and other states, law enforcement and correction officials utilize electronic monitoring bracelets to track the whereabouts and movements of sexual offenders and predators. When a registered sexual predator / offender removes his or her monitoring device, this is a violation of probation which will result in the issuance and execution of an arrest warrant, In Putnam County, Florida, a convicted sexual predator, Paul Robert Hickok, age 28, was arrested after days of being on the run. Mr. Hickok removed his monitoring device and threw it out a car window near Waycross, Georgia. Mr. Hickok's criminal history includes a conviction on 11 counts of lewd and lascivious assault on a child under the age of 16 years old. You can read more about this story at Sexual Predator Arrested in Putnam County, Florida.

Another criminal has been put behind bars in Florida for possession of child pornography. Clifford Anderson Duncan, age 31, was recently sentenced to five years in federal prison. Mr. Duncan was also ordered to forfeit his computer and to register as a sex offender under Florida and federal laws upon release from prison. Mr. Duncan had numerous child pornography images and videos on his computer. Some materials showed sadistic treatment of children in the images. Investigators in Martin County and Duval County helped secure this conviction through Project Safe Childhood. You can read more about this story at Man Sentenced to Five Years for Possessing Child Pornography on his Computer.

Florida's hot summers can be very dangerous to children especially those children left in hot cars. In Jacksonville, Florida, a 1 year old (Bernard Davis) was under the care of a babysitter, Shantel Wilcher, who left Bernard Davis in a hot car for 2 hours or possibly longer. Once she realized that she left the boy in the car, she went to the car and brought Bernard into the house. Thereafter, she performed CPR and Fire Rescue was called. Police report that Ms. Wilcher and others may have provided false information regarding the investigation. According to news reports, Ms. Wilcher was operating a non-licensed day care center.

This tragic story illustrates the importances of standards and licensing for day care centers. While hyperthermia deaths also have happened with licensed day care operators, the lack of licensing shows a day care center's attempt to cut corners as to the licensing, staffing, facilities, and overall standards. Most day care centers have rules and procedures for travel outside the day care center and require a checklist and other quality assurance measures to prevent these type of incidents from taking place.

You can read more about this story at 1 Year Old Child Left in Truck Dies - Caregiver Charged.

Vacations and weekends are times for college students to have fun. Some college students equate having fun with drinking a lot of alcohol and doing drugs. Unfortunately, many college students suffer serious personal injuries and death every year due to excessive drinking and / or use of drugs. In Panama City, Florida, Justin Richard Delval, a student from Texas A & M, was found in a ditch in front of the Sterling Reef Condominium in March 2009. An autopsy report showed that Justin had a blood alcohol level of .45 which was almost 6 times the legal limit of .08. It is a tragedy that Justin died from basically drinking too much. You can read more about this story at College Student Died from Alcohol Poisoning.

In Florida and other states, possession and / or distribution of child pornography is a crime. Some criminal defendants/suspects are old. Some are young. It is a crime that can be committed by rich, poor, educated, professionals, blue collar, and all walks of life. In Waldo, Florida, 18 year old Travis Brinson Harper was arrested as a part of an investigation conducted by the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Those who break the law are often times unaware of the technology used by law enforcement to track illegal activity on the Internet. You can read more about this story at Waldo, Florida Teen Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography.

Swimming pools in Jacksonville, Florida can be an area of great fun and relaxation. Swimming pools can also be the site of tragedy. A 7 year old Jacksonville boy recently died while at a family birthday party. Jaylen Baker was at the Cimarron Apartments in Arlington when the incident took place. He was later taken to Shands Jacksonville. The news report on this tragedy did not list details as to how many people were at the party, who was supervising the children, what lifeguards (if any) were in place, or how long it is estimated that the child was underwater prior to being located. You can read more about this story at Jacksonville, Florida 7 Year Old Drowns at Apartment Complex.

Parents should research summer camps before enrollment. Thereafter, it is important for parents to visit the summer camps frequently to make sure that the supervision is adequate and that the facility and fields are properly maintained. While summer camp is a time for fun, it is also a time for safety, education, and good supervision. The Orlando Sentinel has a Summer Camp Guide on its website that allows parents and caregivers to obtain information from various summer camps in the Central Florida region. You can access this helpful website at 2009 Central Florida Summer Camp Guide.

Unfortunately, children suffered serious personal injuries every summer in camps. Some personal injuries are unavoidable while others results from poor or inadequate supervision and negligence. If a Florida child has been injured in a summer camp, it is often times helpful to consult a Florida Child Injury lawyer / attorney for advice as to the child's rights to compensation.

In Putnam County, Florida, one adult and three teenage boys have been charged with the kidnapping of a 12 year old boy. The incident took place at a boy scout camp where the criminal suspects held the 12 year old against his will. During the false and improper imprisonment of the child, the suspects forced the boy to drink urine. The suspects arrested were: Joseph W. Reid (age 21), Harris G. Reid (age 16), Nicholas A. Larsen (age 16), and Kyler Brower (age 15).

Undoubtedly, the 12 year old will be affected by these traumatic events for quite some time and possibly the rest of his life. You can read more about this story at Group at Putnam County Florida Boy Scout Camp Arrested.

In St. Johns County, Florida, a 1 year old girl died after her father had mistakenly left her in a car seat in this hot summer weather. According to a news report in the Florida Times Union website / newspaper, the father drove his wife to work but did not realize that the mother had put the little girl in her seat in the back of the vehicle. Rescue workers eventually were called over to the family home in St. Augustine Shores. It is truly tragic that this 1 year old little girl died in her car in the summer heat. You can read more about this story at Florida 1 Year Old Left in Car Seat Dies.

In the blistering summer heat especially in Florida, children are at risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. What is the definition of these terms?

Heat exhaustion usually involves a fever of 104 degrees or less, thirst, fainting, cool & clammy skin, weakness, aching muscles, sweating, slow heartbeat and dizziness.

Heat stroke is a condition that may result from untreated or unrelieved heat exhaustion. Heat stroke takes place when the body temperature rises and the cooling system of the body stops working. This is a potentially life threatening condition that may involve shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, rapid heart rate, and decreased urination.

See Children's Hosital (Aurora, Colorado) Webiste.

Both heat exhaustion and heat stroke take place due to exercise in hot weather. Preventative or safety measures can be taken by parents, coaches, summer camp counselors, and other to help prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Measures include providing children with frequent breaks, good hydration, and limits to the total play or exercise time for the children.

Project Safe Childhood, a program initiated through the United States Justice Department, has a mission of protecting children from online exploitation and abuse. Efforts through Project Safe Childhood have led to a guilty plea to child pornography charges by a former Palm Coast, Florida man. David Michael Yorhikane, age 45, pled guilty for charges stemming from his access to a child pornography website with a credit card and his possession on his computer of over 2,500 child pornography images. Mr. Yoshikane's participation and payment of such illegal and immoral images helps keep the sellers of child pornography in business. Mr. Yoshikane faces a prison term of up to 10 years. You can read more about this story at Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges.

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) sets forth standards for sports programs including football for Florida high schools. Many policy and procedures are in place to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the student athletes. In addition, standards also help "level the playing field" for competition. Recently, Okeechobee High School was reprimanded by the FHSAA for policy violations involving Okeechobee's football program. Violations took place at the beginning of spring football practice which included having a Sunday practice, having 8th graders practice "full-contact" with upperclassmen. In high school sports, some violations are minor and others are more severe. The severity or importance of the violation should not necessarily be measured on the physical harm done or personal injuries caused. At times, coaches ignore rules, regulations, and policies in the spirit of competition and winning. Principles and policies should not be abandoned to win a game. After all, high school sports, by its definition, is a sporting program for children. In addition to sports competition, there is also an education along the way. You can read more about this story at FHSAA Issues Reprimand to Okeechobee High School.

The former principal of a Central Florida (Polk County) elementary school has been found guilty of possessing child pornography. Investigators had found images of students superimposed on the picture / photograph of a nude woman in a briefcase in a locked closet in John Stelmack's office at Scott Lake Elementary School. Stelmack's attorney argued at the criminal trial that the images did not constitute child pornography and may have been placed in the briefcase / office by another person. The jury apparently did not buy the "hey these are not mine" argument and entered a verdict of guilty. Stelmack and his attorney will have a right to appeal / challenge the conviction. If the allegations are true, it is disturbing to know that a principal had these kind of materials in his office and, furthermore, in his mind. You can read more about this story at Former Florida Elementary School Principal Convicted on Child Pornography Charges.

A 4 year old Italian boy recently died from injuries sustained in an explosion at a hyperbaric chamber in a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea clinic. The incident happened on May 1, 2009. In addition to the death of Francesco, his grandmother (Vincenza Pesce) also died as a result of this blast. The family is represented by Fort Lauderdale attorney, Russell S. Adler, who stated that the incident should not have happened. Francesco travelled all the way from Italy to get this special treatment that could not be easily obtained in Italy. He had cerebral palsy. You can read more about this story at 4 Year Old Italian Boy Dies as a Result of Injuries from Hyperbaric Explosion.

My Space and Craiglist were two sites used by a Florida man (Christopher Tyrone Young) to befriend a 17 year old girl and then advertise her for prostitution services. News reports indicate that Young knew the age of the 17 year old. He purchased a Greyhound bus ticket for the girl and made all kinds of promises to the girl. Once she arrived in Las Vegas, Young peddled her for prostitution services on the Craigslist website. Christopher Tyrone Young is a sexual and child predator and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. He knew what he was doing and acted with careless disregard as to the health, safety, and welfare of this teen.

You can read more about this story at Orlando Man Arrested for Prostituting Teen on Craigslist.

Walt Disney World is magical in many respects except for its long lines. Many people visit Disney World and have a great time. Long lines, however, are never fun. A dad, who was tired of long lines, created a nice program for Apple's i phone. Wait Times is an iphone application that will display reported wait times for lines for rides at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Users of the program can enter or view wait times on their iphone. The accuracy of the wait times will depend on visitors to Walt Disney World. At the present time, Walt Disney World does not provide such information on its website or the internet. At 99 cents for the download, Wait TIme appears to be a worthy program for the price. Spend a buck and save some time the next time that you visit the Magic Kingdom. Another piece of advice from me - hang on to your iphone and other mobile phones at Walt Disney World and other theme parks. I misplaced my mobile phone once while at the Magic Kingdom. With all of my information on the phone, I was worried about losing the phone permanently. Fortunately, a good citizen turned my phone into Lost and Found.

You can read more about Wait Times,a program created by Brent Pope of Jacksonville, Florida at Tired of Long Lines at Disney World? Now There Is an iphone Application for Them.

Education is vital to the growth and prosperity of any State including Florida. Unfortunately, a report was recently released that showed the Florida ranked among the fifth lowest of States as to graduation rates. The non-profit organization, Editorial Projects in Education, calculated that Florida has a 57.5 percent rate of graduation for students who complete high school on time. The Florida State Department of Education calculates this figure differently. Regardless of the calculations or studies, improvement is needed as to the graduation rates in Florida schools. You can read more about the graduation study at Florida Graduation Rate Among Lowest in the Nation.

An Ocoee man has been arrested in Orange County, Florida for sexually abusing two teenage girls. Donald Taylor, age 34, has been accused of abusing two girls over a five year period according to a news story reported in the Orlando Sentinel.

In Florida and other states, some molestation criminal and civil cases involve a one time act. Others involve acts over a period of time. Molesting a child one time is one time too many. Molesting a child over a long period of time like 5 years is truly unconscionable and, if true, should result in a much longer prison sentence for the criminal defendant.

Victimizing a child can have long reaching and permanent psychological effects on a child. As such, prosecutors should seek the maximum prison terms for criminals of this nature. You can read more about this story at - Police - Ocoee Man Accused of Molesting Girls Over a 5 Year Period.

Governor Charlie Crist stated that 77 people have been arrested as part of a coordinated law enforcement effort to crackdown on child pornography offenders. The 10 week operation was called "Operation Orange Tree". The ages of the criminal suspects ranged from 17 years old to 83 years old. This shows that criminals who partake in child pornography can range from the very young to the very old. Some of the arrests lead to action by the Florida Department of Children and Families removing children from homes. Over twenty law enforcement agencies participated in this sweep. You can read more about these arrests at Florida Crackdowns on Child Pornography - 77 Criminal Suspects Arrested.

During summer, teens and other children typically enjoy vacation and the freedom of being out of school. Statistics show that this time period (Memorial Day to Labor Day) involves the 100 most deadly days on the roadway for teens. It appears that summer months are the peak months for teen automobile accident deaths and personal injuries. Some experts believe that teen driving is getting worse over time rather than better. This is due, in part, to additional driver distractions in the form of mobile telephone conversations, text messaging, e mailing, and surfing on iphones, Blackberry devices, and other smart or advanced phones. Parents should warn and instruct their children about the dangers of driver distraction, drinking and driving and other driving habits that can and do result in automobile accidents. You can read more about the dangers of teen driving over summer months at Summer Time - Deadliest Time for Teens on the Road.

In Florida and other states, millions of teen drivers and passengers are on the roadways every day. Tragically, thousands of teen drivers (an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 per year) die as a result of traffic related automobile accidents. Some teen driving related deaths are due to alcohol or drugs. Others are caused by a distracted driver talking on a mobile phone, e mailing or text messaging. While e mailing and texting are great tools, they are quite dangerous in the hands of a teen driver or any driver for that matter. You can read more about teen driving injury and death statistics at Teen Drivers Study Released by Allstate Insurance Foundation.

In Jacksonville, Florida and other cities throughout the nation, back over accidents tragically cause serious personal injuries and wrongful deaths to children every year. There are millions of driveways and parking lots - any of these locations could be the site of a tragedy - a preventable tragedy. In response to recent back over accidents, Safe Kids USA performed a demonstration to show how dangerous back over accidents could be for an unsuspecting child and driver. You can read more about this story at Florida: Dangers of Backover Accidents to Children.

In Florida, good child care is often difficult to find. In Jacksonville Beach, Florida, a nanny is facing child neglect charges for allowing a 12 year old to drive a vehicle. The nanny handed the keys over to the 12 year old because she was too drunk to drive. While the 12 year old was at the wheel, there was nearly an accident which could have lead to serious personal injuries. Police then pulled over the vehicle. Shelly Rose Brinkley will not be getting any nanny awards for her conduct. Her license, at the time of this incident, had already been suspended for a prior drunk driving arrest. You can read more about this story at Jacksonville Beach, Florida Nanny Too Drunk to Drive.

In Florida and other states, driveway and roadway back over accidents continue to occur. Back over accidents frequently involve a toddler or small child who is not seen easily by a driver backing his or her car out of a driveway. Toddlers and small children lack good judgment and will, at times, walk behind a moving vehicle and into a zone of danger that causes serious personal injuries and death. In Jacksonville, FLorida, a toddler ran away, for a moment's time, from her grandmother and into the path of a driver who was backing up a vehicle out of a parking space. The little girl was rushed to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center.

You can read more about this story at Toddler Seriously Injured in Back Over Accident in Jacksonville, Florida.

A 15 year old freshman from Ocoee (Florida) High School died may have died from bacterial meningitis according to officials from the Orange County Health Department. Geoffrey Winesmann's life may have ended due to a very dangerous bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. This bacteria can cause a severe infection of the bloodstream affecting the brain and spinal cord. While incidents of this bacterial infection are uncommon, health officials including emergency room doctors and pediatricians should be on the lookout for possible signs and symptoms of this potentially deadly condition. You can read more about this story at Florida Teen May Have Died from Bacterial Infection.

Vans and buses transport large numbers of passengers through Florida roads every day. As such, when an an automobile accident involves a van or a bus, there often times are multiple personal injury and wrongful death victims. Near Lake County - Sumter County, a 1995 Dodge conversion van driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a median. There were 9 people in the van that was designed to seat just 7. Two woman died in the accident and several others were injured. Marie Nales, age 29, from Baltimore, Marland, died as a result of this automobile accident. Due to the overloading of the van, some of the passengers were not properly restrained at the time of the automobile accident.

You can read more about this story at Van Crash Leaves Two Dead and Several Injured in Lake County / Sumter County, Florida.

In Florida, there have been a number of reported incidents of female teachers have sex with underaged male students. No matter your personal views of these incidents, they are still crimes that should be prosecuted. Teachers are put in a position of trust. Teachers are in place to educate our children - not to have sex with them. Reported and publicized Florida incidents include:

*32 year old teacher (Maria Guzman Hernandez) at Our Lady of Charity School in Hialeah, Florida, who had sexual intercourse with a 15 year old student;

*34 year old Jacksonville, Florida public high school teacher who had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old student;

*32 year old St. Petersburg, Florida teacher who sexted nude photographs of herself to an 8th grade student; and

*45 year old South Daytona, Florida teacher who had sexual intercourse with a student in Daytona Beach area hotels.

Florida is getting headlines but the problem with inappropriate sexual relationships and acts between teachers and students is a problem across the nation. Teachers abuse their positions of trust and selfishly prey on their students. You can read more about these issues at Teacher Sex with Students Incidents and Studies.