Florida Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Last Fourth of July, Edward Weise Jr. helped his eight year old son, Edward Weise III, hollow out a pineapple grenade from World War II and fill it with firecracker powder. For some reason, they were unable to get the grenade to ignite and a family member put it on a shelf in the living room and forgot about it.

But Edward, now nine years old, did not forget about the grenade, and attempted to light it on his own recently. The child’s mother, Anne-Marie Weise, reported that she saw her son playing with a lighter in the kitchen just moments before the explosion. She told him to put it away. Apparently he did not listen to her, and continued to try to light the grenade. The resulting explosion critically injured the boy, who was flown to Tampa General for surgery.

A concerned neighbor called the Department of Children and Families’ abuse hotline to report the incident. The DCF is now looking into the matter. Deputies who searched the family’s home found marijuana in the bedroom Ms. Weise shares with her boyfriend, Larry Busby. According to the Polk County Florida Sheriff’s office there are charges pending but no one has been arrested. You can find out more details of this February fireworks accident at Injured Boy's Father Helped Him Fill Grenade With Firecracker Powder.

Whenever there is a Department of Children and Families investigation or criminal investigation, the family or parents under investigation have the right to defend themselves and hire an attorney. While the news reported the involvement of DCF, the results or disposition of the investigation are pending.

According to a Florida study of childhood obesity, published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, future incidents of heart disease and stroke for obese children increase along with body mass index (BMI). This is true even if other factors, such as high blood pressure, are not present in those individuals during childhood. The study tested children for certain blood abnormalities that predispose an individual to developing cardiovascular disease later in life.

The study adds more evidence to a growing body of research showing that the negative health impacts of obesity start very early in life. In order to protect young people from future health problems, aggressive weight control measures may need to be implemented for children who show a propensity for obesity. Certainly healthier food and more exercise for young children would help all kids grow up healthier and happier.

A child’s weight may also have legal implications for parents. A South Carolina woman recently lost custody of her child and has been charged with criminal child neglect after the child’s doctor reported concerns about his weight to social services. Many states are now also considering the obesity of the children post divorce in modification actions.

Read more Florida childhood obesity study results at Child obesity links to heart disease reinforced.

If your child has been injured due to the negligence of others, please contact our Jacksonville, Florida firm for child injury legal counsel.

The prevalence of texting has skyrocketed shooting from 9.8 billion messages per month in December 2005 to 110.4 billion messages per month in December 2008. Sadly, it is estimated that cell phone usage contributes to approximately 342,000 car accident injuries and causes $43 billion dollars worth of damage every year!

Studies have even indicated that texting while driving is worse than drunk driving! Check out this YouTube video that shows the gut-wrenching consequences of texting while driving (WARNING: this video is graphic, with realistic, but potentially disturbing, reenactments). It is stunning to see how dangerous and how devastating the effects of texting while driving can be.

According to Florida's dangrous instrumentality doctrine, owners and possessors of inherently dangerous tools are liable for any injuries caused by the operation of those tools. This legal principle was applied to the realm of automobiles in Southern Cotton Oil Co. v. Anderson, 86 So. 629 (Fla. 1920). This means that if you own a car, you can be responsible for injuries caused by that car.

As a result of this watershed case, victims of car accidents occurring due to negligence may look to the vehicle owners for damages, regardless of whether it was the actual owner driving the vehicle or not. Likewise, employers may be pursued for the injurious acts of their employees under the theory of respondeat superior.

In order to be held liable, an owner must have the ability to exert control over his or her vehicle. For that reason, people whose cars are stolen may not be penalized for injuries involving their vehicles depending on the particular facts of the case. Furthermore, if an owner did not give permission to a driver to operate the car, the owner may avoid liability if he files a police report to show that the car was stolen at the time the injury was caused. These distinctions are critical for determining who needs to be brought into litigation via impleader and the bounds of a victim’s potential recovery.

Unsure of what all this means to you? Consult a personal injury attorney to learn the intricacies of the law!

In Florida, a family is mourning the death of a 3 year old who was the unfortunate attack by a bulldog. The Marion County Sheriff's Office reported that a male bulldog attacked the girl. There were four dogs outside the home at the time of the attack. The incident began when the girl got tangled in a chain as the mother went inside the home. It was not detailed in the news story but it may be that the events unfolded in a very short span of time.

Dog attacks are common in Florida and other States. Dogs are animals and their conduct and disposition cannot be predicted with certainty. When a dog feels threatened or in danger for whatever reason, a dog may lash out and attack a child.

The dog, that attacked the girl, and the other three dogs were taken into custody by animal control officials. You can read more about his story at Ocala Area 3 Year Old Loses Life In Bulldog Attack.

Jacksonville, Florida ranks high in a disturbing category - hit and run accidents. Despite being the 7th most populated city in the State of Florida, Jacksonville, Florida is ranked 3rd according to hit and run statistics. It is not a category or recognition that the City wants to be known for. Unfortunately, many hit and run accidents take place when a driver is under the influence or has no insurance. The simple solution after an accident is to flee the scene rather than take legal or moral responsibility for the resulting damages, personal injuries, and / or possible criminal sanctions. You can read more about this story at Jacksonville, Florida Third in the State for Hit and Run Automobile Accidents.

In Florida, families in and near Melbourne are mourning the tragic railroad related deaths of three teens. The tragedy took place near downtown Melbourne. What started out as a normal day at a mall for the teens turned into a terrible and preventable accident. The incident was even witnesses by several people who could only look and shout with horror as the event was unfolding in front of them. It was reported that there was a No Trespassing sign near the area which included a railroad trestle that spanned 200 feet over a creek. Unknown to the teens at the time that they got on the tracks, a train was nearby and pounding down the tracks. Of the four teens on the tracks, only one was able to escape for safety.

It was reported that the teens even ignored the warnings of a local fisherman who was in the area at the time. Railroad tragedies of this nature are far too common. Since there were deaths that resulted from this incident, a full investigation will be conducted which may involve answering or addressing the following questions:

What the the speed of the train prior to and at the time of the incident?

What was the speed limit in the area?

Were the tracks and adjacent area properly constructed and maintained per railroad regulations?

Was the incident avoidable if additional measures were taken prior to the incident?

What was the visibility at the time of the incident?

Were there prior problems with teens or others in or on this area of the tracks in the past?

Had the teens themselves been in this area before?

It is important that these stories are reported so that tragedies of this nature are avoided in the future. You can read more about this story at Train Kills Three Teens Crossing Bridge - Melbourne, Florida.

In Orlando, Florida, a 3 year old boy suffered injuries as a result of a pit bull dog attack while the boy was playing at home in his backyard. The boy's father also suffered injuries as a result of this incident. The injured child was rushed to the hospital for medical care, treatment, and evaluation.

The identity of the dog owner was unknown at the time of the attack since the dog had no tags and no one knew at the time if the dog had a registered or possessive owner.

It is important that all dog owners maintain control of their dogs. Leash laws and regulations are in place for a purpose - to protect adults and children from the unpredictable acts and temperaments of dogs. You can read more about this Florida pit bull attack at Child Injured in Orlando Pit Bull Attack.

Florida children are at risk for contracting respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for eight months out of every year. While the symptoms of RSV are usually quite mild, the disease claims the life of 4,500 children every year, and hospitalizes 125,000 more. Newborns are especially susceptible to the virus, especially premature babies and those with other health conditions that may weaken their overall immune system.

Nearly every child under the age of two will contract the virus; the symptoms of RSV resemble those of the common cold, and usually last for a week or two. This year, Florida health officials are worried that parents may overlook the signs of RSV, because they are more worried about H1N1 (Swine Flu), or the seasonal flu. Unfortunately, Florida has one of the longest RSV seasons in the nation – eight months or more – due to our warm climate. November and February are the peak months for the illness.

Children’s Hospital in Boston ran a study that showed children with respiratory distress are twice as likely to be diagnosed with RSV as with H1N1. Parents who suspect that their child might be infected with RSV should call their pediatrician for advice. Find more tips and advice on SRV at Toddlers are at risk for respiratory virus.

If your child has been injured due to medical malpractice, please contact our firm for child injury legal counsel.

The arrival of thousands of Haitian children in Florida after the recent earthquake in that country has created a huge challenge for the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). The DCF has been plagued recently with a series of scandals that call into question its ability to handle Florida’s own children, let alone a large influx of injured and orphaned children from another country. George Sheldon, the secretary of the DCF, has acknowledged that the challenge is a big one said that he is ready to meet it head on.

Within a few short weeks after the earthquake in Haiti, the DCF had found shelter for 720 orphans, overseen medical care for 628 evacuees, and distributed $26 million in assistance along with 3,500 teddy bears. Sheldon said the teddy bears may have been the best medicine for most of the frightened children coming off the planes from Haiti.

Longtime critics of the department are hopeful that Sheldon will improve the situation for Florida children as well, who have been left behind by the system in the past. Roy Miller of the Florida Children’s Campaign has applauded Sheldon for addressing the department’s problems rather than trying to cover them up. Read more about what Florida has done for Haitian children at Florida DCF chief ready for a challenge.

Kim and Gerard Campanella of Port Charlotte, Florida have been acting as foster parents for a twenty one month old toddler since she was five months old. The Campanellas recently received a phone call from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), informing them that the girl was to be sent to live with a distant relative in Michigan.

Kim Campanella believed that the sudden change in custody would not be in the best interest of the child, and spent several hours researching her hunch on the internet. She found a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics saying that separating a child from its caregivers after six months of age can result in emotional disturbances later in life. Complicating the issue is the fact that the child’s birth mother called the Campanellas several months ago to ask them if they were willing to adopt the child.

The Campanellas made an unusual decision; they decided to hire an attorney and fight the Department of Children and Families’ decision. The move is unusual because foster parents in Florida are required to sign documents stating that they will not take legal action to keep a child they are caring for. According to a DCF spokesperson, the state only requests that foster parents not hire an attorney, and they are legally entitled to do so if they wish.

A judge has agreed with the Campanellas, finding that they are at least equally qualified to care for the child as the distant relative, and possibly more qualified due to the bonding they have had with the child. The judge has blocked the removal of the child from the Campanellas’ home. Find out more about this foster family’s fight to stay together at Southwest Florida foster couple fight for toddler.

A three year old Orlando boy was seriously injured when he was attacked by a neighbor’s dog. The child was reportedly playing with his parents in their yard, when the child’s parents noticed that their family dog was acting out of character.

Soon after, a strange pit bull ran into the yard and bit the child in the face. The family’s dog chased the pit bull off while the parents rushed the child into the house. Deputies who responded to the incident tried to corner the pit bull and were forced to shoot and kill the dog when it attempted to charge them.

The boy was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries including lacerations on head; the child’s father was injured in the attack as well. Neighbors are quite upset that someone would let an aggressive pit bull wander around the neighborhood unattended. Police have still not identified the dog’s owners.

This is not the first time the child was attacked by a dog. The boy had his leg bitten by a dog about a year ago when his family was visiting with friends. You can read more about this story at Boy Seriously Injured In Dog Attack.

Gabriel Delrisco has been accused of killing three children from Homestead, Florida in a drunk driving incident that took place last year. The children, Hector, Esmeralda and Amber Serrano were killed when Delrisco allegedly ran into the back of their minivan with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.

The Serrano family’s attorney has filed a civil lawsuit against the El Paso bar for damages and compensation, charging that employees of the bar should have known that Delrisco was a habitual drinker and refused to serve him. Details of this case and disputes regarding some of the facts were reported in the Sun Sentinel newspaper.

There are factual disputes that may be litigated in the civil case including the following:

How much alcohol did Gabriel Delrisco consume prior to the automobile accident?

Where did Delrisco consume the alcohol?

What individuals / businesses sold or provided alcohol to Delrisco?

Did the individuals / businesses who sold or provided alcohol to Delrisco know that he was a habitual drunk or intoxicated at the time that the alcohol was sold or provided?

Whatever results from the civil suit, the case is tragic in that children died as a result of a drunk driving crash.

Laura Caballero called herself Sister Mary and passed herself off as a nun. While Ms. Caballero is reportedly the director of St. Filumena Church in Eustis, Florida, The Catholic Diocese of Orlando has said that Ms. Caballero is not a Catholic Sister and St. Filumena is not a church of the Diocese of Orlando.

According to Lake County, Florida Sheriff’s detectives, Ms. Caballero used false pretenses to take two year old Maria Lopez Vasquez away from her parents and then refused to return her. According to the child’s parents, who lived in South Carolina, they lost their second child in childbirth and “Sister Mary” offered to take care of Maria while they grieved and prepared funeral arrangements.

Ms. Caballero was supposed to take the child to a relative’s home, but instead she returned to Florida with the girl. She later offered to give the couple $2,000 to keep the child permanently, and when they refused she threatened to turn them in to United States immigration. Ms. Caballero then travelled to Argentina with the child. When she returned to Miami, she was arrested but the child was not with her.

Federal agents were eventually able to find Maria and return her to her family. Ms. Caballero has been charged with false imprisonment, and more charges may be forthcoming. Police are still unsure of her motive, but are not ruling out child trafficking.

Read more about Sister Mary at "Nun" may have had other child victims.

When an twelve year old girl from Dover, Florida returned to school after an absence of some months, her teachers asked her why she had been absent. She replied that she had given birth, and that the father was her twenty eight year old brother in law, who lived next door to her family in a trailer park filled with migrant farm workers.

The father, Teodoro Pablo-Ramirez, was promptly arrested. The girl’s parents, who had moved back to Guatemala, sent a letter to the court saying that the couple was married, and that it was normal in their culture for girls to marry at a very young age.

The case has created a stir in the Florida court system. The problem is that Pablo-Ramirez speaks no English and very little Spanish; his native language is Mam, a rare Mayan tongue. It is understood by very few interpreters. When Pablo-Ramirez was sentenced to life in prison for fathering the eleven year old’s child, there was no Mam interpreter in the courtroom, only a Spanish interpreter. When his life sentence was handed down in Spanish, Pable-Ramirez did not understand enough of the language to realize what had happened to him. The judge has therefore granted a motion for a retrial.

Read more about the problems obscure languages can cause in the courtroom at Obscure Mayan language leaves justice tongue-tied.

The Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff’s Office will be changing how it handles child abuse cases. The changes are due to the recent resignation of Heather Stokes, a child protection investigator who has been charged with falsifying documents.

An internal affairs investigation revealed that Ms. Stokes allegedly falsified and / or fabricated twenty five investigations. Ms. Stokes has said that she did so because she was overwhelmed by the number of cases she had to deal with. She resigned shortly after the results of the probe were brought to her attention. She is the second investigator from her office to resign after being charged with falsifying documents. According to the Tampa Tribune, no children or families were harmed by the falsifications.

Investigators will now be required to photograph every child at their home, and place the photo in the case file to prove that they visited the child when they said they did. Supervisors will randomly review cases and make up to thirty quality assurance checks every month.

Statewide, more than seventy Florida child welfare workers have been caught lying about their activities in the last two years. When caught, workers almost always point to work overload to excuse their behavior.

Ms. Stokes has avoided criminal prosecution by performing more than two hundred hours of community service.

Read more about the falsification of child protection documents in Florida at Falsifications bring change in child abuse cases.

The “A Child is Missing” alert system, based in Florida, can be used by authorities to help find missing children quickly. Once police activate the system, hundreds or even thousands of residents in the nearby area will receive automated phone calls asking them to help find the child.

When Lindsey Young of Manchester, New Hampshire left her home on a Sunday evening and was not heard from again, police launched an extensive search for the girl. They visited her friends’ homes and other locations the girl frequented. When police were unable to find Lindsey, they activated the “A Child is Missing” system, which sent recorded messages by telephone to hundreds of residents living in the vicinity of her home. The recorded message provided information about Lindsey and her appearance, in the hope that someone might have seen or talked to her.

While it appears that Lindsey ran away from home, police are still worried for her safety due to the harsh winter weather and the length of time she has been missing. Anyone with information about Lindsey should call the Manchester police immediately at 603-668-8711.

Find out more about this story at Manchester police use alerts system for help finding missing girl.

If your child has been injured, please contact our Jacksonville, Florida area law firm for child injury legal counsel.

The U.S. News & World Report released a state-by-state study on America's Worst Drivers.

Florida ranked 43rd. While Idaho ranked #1, New Jersey bowed out as last year's worst, making way for New York. GMAC Insurance's 2009 National Drivers Test tested 5,000 drivers in each state, evaluating their basic knowledge of driving laws. Alarmingly, over 20% of America's drivers could not pass the written driver's test. That's about 41 million drivers from sea to shining sea who don't know the meaning of a yellow light or how to calculate a safe following distance.

The study shows a direct correlation between increasing age and improved test scores. In other words, there's a reason why your teenager's insurance premiums are through the roof.

How will you do? Take the test to see if you will fare better than your fellow drivers.

The issue of criminal restitution in child pornography cases was first raised a year ago in Connecticut, when a federal judge ruled that a man found in possession of child pornography must pay $200,000 in damages to one of the children featured in the materials, even though the man did not take the pictures in question.

The child is now a twenty year old woman called “Amy.” That case settled for $130,000 before the judge made his final ruling, but Amy is going after anyone she can find with images of her in their child pornography collections.

Federal judges nationwide are now forced to decide if a person found with abusive images is responsible for harm to the subject, and if so, how much they should pay in restitution. These cases have been made possible by the Crime Rights Act of 2004, which set up a system of notifying victims when someone was caught with a pornographic image of them.

In Florida, two different courts have ordered restitution totaling more than $3.5 million to Amy, but other Florida courts have awarded only nominal amounts or nothing at all. At least one of the awards has been appealed. Read more about Amy’s story and its effect on child pornography cases at New legal issue: Payment for child porn victims.

Florida has great weather. Many municipalities, cities, and counties have swimming pools in place for residents and visitors. Public swimming pools are a common fixture in cities and towns across Florida. A good questions was recently posted to me as follows:

Are Lifeguards required at Florida public swimming pools?

Pursuant to Rule 64E-9.008 - Supervision and Safety, "all owners, managers, lifeguards, or swimming instructors in charge of, or working at, public swimming pools shall be responsible for the supervision and safety of the pool." The rule also states that "lifeguards or swimming instructors, if provided, shall be in full charge of persons using the pool and shall have authority to enforce all rules."

The language of this rule leaves some wiggle room by using the phrase "if any". The most logical interpretation of the rule points to a requirement that the pool be staffed with lifeguards. The Department of Health issues these rules and regulations. If there is a problem with a public pool and its safety measures, parents and caregivers should discuss this matter with the pool manager and / or the Department of Health. If there is a child injury resulting from the lack of supervision or negligent supervision at a public swimming pool or even private swimming pool, contact a Florida Child Injury Lawyer for consultation, advice, and legal representation.

For pools that are exempt from supervision or regulation in Florida, see Florida Statutes, Section 514.0115 - Exemptions from Supervision - Regulation - Variances.

Automobile accidents and related injuries continue to be a daily problem in Jacksonville, Florida and other cities and towns. The Department of Motor Vehicles is one agency that reports and keeps track of automobile accidents and related injuries. 2004 statistics were reported that there were 14,116 accidents in 2004. This calculates to 38 accidents every day.

Even after decades of research to design safer vehicles, people frequently are injured in motor vehicle accidents / collisions. To be exact, there were 10,455 traffic accident injuries in 2004. Here's a summary of Duval County's crash data:

Alcohol Related Traffic Accidents - 1,245
Traffic Fatalities - 131
Alcohol Related Fatalities - 49
Injuries in Traffic Accidents - 10,455
Alcohol Related Injuries - 847
Motorcycle Fatalities - 15
Bicycle Fatalities - 6
Bicycle Injuries - 230
Pedestrian Fatalities - 31
Pedestrian Injuries - 329

Car accidents happen every day. If someone runs into you on the road, seek immediate medical attention, and contact a Florida automobile accident attorney for advice, counsel, and representation.

An Alachua County man (Keith Edward Olmeda) was recently sentenced to 150 years in federal prison for sexually abusing his former girlfriend's children and for videotaping these heinous acts. This acts of Olmeda are very disturbing and make this case or sentence ripe for the act of locking him up and throwing away the jail key. Olmeda is a sexual predator who is an absolute danger to society and children. Children should be protected, nurtured and educated by parents and other adults. Making them the subject of sex acts and videotapes is cruel punishment by a the acts of a selfish and sociopathic person.

You can read more about this story at Alachua Man Gets 150 Federal Prison Sentence.

Valeria Maxon and her husband lived in Mansfield, Texas, with their son, Alex. In 2006, Alex’s doctor told the Maxons that the child was developmentally disabled. The couple took the child to a Florida child therapy center.

It was at this time that Ms. Maxon started showing signs of mental illness, saying that Alex was dying and it was her fault because she was a bad mother. She was hospitalized for several days in Florida until her husband released her to return to Texas. After returning home, she became more delusional, saying that she was possessed by Satan and that their son was the Antichrist.

Both Ms. Maxon’s sister and one of her psychiatric doctors warned Maxon not to leave Alex alone with his mother. But in 2008 he left the house for an hour and half; when he returned home his wife informed him that she had drowned Alex in the hot tub. Ms. Maxon was arrested and charged with capital murder. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and was sent to a maximum security mental hospital.

That same week, Maxon was charged with abandoning his son and placing him in imminent danger of death or injury. Prosecutors argued that a reasonable person would not have left the baby with his mother when she was so clearly mentally ill. Jurors deliberated just over a half an hour before returning a guilty verdict. The maximum sentence for second degree murder in Texas is twenty years in prison.

Read more about this sad case at Mansfield father found guilty in wife's drowning death of baby.

A national movement that aims to legislate how doctors, young athletes and coaches deal with concussion injuries is gaining momentum. At this year’s Super Bowl, taking place in Miami, Florida, Governor Charlie Crist will be announcing plans for a national initiative that would encourage all fifty states to adopt concussion legislation modeled after the Zackery Lystedt Law in Washington State. In 2006, Lystedt suffered a debilitating brain injury at the age of thirteen as a result of being allowed to return to the field too quickly after suffering a sports-related concussion.

The Washington law requires that athletes, parents and coaches receive education about the dangers of concussions, that children be removed from the game if they are suspected of having a concussion, and that children must be cleared by a medical doctor before returning to the sport. Oregon, California and Pennsylvania have adopted similar laws.

While no such law has been introduced in the Florida legislature, Crist’s planned comments at the Super Bowl would indicate that one may be soon. Currently the Florida High School Athletic Association advises trainers to follow the guidelines set forth in the sports medicine handbook of the National Federation of State High School Associations. Find out more about the proposed nationwide effort to protect youth athletes from brain injuries at Congressional forum to tackle concussion issue in NCAA, high schools.

Dr. Robert Davis Williams, an emergency room doctor, was arrested at his home recently by Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff’s office deputies. Williams, who earned his medical degree at the University of Florida, and completed his residency at Shands, Jacksonville, has been charged with possession of child pornography.

Reportedly, a woman living with Williams came across a video portraying child pornography and notified police. She told police investigators that she then looked further and found thousands of DVDs which could be classified as child pornography. Police have seized Williams’ computer and computer storage media along with several hundred VHS tapes and DVDs.

Williams is licensed to practice medicine in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama, and was working as a travelling emergency physician with Team Health until he was fired on the same day that he was arrested. If he is convicted he could face up to five years in prison.

Read more about the arrest of a Jacksonville doctor at Hundreds of Discs, Tapes Taken from Jacksonville Doctor Facing Child Porn Charges.

If your child has been the victim of sexual abuse or the subject of exploitation or harm, contact a Florida Child Injury Lawyer for consultation as to your child's civil rights as they pertain to damages for medical bills, counseling, and related pain and suffering.

A Port St. John, Florida woman called the Brevard County, Florida Sheriff’s Office before noon on a recent Saturday morning, after finding an eighteen month old child in a diaper at her front door. According to Deputy Andre Walters, the woman was familiar with the child’s family, and directed police to the home of Sarah R. Petty, where they found a three year old at home alone.

Witnesses said that they had last seen Ms. Petty leaving her home at 8:00 p.m. the previous evening. After a few hours of searching, deputies located Ms. Petty at a friend’s home a few blocks away. According to officers, Ms. Petty was drunk when they found her.

Ms. Petty has been charged with child neglect and has been taken to the Brevard County jail. The two children are now with their father, who was out of town at the time of the incident, and the Florida Department of Children and Families has been notified about the situation. The Sheriff’s investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

Children need to be closely supervised at all times. Leaving two young children alone to go out drinking is a crime, and Ms. Petty will have her day in court to answer to these serious charges. Find out more details of this story at Tots found unattended; mother charged, jailed.

If your child has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, a Florida Child Injury Lawyer can provide guidance, counsel, and when supported by both the law and the facts representation to pursue damages for medical bills (past and future) and related pain and suffering.

Fifteen year old Taylor Garrison recently gave birth to a daughter, Brielle Garrison, in Wellington, Florida. The child suffers from a very rare condition, called Anophthalmia, which results in a lack of ocular tissue.

The doctor on the case, Dr. Lee Friedman, of the Microsurgical Institute, reported that the last time he saw a case of Anophthalmia was twenty two years ago. He further stated that the disorder is not hereditary, but rather is caused by a sporadic mutation. The disorder occurs in one out of every one hundred thousand births, and its cause is unknown.

The Garrison family will now have to consult with a large number of doctors, surgeons and specialists who will try to ensure that the disease does not cause the baby’s face to be deformed as she grows. The family and doctors hope that more families of children suffering from the rare disorder will come forward so that more medical attention will be focused on the matter.

The young mother has vowed to treat Brielle just like any other child. You can read more about this unusual disorder and the Florida family who is dealing with it at A Rare Condition Causes Baby in Florida To Be Born Without Eyes.