Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC | Washington Legal Blog

Seattle Child Injury Lawyer: Washington Gun Laws & Child Safety

A Seattle child injury lawyer discusses the recent accident child shooting incidents and whether Washington State should consider new gun laws.

Washington Kid Injury Prevention: Legal Sledding Areas in Seattle

Learn about the best places to sled in Seattle and where sledding is illegal – all from Washington State child injury attorney Andrew Kim.

Washington Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Girl’s Death

After their daughter was crushed by ice at the Big Four Ice Caves last year, a couple has filed a Washington wrongful death lawsuit against the government.

Car Runs Off Road, Injures Child Passengers | Gig Harbor Car Accident Attorney

Speeding, alcohol and possibly prescription drugs may have been factors in an accident Wednesday that injured 5 children, 2 of them seriously near Bremerton.

Mercer Island Targeting Underage Drinking | Mercer Island Injury Attorney

Parents of underange drinkers could face a $250.00 fine in the City of Mercer Island if a new ordinance is passed, targeting to decrease underage drinking.

Kent Police to Give Kent Elementary Schools a Change | Kent Injury Attorney

Kent police will be adding new flashing lights at crosswalks to alert drivers of school zones to three elementary schools in Kent to increase pedestrian safety.

Bellevue Girl Dies In Car Accident, But Her Cause Lives On

After a 9-year-old girl died in a pile-up on I90, thousands have donated to her favorite cause. Bellevue Car Accident Attorney 425-289-1990.

New Law in Washington State for Student Athletic Injuries | Washington Student Athlete Injury Attorney

New law passed in the state of Washington, prohibiting injured student athletes from returning to the sport until cleared by a licensed health care provider

Children Die Each Year from Heatstroke, After Being Left Alone in Vehicle | Bellevue Children Injury Attorney

With summer approaching, it's important to be extra careful. Children die each year from heatstroke after being forgotten in the back seat of a car.

Washington Teen Injured In Equestrian Competition Accident

A Washington State teen is in critical condition in Seattle after she suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall from a horse during an equestrian competition.

Fisher-Price Recalls Trikes After Six Toddlers Injured

Mammoth toy company Fisher-Price has recalled 7 million tricycles after six families across North America reported serious injuries on their toddler from using the toy bike. Owners of the defective tricycle should call Fisher-Price for a free replacement part.

Baby Gap Swimsuits Recall Due To Strangulation Risk

Baby Gap has recalled a girl's swimsuit that could be a choking hazard for children in Washington State.

Seattle School Closes After Chemical Smell Injures Children

A Seattle elementary school wing had to be closed after several Washington school children fell ill from a chemical smell that permeated the building. One WA child was hospitalized.

Kitsap Boy Drowns After Disappearing With Alcoholic Mother

An 8-year-old Washington boy was found to have drowned under mysterious circumstances in Olympia, WA. His mother, who is now missing, was an alcoholic and had a history of neglect and abuse.

Settlement Reached In Tacoma Monster Truck Child Death

The parents of the young boy killed at a Monster Jam truck show at the Tacoma Dome last January have come to a private settlement with the company that put on the monster truck show. The boy suffered fatal head trauma when metal debris flew into the stands.

Tacoma Toddler Injured In Fall Out Of Moving Minivan

A Washington car accident involving a Tacoma child has many across Washington State thinking about child protection locks and minivan safety this week. On Friday night, a four-year-old girl in Tacoma crawled out of her seat, opened her mother's minivan door, and fell out onto the road - all while the vehicle was moving.

The little girl, who was run over by the back wheels of the van driven by her mother was rushed to the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Center. A Tacoma Police spokesperson told reporters that she was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries from the car accident.

This child accident reminds us to keep our children securely restrained in child safety seats and to take advantage of the child safety locks that many recent cars are equipped with - these safety locks make sliding doors in minivans impossible to open from the inside.

What should parents learn about car safety and kids? | Washington Kids Accident Lawyer

From the time your new baby comes home from the hospital, until they are driving with their own driver's license, parents need to learn how to maximize their kids' safety in the car.  At each stage, kids are at risk in different ways. 

Most parents don't know how to use their infant or young child's car seat correctly.  Too many school-aged kids are in danger because they don't use booster seats.  Some kids are in danger from air bags because they ride in front seat before they are big enough to do so safely.  Inexperienced teenage drivers are often overtired, driving under the influence, overly confident in their abilities, or aren't paying attention because they're distracted by their friends, cell phones and food.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of accidental death for all young people from one-year-old babies through teens.  Too many motor vehicle deaths and injuries could have been prevented. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics can help you get started on how to shop for and correctly install a car seat.  Keep your child in a car seat for the longest recommended time.  Don't "graduate" them before they are both the recommended age and weight. 

The Bellevue, Washington office of the Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC represents adults and children seriously injured in any motor vehicle accidents.  If you would like to talk to a personal injury attorney to see whether you have a case, please call us at 1-800-636-3676 or visit www.wainjurylaw.com.

Monster Truck Rally Accidents Not As Rare As You Might Think

Last week, a six-year-old boy was killed by flying debris at a Monster Truck rally at the Tacoma Dome. While many newspapers and media outlets around the world called the child's fatal head injury a "freak accident," The Tacoma News Tribune and the Associated Press reported that monster truck accidents are not as rare as you may hope - and that safety may be an issue at these events:

In 2007, a monster truck crash injured nine people (two seriously) during an event in DeKalb, Illinois.

In 1999, four people, including two children, were injured when a monster truck slammed into a pole and sent debris flying into the audience.

In 1999, a Prairie Capital Convention Center monster truck accident left one man dead and another injured when the vehicle went out of control.

In 1997, a monster truck hit a fence and flipped into the sidelines, killing a teenager and injuring two others.

In some instances, accidents are "freak accidents" that couldn't have been prevented or predicted. In other cases, however, unsafe or even negligent conditions can lead to serious injuries or even death, for both kids and adults.

Go cart accident injures 15 month old boy | Bellevue child accident attorney

A go cart accident at the County Line Amusement Park in Spring Hill, Florida injured a 15 month old toddler boy after he and his father stalled their go-cart and were instructed by an employee to walk to another cart nearby.  The boy was hit by another go-cart driver.  The parents Lisa Saladino and Shane Stanley are seeking more than $15,000 in damages in the civil negligence lawsuit filed December 23, 2008.

Although there may be some negligence against the amusement park and its employee, some degree of comparative fault may also rest with the father.  You may also have some difficulties finding sympathetic jurors to decide in your favor since they may wonder why you would take a 15 month old on a go cart ride in the first place.  But then again, why didn't the employee prevent the father from taking the toddler on the ride?  There usually is a minimum age or height requirement for rides at amusement parks.  Looks like there's plenty of blame to go around in this case but not one that we would take.

The Bellevue, Washington office of the Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC represents adults and children seriously injured in go-cart rides, roller coasters, and other amusement park rides that are defective or not properly maintained causing bodily injury to the riders.  If you would like to talk to a personal injury attorney to see whether you have a case, please call us at 1-800-636-3676.

Munire Cribs Recalled after Child Is Poisoned by Lead Paint

3,000 Newport Rubbed Black 4-in-1 Cribs and 6,000 matching furniture pieces made by Munire Furniture of Piscataway, New Jersey were recalled after one child was hospitalized for lead poisoning from the lead paint which is in excess of the federal limits. 

The paint in question is a red paint underneath the black finish paint on some of the cribs and matching furniture which can be harmful to teething babies and toddlers who may ingest the paint chips after chewing on the rails like this one baby did.

Specialty furniture stores nationwide sold these items from April 2006 through November 2008.  For more information about the recall, check out the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission news release here.

The Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC provides information to parents to help keep children safe from harmful products.

Refurbished youth football helmets not properly tested

The former president of Circle System Inc, pleaded guilty for failing to properly test youth football helmets required under guidelines set by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).  About 4,000 helmets were returned to the field improperly during 2005 and 2006.

It looks like profit over the safety of our kids playing football was the driving force of David Drill, the former president of Circle System.  He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This information was provided by the Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC, the Bellevue child safety and kids accident and injury attorney.

NHTSA teen driver safety program

Leading Cause of Death for Teens - Traffic Crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA's) reported that young drivers, ages 15 to 20 years old are especially vulnerable to death and injury on our roadways.  Car and truck crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America.  Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal car accidents as all other drivers.

Motor vehicle collisions make up 35% of teen deaths, 16% homicide, 12% suicide, and 37% all other.

Research shows which behaviors contribute to teen-related auto accidents.  Inexperience and immaturity combined with speed, drinking and driving, not wearing seat belts, distracted driving (cell phone use, loud music, other teen passengers, etc.), drowsy driving, nighttime driving, and other drug use aggravate this problem. 

These statistics are a bit surprising to even me, an experienced car accident and personal injury attorney who has handled quite a large number of car accident, truck accident, and motorcycle crash injury claims over the past 15 plus years. 

Research clearly shows three steps in reducing teen crashes –

1)  Increase seat belt use,

2)  Implement graduated driver licensing, and

3)  Reduce teens' access and use of alcohol and/or drugs

These are three things that we all should be striving to do on a consistent basis for the safety of our children.  The Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC provides information to help parents make well informed decisions regarding the well being of their kids.

Bellevue Downtown Park collapses and injures young girl | Bellevue child accident attorney

On December 21, 2008, the skating rink tent at Bellevue’s Downtown Park collapsed from the weight of snow on the roof.  A young girl was the only one who needed assistance from firefighters to get out, who was injured and taken to Overlake Hospital Medical Center for examination.

With the record accumulation of snow we've had the past week and with the temperatures expected to rise making the snow melt and become heavier, caution should be used in removing snow from flat roofs which may collapse from the weight of snow.

Bellevue accident and injury attorney Andrew Kim assists children and others injured from defective structures, collapsed decks, due to improper maintenance and inspection, defective design, and negligent construction.  You can call Andrew Kim Law Firm, PLLC at the Bellevue office at (425) 289-1990 for a free consultation.