June 12, 2008

Traumatic Brain Injury - The Injured Child in Florida - What is a traumatic brain injury?

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Florida children acquire or are inflicted with traumatic brain injuries from automobile accidents, playground incidents, day care injuries, slips and falls, sports related injuries, and other causes. Some refer to traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a brain injury or head injury. Traumatic brain injury is caused when sudden trauma damages the brain. Traumatic brain injury occurs when the head suddenly and violently hits an object or when an object goes through or pierces the skull and damages the brain tissue. Symptoms for traumatic brain injury can range from mild to moderate to severe. Some victims of traumatic brain injury experience loss of consciousness and others do not. Other symptoms of traumatic brain injury include the follows: headache, light headedness, dizziness blurred vision, tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, mood change, lethargy, change in sleep patterns, memory problems, concentration problems, attention, and thinking and cognitive defects.

Some children who sustain a traumatic brain injury are affected for life. Since the brain is very fragile, treatment for traumatic brain injury can be quite limited. It is important to get evaluation and treatment for traumatic brain injury by professionals including but not limited to neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychologists, psychiatrists, and / or neuro-pscychologists. The National Institute of Health has some good resources and information for traumatic brain injury at Traumatic Brain Injury - Hope Through Research.

April 4, 2008

Missing and Abducted Florida Children - Simple Florida Safety Measure: Photograph Your Child Anytime You Travel, Visit an Amusement Park, or any Other Crowded Event

I recently visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was filled with stressed out parents and excited children . . . It was also filed with hundreds of thousands of people . . . some good . . . some bad. In such crowded venues like Disney World, airports, shopping malls in Florida, there is a risk for a child to get lost, go missing, or get abducted. The best safety measure of all is to stay with your child at all times. In a matter of seconds, a child can wander off . . . Yes, these things happen. I thought it would be a good idea to take a photograph of your child before traveling, during traveling, and any time you go to a crowded venue or location. Why take a photograph? The reason is simple - the first thing that a law enforcement officer or security officer will ask you is - What was your child wearing? A simple photograph on your camera or mobile phone will be accurate and a very useful tool in searching for a missing or abducted child. I have my trusty i phone and will be following my own advice on this matter. The i phone and other advanced phones also have the ability to e mail the photo to any e mail address. As such, in a matter of seconds, a photograph of the at risk child can circulate to law enforcement, security, park officials, and mall officials.

January 22, 2008

Jacksonville Florida Victim of Crimes Compensation

In Florida, victims of crimes including child victims can apply for compensation of up to $50,000 from the government. Each incident and case is evaluated by the government on its own merits. If you or a family member has been the victim of a crime, you can contact your local county police department or state attorney's office for information and application for Victim of Crimes Compensation. In Jacksonville Florida - Duval County, the contact information is located at the City of Jacksonville Web Site at Services for Crime Victims.

Chapter 960, Florida Statutes is the applicable law on point.

January 22, 2008

Jacksonville Florida Shooting Ends Life of Child Outside of Convenience Store

A Jacksonville Florida shooting killed Kiersten Ross outside of the Family Food Store shortly after 6:00 p.m. His mother, Pamela Ross, had last seen Kiersten riding his bike and playing with his toddler brother. Kiersten went to the Family Food Store to get a snack of donuts. As he was walking out of the store, he was shot by a drive by shooter. It is uncertain if Kiersten was the target. Investigation is under way to try to identify and locate the shooters.

The death of Kiersten, who was just 17 years old, is a tragedy for the family and the community. Kiersten was just at the store to buy donuts in the early evening hours.

Hopefully, the shooter and accomplices are located and prosecuted. You can read more about this tragic incident at From Bike to Bullet - Drive By Shooting at Jacksonville Florida Convenience Store.

Is there a civil case to pursue? Maybe, it depends on the facts of the case. Florida does not require armed guards outside of every convenience store; however, there is a line of negligent security cases that hold a property owner liable if there is a history of crime in the area and the property owner fails to implement reasonable and necessary security measures. Each case is judged on its own facts. The negligent security cases are detail oriented cases that require a statistical crime analysis of the area over a period of time, a detailed analysis of the facts, and thorough legal research to make sure that the law supports the facts and details obtained through the investigation.

If you have any questions about an assault, battery, shooting, injury, or death that took place at a convenience store or other business, you should consult with an Florida injury attorney to review the facts and your respective rights.