With mask restrictions lifted in across Massachusetts, students are back to school in what is finally – hopefully – a more normal school year. With classrooms filled to their usual capacities, our children’s health will, of course, remain paramount this fall, but it is also important to highlight their safety, both when commuting to and from school, and throughout their academic experiences.
Motor Vehicle, Pedestrian and Bus Accidents
School buses, commuting teachers, and parents bringing their children to and from school causes increased congestion on the roads both in the early morning and mid-afternoon hours. During these times, whether your student is driving, being driven, riding the bus, or walking to school, it is extremely important that they be cognizant of their surroundings and vigilant in their safety. According to a Department of Transportation fact sheet published in June of this year, from 2011 through June of 2020, there were 1,009 fatal school-transportation-related crashes resulting in 1,125 deaths. Surprisingly, many of the victims of these fatal accidents were pedestrians as opposed to vehicle occupants.
School systems, cities, and towns across the Commonwealth work hard to avoid these fatal accidents. They hire crossing guards, install flashing lights, and impose reduced speed limits in school zones, create dedicated bike lanes and install partitions between sidewalks and roadways, and teach safe commuting practice to elementary school students. In addition to relying on teachings at school, it is important to reinforce good and safe behaviors and lead by example when walking or driving with your children, by staying off your cell phone, crossing streets in marked crosswalks and waiting for lights to change before crossing.
Defective Kids’ Products – Helpful Tips in Preventing Accidents
In addition to maintaining safety traveling to and from school, it is important to consider our children’s safety during the school day and while they are doing homework. School supplies, including something as innocuous as crayons have been the subject of recalls in recent years. In May 2018, Colorations brand extra-large crayons were recalled because of glass found in the red crayons, posing a laceration hazard to the user. In September of this year, Lucid Audio recalled its Children’s HearMuffs sound compression earmuff headphones because the batteries included in the earmuffs could rupture posing a threat of hearing, projectile and burn injuries to users. Parents can monitor active and completed recalls on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website, which keeps the public informed not only of recalls, but also the remedy available to the consumer. Educating your student about appropriate and safe use of school supplies can help avoid injury.
When appropriate safety practices are not followed, accidents causing serious personal injuries may result. SUGARMAN’s dedicated team of personal injury attorneys has decades of experience investigating accidents and pursuing claims on behalf of injured individuals. If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn more, call (617) 542-1000 or email us at info@sugarman.com to connect with a SUGARMAN accident attorney today.