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.

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.

Here is a link to a short video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety about a collision between a 50 year old car and a new car. Riding in a car now is safer than it was 50 — or even 20 — years ago. Our children are luckier, and so are we.

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.

Snowmobiling can be an exciting and invigorating activity. It also is a sport with potential for serious injury. In May 2003, the Journal of Pediatric Surgery reported on its study of data from 1991 to 2000 that found that the mean age of children who were admitted to hospital with snowmobile-related injuries was 12 years and that most of them were boys who had been driving the vehicle. Most of the accidents had been collisions with fixed objects, and the most common injury site was the head (even though most of the children had been wearing helmets). The most common cause of death was head injury.

As with all sports, there are some safety rules that need to be followed:

*Take a safety course – always.

* Use the right helmet – always.

*Never go alone – always have a “buddy” with you.

*Stay on established trails.

*Stay off unknown water. You don’t know how thick the ice is.

*Take a GPS with you.

But, what if your child did all the right things and was still injured in a snowmobile accident?  Look further. The accident could have been caused by a mechanical or design defect in the snowmobile that you did not know about.

For instance, if your son reports that he lost control of the vehicle, have it checked out — there may be a defect in the steering mechanism caused by a manufacturer that chose not to do a safety inspection before putting the snowmobile on the market. Did the brakes fail? Was the suspension correctly assembled? Did wiring or fuel leaks cause the snowmobile to catch on fire and explode?

If your child is injured, it’s a good idea to consult with a lawyer to get as much information as you can about what may have caused the accident and who, if anyone, should be held accountable for the injury. Call me at 703-273-9500 or send me an email at srohrstaff@WRSattorneys.com.  I will be happy to answer your questions.

You hear about lead poisoning regularly in news reports about unhealthy levels in water and paint.  We are told to check our paint supply to make sure that it is unleaded.  Did you know that gasoline used to have lead in it, which is why it is now called “unleaded gasoline?”  A recent recall reminds us that lead can be found in an array of products, not just in those we might suspect.

MacPherson’s Children’s Art Easels sold between June 2004 and July 2009 have been recalled by the manufacturer.

These easels, which were sold online and in art stores, have one chalkboard side and one dry erase side.  Upon testing, high levels of lead were found in the chalkboard side of the easel.  The recall affects easels with the item number AA13301.

If you or your child’s caregiver has this easel, STOP USING IT IMMEDIATELY.

If you child is in preschool or at a day care center, ask to look at the easels to see whether they are among the recalled items. If you buy a second-hand easel, check to make sure it is not one of these easels.

You should contact MacPherson’s to receive a free replacement.  Further information about getting your replacement can be found at http://www.art-alternatives.com/recall.