A Fairly Common Emergency Call

Approximately 5,000 kids nationwide will go to the Emergency Room this summer after falling out of a window. Kids ages one to four are at the greatest risk. Most injuries occur in the summer months when windows are open; screens are not strong enough to prevent a child from popping it out. Children living in apartment buildings fall from windows at five times the rate of children living in other types of residences. The height of the fall and surface on which the child falls influence severity of injuries. Falls from windows can cause broken bones, head, neck and spinal cord injuries, paralysis, even death. Here are just three fairly common emergency calls that happened this week.

A 1-year-old child fell from a 9th floor apartment window of an Ohio apartment. The child was taken to an area hospital where he later died from injuries. Police said the distance of the fall was about 72 feet.

A stuffed Minion toy may have cushioned the fall of a 5-year-old Colorado girl, and saved her life. Police said the child fell from her third story apartment window.

A 20-month old child was chasing his car through the house when he went through a screened window on the second floor of his home. He is in serious, but stable condition. Police said the child climbed onto a toy chest and somehow gained access to the window screen. When he leaned against it, the screen gave way.

Parents should not make the mistake of assuming a window screen is a safety feature. While they are designed to keep insects out, screens offer very little protection to keep kids in. Keeping furniture under a window can also be a deadly mistake. To help prevent window fall injuries and tragedies, CPSC recommends the following safety tips:

• Safeguard your children by using window guards or window limit stops. Window locks cost less than five dollars at the local hardware store.
• Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. (For windows on the 6th floor and below, install window guards that adults and older children can open easily in case of fire.)
• Install window stops so that windows open no more than 4 inches.
• Whenever possible, open windows from the top, not the bottom.

If your child falls, call 911 and waif for first responders care for them. Don’t pick up the child; s/he may have a serious head, neck or spinal cord injury.

Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.