Hospital official says Phoenix accident season has arrived

The Memorial Day holiday marked the beginning of accident season for children, according to CBS news. They report that, according to the medical director at Maricopa Medical Center, there is a 10 to 15% increase in child injury cases over the summer.

The director said that the hospital sometimes sees severe head injuries where children end up having operations with a neurosurgeons. Unfortunately, he said they also see child fatalities.

ATV accidents are one of the types of injury cases they handle. Hospital physicians treated 14 kids ages 14 and under for injuries sustained in ATV crashes in 2010 alone.

The article went on to interview an ATV accident victim. The child had borrowed a neighbor’s ATV without permission. She went for a ride without a helmet, lost control and flipped over. She sustained two fractures in her jaw and also had more than 30 stitches to repair a laceration on the side of her head. Nine months later she still has scars, and she regrets not wearing a helmet.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety reminds us that one way to reduce injuries to children would be to buckle up your kids in the car. Statistically, every hour someone loses their life in the United States because they didn’t wear a seat belt.

DPS states that Parents who don’t use a seat belt are sending the wrong message to children. Research shows that when a motorist fails to buckle up, children riding in that vehicle will also be unbelted 70% of the time.

If your child has been hurt in an Arizona accident, contact an injury attorney at Abels & Annes for a free consultation. Call 602-819-5191 to speak to a lawyer now.