Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog

June 1, 2017

Water Park Liability Considered After Child Injury on Water Slide

It’s summertime, and water slides are a popular activity for adults and children alike. They offer a thrill, but they aren’t always safe. When a child injury occurs on a water slide, our attorneys will examine whether a dangerous condition existed on site about which the park or employees should have known (premises liability) or whether there was some defect in the slide or its components about which the manufacturer or distributor should have been aware (product liability).

A recent child injury in California involved a new water slide at a water park in California. The ride is called “The Wave” and features a half pipe on an 80-degree decline with a three-story drop. Once the water slide reaches the base, the tube sits on a concrete slab.

When the 10-year-old rider, who met the minimum height requirement for the ride, reached the bottom of the ride, instead of sliding along to the tube to the pool at the end, he was launched out of the tube and slammed into the concrete base pad. Continue reading

May 28, 2017

NHL Star Sidney Crosby Suffers Head Injury Scare

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Head injuries – and traumatic brain injuries in particular – account for 30 percent of all injury deaths in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every day, more than 150 people die from TBIs. Although such injuries can happen to anyone, those in physically laborious professions tend to have higher rates.

It seems like every year, the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves locked in a fierce battle to get to the eastern conference finals of the National Hockey League. This rivalry includes two of the greatest hockey players to ever play the game – Alex Ovechkin for the Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby for the Penguins. Many consider Ovechkin to be the greatest offensive player in the game and Crosby is considered by many to be the best all-around hockey player.

Despite all of his success, including winning the Stanley Cup, Crosby has had a long history of concussions and has also had a history of taking a long time to recover from them. He has missed a significant amount of playing time due to concussion symptoms. There is serious concern that he may have quality of life issues for the rest of his life following his eventual retirement from the NHL. Continue reading

May 24, 2017

Corporal Punishment and Child Injuries in Mass Schools

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In Massachusetts, corporal punishment is illegal. This means that a teacher, coach or anyone else at your child’s school cannot use spanking, paddling or any other type of physical force as a means of discipline.

This has not always been the case and is still not the rule in some other states. We have recently seen a rash of articles about bills being proposed in other states to ban corporal punishment in schools as the legislature in Massachusetts has already done. Continue reading

May 20, 2017

Injuries at Amusement Parks a Risk During the Summer Months

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Last summer was a particularly dangerous one for amusement park attendees. USA Today reported on numerous incidents which occurred at amusement parks which resulted in serious and even fatal injuries. With summer a prime time for visits to amusement parks, it is important for those who will be heading out to hit the rides to understand the risk they face while at the park.

When an accident at an amusement park does occur and injury or death results, victims need to understand what options they have for holding the amusement park owners and operators accountable for their losses.

A Boston personal injury lawyer can provide assistance in determining if a case can be made against the amusement park so the victim or his family can obtain monetary damages. Victims should be made whole, which means compensated for both economic and non-financial loss such as loss wages, costs of medical bills and the pain endured as a result of the amusement park accident.

May 17, 2017

What Happens if a Tourist Gets Hurt During a High-Risk Activity

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Summer is a prime time for vacations, and many adventurous travelers like to take trips to hike, rock climb, go boating or diving, water ski, parasail or take part in other fun but risky activities. If you are heading off for a summer trip and you will be doing something more high risk than just sitting in a lounge chair by the beach for your whole vacation, it is important to understand what your rights are when participating in high-risk recreation.

A Boston injury lawyer can provide insight into what responsibility the operators of tourist activities have if you engage in high risk behavior. In most cases, you can file a lawsuit against the operator of various types of recreational activities even if the operator has had you sign a liability waiver and even if the activity you’re engaging in tends to be an inherently high risk one.

What Happens if Tourists Get Hurt Doing Something Dangerous

May 15, 2017

College Rugby Player Paralyzed During Championship

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

While you or you child can get injured during most sports, some are more dangerous than others. When we think of head injuries, football is often at the top at list. This is to the point where many parents, even former athletes, will not let their kids play the game at a competitive level. While football may be first, lacrosse and ice hockey are not far behind. Rugby is often considered the most dangerous, but until recently it was not that popular in the U.S., so we don’t hear about it often, but that is starting to change.

According to a recent news story from The Mercury News, a college athlete was left paralyzed following a championship win for his team. The 20-year-old athlete is now paralyzed from his chest down. He already had one major surgery, but he now only has limited movement of his arms and nothing below that. His family said they know it will be a long road ahead for this young victim, but they hope and pray he will regain his mobility. He was able to sit up in a chair while in the hospital a day after the surgery, and this is a very encouraging sign. Continue reading

May 13, 2017

Who is Responsible for Swimming Pool Accidents?

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

While summer is a great time for swimming, pools can also be very dangerous places. A young child could drown in a pool very quickly and drowning doesn’t always look like what we might expect. Children could be hurt at a hotel swimming pool or a water park, or could drown when they wander into a neighbor’s yard who has a pool. There are myriad different situations in which a young child could face a grave risk of injury when it comes to the presence of a swimming pool and when a child does get hurt, it is important to determine who is to blame for the harm the child experienced.

A Boston injury lawyer can provide representation to individuals and families harmed in swimming pool accidents. It is not just children who could suffer injury in a pool. Adults could drown or be hurt too. Anyone who is injured should talk with an attorney about his or her rights and to find out who can be held accountable for compensating the victim or the family of the victim if the pool accident is fatal.

Who is Responsible for Swimming Pool Accidents?

May 10, 2017

Tourist Injury Involves Hammock in NYC, Possible Premises Liability Claim

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

When people think about lying out in a hammock, they are typically thinking of lying out in some tropical paradise with the hammock stretched between two palm trees. They are not usually thinking about New York City. However, as it turns out, there are hammocks in the big city, and one of these hammocks allegedly resulted in a tourist being injured, according to a recent news report from CBS News.

Authorities have said the hammock had been placed on the fifth story of a building in lower Manhattan. Due to high winds and during a big rainstorm, the hammock, along with its heavy wooden base and suspension system, fell from the building and landed on a tourist walking on the sidewalk below. Continue reading

May 7, 2017

Child Injured in ATV Accident

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Riding an all-terrain vehicle, also called an ATV or “four-wheeler” can be a lot of fun, but it can also result in serious personal injury. There are a lot ways that an injury can occur on an ATV. In some cases, we are dealing with an inexperienced driver who has rented an ATV or is using one that belongs to a friend. It is also possible that a rider is seriously injured when sitting on the back on an ATV being operated by someone else.

There is no seat belt on most of these vehicles, and it is not hard for a victim to fall and suffer serious injury or event death. In some cases, we are dealing with an experienced rider who is just going too fast and taking unnecessary risks. If a passenger is injured in this process who is not related to the operator, he or she might have a valid personal injury claim. In some cases, the vehicle will even be insured, and in other cases, a homeowner’s insurance policy might cover the victim’s damages for his or her injuries. Continue reading

May 3, 2017

Charges Filed Following Child Injury at Daycare Center

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

When a parent drops off a child at a daycare center before work, they are placing much trust in the facility. Parents expect the center is in good and clean condition, the staff is properly trained and background checked and children are being properly cared for and supervised at all times.

While it is true that most parents will choose to tour several daycare facilities before selecting one, they are still placing a lot of trust in management and staff to keep their children safe. The problem is compounded in big cities, where daycare centers are often lacking any vacancies and you have much less choice in where to send you child.