Portland injury attorney

Summer Injury Prevention Tips for Parents

After the long, dark, cold winter months and the stuttering promises made by spring, summer seems finally to have arrived, much to the delight of the vast majority of people. Yet summer also brings extra dangers, and Portland child injury attorneys are offering some good advice on how to prevent some of the more common summer injuries.

More daylight hours mean that children spend more time outside; this in itself brings added dangers. Parents need to make children aware of the need to stay safe, especially when it comes to crossing roads or playing near roads. Some of the following steps could go a long way towards contributing to a happy, healthy and most importantly, a safe summer:

  • Any child under the age of 10 should never cross any road unless accompanied by an adult, according to Safe Kids USA. Most children think they’re invincible, but road safety statistics show a completely different picture.
  • Explain to children the need to look left, look right and then looking left again before starting to cross the street.
  • Children have a tendency to run across a street. They may even think it’s safer to get across as quickly as possible. They should be taught to never run across the street; always walk.
  • Tell children that sidewalks and footpaths are the place to walk—not along the side of the street.
  • Safe Kids USA also recommends that children should walk facing traffic and as far to the left as possible if no sidewalks or footpaths are available.

Parents: Be Aware of Safety at All Times

When children are playing with their friends, it’s quite possible for them to get carried away with games and forget about the safety rules their parents have laid down. During the summer months, late evening games of softball, stickball, soccer, street hockey, tag or hide and seek can take children close to busy roads. As such, parents should seriously stress the need for children to:

  • Never, ever dart out into the street to chase a ball, dodge a tag or for any other reason. Streets are for cars, not for games.
  • To be sure they’re seen, children should also be told never to enter the street from between parked cars. This common mistake frequently turns fatal, as oncoming cars have little or no chance to take evasive action in time to avoid colliding with the child.
  • If they’re playing a game that involves a bicycle, or simply taking their bike to a friend’s house, children should be told to always wear a protective helmet.
  • In order to avoid the dangers of traffic completely, parents should try to find safe play areas, completely away from roads and traffic, and encourage their children to play in those areas.
  • For their part, parents should ensure their children are never, ever left alone in a vehicle, even for very short periods of time. It only takes a moment for disaster to strike.

Every parent wants their child to be safe and happy, and when a child is hurt, it can be a parent’s worst nightmare. Children, despite what they believe themselves, are exceptionally vulnerable and prone to injuries that can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Summer months are enjoyable precisely because children get to spend more time outdoors, getting important exercise and enjoying their time off school. However, as well as the normal bumps and bruises that come from trips, slips and falls, summer months bring an increased danger of far more serious injuries, from dog bites to traffic accidents.

Even when children follow the rules, accidents can and do happen, and sometimes that’s down to the negligence of people who should know better. If this happens to your child, it’s important to get them the medical help they need, as well as insuring they get the ongoing treatment they will need to make a complete recovery.

Visits to emergency rooms, doctors’ visits, specialist treatment and things like plastic surgery and rehabilitation are incredibly expensive. If your child was injured by someone else’s negligence, that person should have to foot the bill. Make a call to an experienced and compassionate injury lawyer in Portland. The consultation is free, and a good personal injury lawyer will explain to you how to go about getting the compensation your child will need to start on the long road to recovery.