Frequently Asked Questions About Child Injury Law

The parts of the eye most often damaged in the case of shaken baby syndrome are the following:

• the retina (the light-sensitive tissue of the eye on which a visual image is created)
• the vitreous humor (the gel between the retina and the lens)
• and, sometimes, the macula (the part of the eye containing structures that control central vision and clarity of vision).

The specific ways in which these parts of the eyes are affected are often by retinal hemorrhages (bleeding into the retina) and retinal detachment (the peeling away of the retina from the layer of support tissue beneath it).  If not treated quickly, this type of damage can lead to varying degrees of permanent vision loss, including blindness.

For more information, feel free to request a free copy of Chris Keane's book, Little Kids in BIG Cases:  Shaken Baby Syndrome.  As an advocate for victims of abusive head trauma, Chris Keane will answer all your questions for free concerning your unique situation and provide you with resources and assistance finding the best medical experts for your child. 

Contact Chris Keane online or call 1-888-592-KIDS (1-888-592-5437).

The Keane Law Firm handles all types of child brain injury cases that result from the negligence or abuse of another.  Although Chris Keane intentionally specializes in child brain injuries, a focus that allows him to work with the best medical experts in the field of pediatric brain injury, he does not limit himself in terms of type of injury (as long as the child's brain injury occured because of negligence or abuse).  After working with pediatric traumatic brain injury experts for many years, attorney Chris Keane has handled a wide range of child brain injury cases, including cases of cerebral palsy, car accidents, concussions from sports or other accidents, shaken baby syndrome, and child abuse, among others. 

If your child has suffered a brain injury or died as a result of head trauma, feel free to contact Chris Keane with your most concerning questions.  As a father himself and advocate for brain injury victims, he will consult with you for free with compassion and regard for your unique situation.

Click here to contact Chris Keane via our online form or call him at 1-888-592-KIDS.

Believe it or not, yes!  According to The Brain and Music website, music helps brain injury victims with vocalization, orientation, and re-organizing of the structure of the brain.  Research has indicated that listening to music, especially that of composers with highly organized styles of music (like Mozart), helps children and adults with brain injuries to organize their thoughts and activities better (and their emotions as well).  Why?  Music has been proven to be processed by the entire brain, mainly due to its structure. 

Other benefits of music on brain-injured children are improvements in rhythmic movements, self-esteem, self-expression, and relaxation.  In addition to needing medical rehabilitation, children who have suffered brain injuries may need emotional and mental rehabilitation, as well, making all the benefits of music listed here important ones.  





Relevant Links:
Child Brain Injury Blog
The Brain and Music

Although treatment for shaken baby syndrome varies depending on the specific situation and other factors, including the age of the child and the extent and type of injuries involved, some of the following treatments are relatively common among shaken baby syndrome victims (though this is not a comprehensive list):

Immediate Treatment (or Treatment Early-On)

• emergency care (and typically admittance to hospital room or ICU)
  
• respiratory support (often in the form of oxygen therapy or a ventilator/breathing machine), often to prevent stroke or the death of brain cells
  
• surgery (often to decrease brain swelling and stop internal bleeding in the brain)
• shunts or another means of draining of the blood around the brain
• medicine for a variety of problems (more commonly, to prevent seizures or decrease brain swelling)
• an IV (short for intravenous fluids) to keep body fluids and salts under control when necessary
• a tube for emptying or feeding the stomach
• treatment for any other injuries, such as broken bones, cuts, or seizures.

Further Treatment

• physical therapy
• vision therapy
• speech therapy or treatment for hearing loss
  
• medication or surgery for mental imbalance or frequent unconsciousness
• many other treatments.

The few treatments described here reveal just how serious shaken baby syndrome is.  If you believe your baby has been shaken or suffered head trauma, seek immediate medical attention, and feel free to contact shaken baby syndrome attorney Chris Keane for helpful resources in your time of need. 

Contact Chris Keane via the web or call 1-888-592-KIDS.

For more information on treatment for shaken baby syndrome, click here.

Although recent research indicates a link between pediatric brain injury and ADHD, the answer is no.  However, the relationship between early head injury in a children and resulting ADHD diagnoses is an interesting one. According to the Organized Wisdom website, young children who suffer brain injuries and head injuries are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) when they reach ages 2 through 10 than children who do not suffer head injuries.  The research indicates, however, that the relationship between child brain injury and ADHD is NOT necessarily that of cause and effect.  Instead, the “common denominator" is in behavior, specifically risk-taking.

Researchers found that children engaging in risk-taking behavior are more prone to serious injury and developing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder than children with more moderate behavior.  It is already known to experts that ADHD children are more accident-prone than those without the condition.

How do we know that the link is not a cause-and-effect relationship?  To find out, click here.

Narrowing his practice to representing children and only children has enabled pediatric brain injury lawyer Chris Keane to work with the best experts in the field of child brain injuries, and he will be glad to provide you with free resources, information, or answers to questions regarding brain injuries, ADHD, or your specific situation.

If you would like to consult with Chris Keane, contact the Keane Law Firm online or call 1-888-592-KIDS (1-888-592-5437).

The concept of strangers being the most likely perpetrators of child abuse is not correct. Strangers inflicting child abuse account for approximately four percent of child abuse cases. Perpetrators of abuse are most likely known to the child victims prior to child abuse acts. Perpetrators most often are family members, mainly parents or significant others to parents, followed by child care givers and family acquaintances.  

 

Yes. Owning a dog and having small children in the home is an arrangement that requires responsible adult behavior. Experienced pet owners know how much responsibility and work are required to choose the appropriate dog to bring into the home and neighborhood where children are present. Dogs do not automatically know what behavior is expected from their owners. And owners may not know how to properly raise or socialize a dog, or may choose not to appropriately socialize a dog. There are dog owners that intentionally raise a dog that is not well socialized. That is why the incidence of dog bites is so prevalent. A majority of dog bite incidents occur because the dog owners did not fully appreciate the necessity for educating themselves to the proper methods of raising, socializing and supervising the dog.

Two statistical values remain unchanged – the number of deaths by canine homicide and vicious attacks. remain fairly stable year to year, but one factor does change – and that is the dangerous breed of choice among those irresponsible dog owners that socialize dogs for home protection and intimidation. The bad owner-dog complex is usually the denominator in vicious dog attacks and canine homicides, regardless of which breed is most popular in a given time period.    

 

 

According to the Humane Society, every year approximately 4.7 million dog bites occur in the United States. That is almost 2% of the American population. Roughly 26 people are killed a year by dogs in the last decade. Approximately eighty percent of dog bites occur by an animal that is known to the victim and is usually a pet of the owner or neighbor. And most dog bites occur near the victim’s home. And over half the dog bites occur on the dog owner’s property. Children are three times more likely than adults to sustain serious injury from dog bites. Over half of the child victims sustain significant injury to the face. The Humane Society reports that over fifty percent of the bite victims are under the age of 13-years-old. One kennel reported that of the children killed by dogs (canine homicide), nearly 70% of the victims were under the age of ten-years-old, nearly 22% are under the age of one year and approximately 7% were sleeping infants. It is important to discern between dog bites and canine homicide. While Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are responsible for a large number of the canine homicides, all breeds and their owners are responsible for the high number of dog bites. You will recall the case of the Pomeranian dog that killed an infant while its owner was preparing a bottle in the other room. Even in communities where certain breeds are banned and there are low concentrations of “dangerous breeds” there is still the same frequency of dog bites in the population. Any dog can and will bite under certain circumstances.    

No.  There does not have to be any prosecution in order to sue.  

There are less reports of child abuse made during the summer because children have less contact with mandated reporters, such as teachers and social workers, while they are not in school. The decrease in reports of child abuse during the summer does not mean there is less child abuse and neglect taking place.  The number of child abuse reports increases in September and continues through June. July and August are the months with the lowest number of child abuse reports.