Cleveland Personal Injury Lawyer - Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)

Did Virginia Tech Provide Adequate Security on Campus?

Jack Landskroner — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:29:53 GMT

The nation is in mourning after the terrible events that transpired at Virginia Tech University yesterday morning.

A Virginia Tech senior from South Korea killed at least 30 people locked inside a classroom building in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history, the university and police said Tuesday.

The first deadly attack, at a dormitory around 7:15 a.m., left two people dead. But some students said they didn't get their first warning about a danger on campus until two hours later, in an e-mail at 9:26 a.m. By then the second attack had begun.

Questions will continued to be asked for months to come about the adequacy of the security provided on the campus of Virginia Tech in the aftermath of this national tragedy. Certainly, this issue should be analyzed. Crime on college campuses is a major concern across this country. However, the focus of security risks for colleges generally flows from problems with outsiders making their way on to the campus rather than those who have a right to be there based on enrollment. In this case the shooter appears to have been a VT student.

The Police have identified the classroom shooter as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, a senior from South Korea who was in the English department at Virginia Tech and lived in a different dorm on campus.

In situations like this, the focus of the analysis as to the adequacy of the security turns to the response time of the authorities and the steps in place to provide notice and protection to the other students on campus who remain in harms way under such an emergency. Standards do exist and each college should have a written protocol or emergency plan in place particularly if there is a history of crime on or around the campus.

There are non-profit organizations that address college campus security and college campus safety as well as federal legislation entitled the Campus Security Act, also known as the Clery Act, that requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. There are also blogs for college students parents which open up discussions for parents and students to discuss their concerns about safety at their child's university.

At bottom, these security issues will all need to be addressed but that can happen in good time. The immediate concern needs to be the inured victims, their families and the other students and faculty on campus which must somehow face this nightmare today so they can begin the recovery process for tomorrow and each successive day after that.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jack Landskroner

National Dog Bite Prevention Week Kicks Off

Rebecca Castell — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Most people believe that their dog is friendly and would never hurt a soul. Facts, however, prove that dog bites are a significant source of injuries with over 4.7 Million bites occurring each year.

In a recent article, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided the following statistics about dog bites:

Each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites; half of these are children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die. The rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for children ages 5 to 9 years, and the rate decreases as children age. Almost two thirds of injuries among children ages four years and younger are to the head or neck region. Injury rates in children are significantly higher for boys than for girls.

In an effort to curtail the annual dog bite cases, the CDC has designated the third week of May as Dog Bite Prevention week. The Center hopes to increase awareness in both dog owners and individuals that come into contact with strange dogs, including children.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rebecca Castell

Captive wild cat attacks child

Rebecca Castell — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 16:18:25 GMT

A four year old girl was bitten by a captive cougar in Florida. A wild animal business was hired to provide entertainment for a child's birthday party. The animal handler brought the caged cougar outside of its cage to show the animal to the youngsters when it became startled. The animal then attacked the young girl, biting her face. The animal attack resulted in serious cuts to her eyelid, ear and cheek, requiring doctors to sew part of her ear back on.

The business had received several citations for unsafe practices prior to this incident. One previous citation was related to a leopard's attack on another young child.

Exotic animals may be entertaining to all, however, adults need to appreciate the risk that no wild animal is completely safe. Children should be kept a safe distance from restrained wild animals. Unrestrained wild animals should only be handled by those experienced with these big animals.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rebecca Castell

Pit Bull attacks 2-year-old

Rebecca Castell — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 00:00:01 GMT

It's the type of story you hate to see. A 2-year-old girl was bitten in the face by a pit bull in Washington County, Ohio. Marilyn Gardner had taken her daughter to play over at a neighbor's house. The nine-month old dog suddenly attacked her. The toddler required 57 stiches to repair the damage to her face from the dog bite.

Unfortunately, these types of attacks are all to common when pit bulls are involved. While Ohio no longer defines all Pit Bulls as vicious dogs, the recent Clifton study found that 74% of dog attacks are caused by Pit Bulls or Rottweilers. With the total number of dog bites in America averaging 4.7 million people annually, Pit Bulls are responsible for a vast majority of these bites.

It goes without saying that each of us should be careful when approaching an unfamiliar dog. Children should never be left unattended with a dog. Should a dog bite you or your child, it is important to confine the animal, ensure that it has been vacinated, and seek appropriate medical treatment. It is also important to consult with an experienced attorney who will be able to determine whether a claim may be brought under the home owner's insurance policy of the dog owner.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rebecca Castell

Dog Bites and Attacks on the Rise in America

Jack Landskroner — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 11:20:14 GMT

Fellow Injuryboard Blogger, Stephen Wagner has posted some alarming statistics as published by the Center For Disease Control concerning the number of Dog Bites that occur each year in this country.

[N]early 2% of the U.S. population is bitten by a dog each year [....which] translates to nearly 5 million dog bite victims per year, most of whom are children.

If you own a dog, it makes good sense to review your home owners insurance policy to confirm that you have coverage in place in case of an unanticipated bite or attack. Make sure there are no exclusions for the breed of dog you own or for dogs that may have previously been involved in a bite or an attack. Provisions of this nature can result in a rejected claim should an incident occur.

Dog bites generally do not lead to life threatening injuries, with the exception of some recent Pit Bull attacks, however, when children are attacked they are left with permanent scaring which can be both physical and emotional in nature and which will plague them for the duration of their lives. Accordingly, damages on such claims can be substantial.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jack Landskroner

Smoke Detectors Save Lives

Paul Grieco — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:29:10 GMT

Yesterday, when you turned your clock back one hour, as a result of day-light savings time, did you also remember to check the batteries in your smoke detectors? Smoke detectors save lives! Recently in the news, there have been stories concerning house fires. These stories remind us how important smoke detectors are in our homes. Make sure your home, apartment or any other type of dwelling is equipped with operational smoke detectors. If you rent, make sure you notify your landlord to check the detectors in the building.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Grieco

Halloween: Trick or Treat Safety

Rebecca Castell — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 14:49:32 GMT

Trick or treating is surely one of the highlights of the year for children. Dressing up as a favorite action hero or character and of course, all the candy, is enough to make kids forget about safety concerns. Before taking your children out for beggar's night, make sure to take some precautions. The National Safety Council has published a list of trick or treat safety suggestions for parents to help keep kids safe.

Make sure little ones are dressed in weather appropriate clothing with reflective tape/pieces and flashlights to help keep them warm and visible. Keep children in sight at all times and tell them to never go into a stranger's house. Steer kids away from unfamiliar pets as the costumes and excitement may confuse and frighten even a normally friendly animal. Bring candy and goodies home and inspect it before letting the children indulge.

Taking these precautions will help make sure trick or treat night is fun for everyone. Let's keep the ghouls and goblins safe!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rebecca Castell

Apartment Complex Safety

Paul Grieco — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 09:32:08 GMT

Residents of apartment complexes have a right to expect that their landlords will provide adequate safety to tenants and their guests. The duty of providing safety at an apartment complex extends to those risks that are foreseeable to the landlord. What is foreseeable? It all depends upon the circumstances surrounding a particular apartment complex. If the complex has knowledge that there are frequent security problems and management and ownership fails to provide sufficient security to the tenants, the complex may be liable for damages caused by inadequate security.

Proving negligence as a result of inadequate security can be as simple as showing the frequency of police responses to a particular apartment complex. Here in Cleveland, our office was able to hold building management and ownership responsible for the death of an elderly tenant as a result of a fire set in the laundry room. The evidence showed that the tenants frequently complained about strangers breaking into the laundry rooms and the police were frequently called to the complex, yet adequate security was not provided by the apartment complex to safeguard the tenants.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Grieco

Elevators Can Be a Daily Peril

Justin Madden — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 09:08:02 GMT

Each day we step into an elevator, we take a leap of faith. We trust the elevator to function properly. If it does not, we have effectively stepped into an open shaft and a long dangerous fall.

Elevators kept on the premises of a landowner require regular inspections and maintenance. If an elevator malfunctions, and a fall occurs, resulting in injuries or death to the passengers, a premise liability action may result and compensation obtained.

If an elevator causes injury, a serious legal issue arises under the liability of the landowner or building owner, or a product liability or negligent maintenance action may be brought against the elevator company or its service provider. These cases can become quite complex and a consultation with a lawyer might be very prudent.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Justin Madden

Universities Can Be Liable for Student Injuries

Justin Madden — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 10:53:11 GMT

Life on college campuses can be hazardous. Students cannot always control or avoid rowdy behavior of other students. In a premises liability theory Colleges and Universities may be liable for injuries caused to a student by the actions of other students on campus.

This can be especially true in cases where the College or University knew there was a large event, knew that the students could become rowdy, and knew that the judgment of the students might not be the best, thereby creating a known need for security or control.

Students injured on College or University campuses would be wise to discuss the incident with a lawyer and see whether compensation should be awarded to them.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Justin Madden