An adult pushing on a screen may conclude it would keep a child from falling out the window. Don’t count on it. Children have an amazing way of getting past barriers in ways beyond our imagination.

And, don’t think your child is too short to reach the window sill. Even a very young child figures out early on how to move a chair and climb up on it to get where she wants.

Here are some tips from Safe Kids USA about preventing falls from windows:

Top Tips to Prevent Window Falls

* Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. For windows above the first floor, install window guards with an emergency release device in case of fire.

* Install window stops so that windows open no more than four inches.

* Keep windows locked and closed when they are not being used.

* Keep furniture away from windows so kids cannot climb to the ledge.

* If you have double-hung windows — the kind that can open down from the top as well as up from the bottom — it is generally safer to open the top pane, but growing kids may have enough strength, dexterity and curiosity to open the bottom pane.

* Do not rely on window screens to prevent falls.

* Keep windows locked when they are closed.

* Supervise children at all times, especially around open windows.

Sometimes, though, even when a parent does everything right, a young child falls out of a screened window because the screen was in poor repair or installed incorrectly or faulty in its design.  If your child or a child you know was injured from a fall through a window screen, consult a Virginia child injury lawyer who can give you accurate information about whether your child has a claim for her injuries. Not every fall from a window is the fault of someone else, but some are. A Virginia child injury lawyer can evaluate the facts and advise you whether there is an at-fault person who could accountable for your child’s injuries.

I will be happy to answer your questions. Call me at 703-260-6070, send me an email at Sandra@RohrstaffLaw.com, or a fax to 703-260-6305. You can also contact me through our website, www.RohrstaffLaw.com. There is no charge for the consultation.

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.

Children of all ages fall off of playground equipment.  In fact, more children are injured on playgrounds from falls than from any other kind of injury.  It’s up to whoever is in charge of the playground (you, if it’s in your yard; your child’s school if it’s on the school’s property; the community, if it’s a public playground) to set up and maintain the area under the equipment so that it creates a safe landing place for your child when she falls.

Unsafe surfaces under playground equipment are asphalt, concrete, dirt, grass or flooring covered by carpet or gym mat.  They are too hard and have no “give” to them.  Acceptable surfaces are wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or shredded rubber.

And, can you even guess how deep the filler materials should be?  I’ve seen recommendations for between 9 and 12 inches!

So, even if your child’s playground looks safe because it has a mulch surface, be sure to ask how deep the the mulch (or other filler) is.

If your child is injured from a fall on a playground, you should talk to a child injury lawyer about whether the playground was unsafe, by its design, by its lack of maintenance or by its unacceptable surface.  Feel free to give me a call at 703-260-6070, contact me at Sandra@RohrstaffLaw.com or through my firm’s website, www.RohrstaffLaw.com.  I will answer your questions for free.