Trudi Hays, who lives in Herndon, Virginia, stepped forward and asked for two helmets for young neighbors. She got them.

If you live in Virginia and know a child who needs a bike helmet, call me at 703-273-9500 to sign up for our newsletter and let us know that you want a bike helmet for a child. We’ll put you on our list and also send you April’s newsletter, that includes a measuring tape so you can tell us the correct measurement of the child’s head.

I recently attended a seminar sponsored by the Fairfax Bar Association and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. It was eye opening! A disabled child who receives Medicaid or Social Security benefits and who also receives money from a personal injury case could lose all her benefits if her personal injury lawyer doesn’t make the right arrangements to protect them.

Every personal injury lawyer should know the answers to these questions:

1.    What types of clients needs special needs trusts?
2.    When should a lawyer start figuring that out?
3.    Who would the lawyer call to get her clients’ special needs taken care of?

If your child’s injury lawyer doesn’t know the answer to the first question, go find another lawyer.

Here’s the answer to the second question:  Immediately, at the first meeting, the lawyer should start figuring out whether the client might need a special needs trust.

True scary story. A personal injury lawyer in Texas, a friend of mine, was asked  for advice on how to allocate the money the woman’s disabled father received in his personal injury case. The goal was to maintain his Medicaid and Social Security disability benefits. Big problem:  Her father had already received the funds! (This was not my friend’s case.) The daughter had gotten information from the Internet about “supplemental needs trust” and “purchase of a single premium annuity.” Unfortunately, it was too late to take advantage of either of these asset protection plans. Disaster. He’ll lose his benefits and much more.

Too bad her father’s lawyer didn’t know she should call the best special needs trust lawyer in town.  Now, that lawyer must tell her own malpractice insurance carrier that she screwed up that gentleman’s case.

If you are in Virginia, and your child has been seriously injured, and you want to talk to someone about whether a special needs trust or structured settlement ought to be considered, give me a call. I don’t know how to set them up, but I sure do know the best special needs trust lawyer in town. And, sometimes, that’s the best advice a lawyer can give.

My number is 703-273-9500, or you can send me an email at srohrstaff@wrsattorneys.com.

But, this park is not like other amusement parks. It is not overloaded with rides, rides and more rides. Every activity is wheelchair accessible and designed with its special visitors in mind. There is a carousel, rugged-looking jeeps that give an off-road adventure on a winding track, a fishing lake, waterworks and other sensory activities, a train that goes around the park, and specially-designed playground equipment. (The water activities will be especially popular in the hot South Texas sun.)  It’s a place for the whole family. Special needs visitors get in free; others pay $5.

Hartman contributed $1 million of his own and then raised $29 million to create the 25-acre park. There’ll be no long lines, either, because the number of visitors allowed in the park at any one time is limited.

It’s the first of its kind in the world; however, it likely won’t be the only one for long. Hartman has had inquiries from all over the world.

With toddlers, it is important to keep a watchful eye as they learn to make their way on their feet.  While most toddler falls are inconsequential, falls around dangerous areas can be detrimental.  Always use gates to protect children from stairwells and windows.  In recent years, some gates have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Be sure to check that the one you are using is in full compliance with today’s standards.  Wheeled baby walkers used to be popular, but now have been mostly taken off the market due to their dangers around stairs.

Helmets save lives. Everyone should wear a helmet while riding a bicycle.  Set a good example for your children and do the same yourself.  Be sure your helmets are properly fitted with the buckle fitting snug under the chin.  Only properly-fitted helmets provide good protection. Even children sitting in a child carrier on the back of your bike or in a trailer pulled by your bike should wear a helmet.

Infants under the age of one should not be carried on bikes.  Also, toddlers older than four are usually too large for carrier seats and should have either their own bike or a trailer attached to yours.

Helmets are also important in roller blading, roller skating, and skateboarding.

Is every one a brain injury? No.

The harder question is, “How do I tell the difference?” The answer is a little harder, too.

Brain injuries are often divided into two categories: low force and high force injuries, depending on the severityof the blow to the head.  Each case is unique, and some injuries appear minor when they actually are quite severe.

Low force injuries are usually minor and don’t leave lasting brain injury.  High force injures happen from a child’s head being struck by objects of great speed and/or weight.  High force brain injuries occur from a high speed vehicle crash, a fall from a high height, severe shaking, or being struck with a powerful object.  These incidents almost always lead to some form of brain injury in the child.

Of course,  you should have your child seen by a health care provider immediately if she has hit her head. Often, if a child hits her head, she may cry immediately but stop crying after a short period of time. You should still take her to a doctor, especially if the force of impact was great.  The fact that she stopped crying does not necessarily mean she was uninjured. You will want a doctor to take a look at her.

Immediate and appropriate care can help a child’s possibility of a more significant recovery.  For more in depth information on child brain injuries, click here

How do brain injuries in children happen? Here are the five most common causes.

1.  Falls.  Kids are super active, so falls happen often.  Not surprisingly, they are the number one cause of brain injury in children, second only to vehicle collisions.

2. Motor vehicle collisions. Keeping your child properly restrained by a seatbelt or a child safety seat helps, certainly, but she can still suffer a brain injury if her head is hit on a part of the car or by an object sent flying by impact.

3. Pedestrian and bicycle accidents.  Teaching your child when she is young to look both ways before crossing the street and to always wearing a helmet when riding a bike is key. But, as we all know, children have not yet mastered decision- making skills and can be unpredictable in their actions.

4. Sports accidents. We want our children to learn the lessons they get from playing sports; however, they can suffer brain injuries from an unprotected fall or a tackle gone wrong.

5.  Child abuse.  It is unsettling that this is in the top five causes of such a serious child injury.  There is evidence (although it is disputed) that shaking a child, especially a very young one, can cause serious damage to the brain.

Immediate and appropriate care can help a child’s possibility of a more significant recovery.  For more in depth information on child brain injuries, click here.

We make a commitment to keep our children safe in our cars. When they are small, we go to great expense to buy the best car seats we can and spend a lot of time buckling/unbuckling them in and out.  But what about when they are older?  And, what about buckling ourselves in?

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Brain injuries don’t just affect those who are injured; they affect everyone around them. If you are a parent and suffer a traumatic brain injury, your children’s lives will be forever altered along with yours. If you are a parent of a teenager who drives, your life will never be the same if she suffers a traumatic brain injury.  One way to take care of your family is to be sure seatbelts are used every time anyone gets into a car.

My friend Larry Buckfire, a car accident lawyer in Michigan, posted a short video, Embrace Life, on his website. It is less than two minutes long. There are no words. I suggest you watch it.  It is powerful.

If you have a teen driver in your home, show it to her. Watch it with her. It could speak more loudly than your words ever could.

Here is a link to resources and education information from the Mayo Clinic on traumatic brain injury in children to help parents and teachers help the child.

HEADACHES that keep coming back or other pain in and around the head (e.g., the eyes or jaw)

BALANCE or dizziness problems

SENSORY problems -bothered by smells or light or sounds or has blurry or double vision; changes in taste or appetite; feels too hot or too cold; hearing loss or ringing in ears

Changes in SLEEP patterns – doesn’t sleep through the night, sleeps too much, gets days and nights mixed up

PAIN problems – especially frequent pain in neck and shoulders or other places on the body that are unexplained

BEHAVIOR changes – in personality or mood; irritable, restless, upset, frustrated easily; overreacts, cries or laughs too easily; mood swings, wants to be alone or away from people, is afraid or others, blames others; wants to be taken care of, doesn’t know how to act with people, takes risks without thinking; is sad, depressed, can’t “get started” doing anything, is tired, drowsy or slow to respond; trips, falls, drops things, is awkward; eats too little, eats all the time, or eats thing that aren’t food; takes off clothes in public; for older children: has different sexual behavior, starts using or has a different reaction to alcohol or drugs

THINKING Problems – can’t remember things, has trouble paying attention, reacts slowly, thinks slowly, takes things too literally, doesn’t get jokes; understands words but not their meaning; thinks about the same thing over and over; has trouble learning new things, putting things in order (desk, room, papers), making decisions; planning, starting, doing and finishing a task and emembering to do things on time; makes poor choices (loss of common sense)

COMMUNICATING- changes the subject, has trouble staying on topic; has trouble reading, listening, thinking of the right word, paying attention and having long conversations; doesn’t say things clearly, talks too much

If your child exhibits any of these problems AND THEY DO NOT GO AWAY, call your doctor.

The Washington State Traumatic Brain Injury Council has more information on what to look out for and what to do if your child has suffered a brain injury.

If your child has hurt her head and has any of these problems that do not go away, you may want to speak to a lawyer experienced in representing children with traumatic brain injuries. I will be glad to answer your questions about rights your child may have to recover for her losses from her brain injury caused by someone else. Call me at 703-273-9500, or send me an email at srohrstaff@WRSattorneys.com.

Childhelp USA: (800)-4-A-CHILD A hotline provides crisis counseling and literature about child abuse.

National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse: 800-Children This organization provides information and referrals about child abuse.

National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, 1-888-273-007 The National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome is a private, nonprofit organization that provides information to professionals and parents about SBS.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides general information about health and safety issues, including links to child abuse information and topics.