ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA – On Sunday, October 19, a toddler fell from the third story of an apartment building. According to Captain Charles Thomas of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, the child had a bruised lung, a contusion on his head and other minor injuries. Authorities said that he fell from the window when the seal gave way. The manager of the building has not commented on the cause or the accident yet.
Over 2.3 million children are treated in hospitals per year as a result of fall related injuries. 50% of all incidents in which children fell from windows involved children under the age of 5. In this case, the boy’s mother was home when he fell approximately 30 feet from a window on the 600 block of Wilbur Avenue at 11:45 a.m. The boy fell after climbing on furniture and leaning on a window screen that fell out. The boy’s mother ran outside to find her 22-month-old son on a bed of rocks and cement. The woman comforted her child while he cried until authorities arrived. The boy was transported to Children’s Hospital in Oakland by helicopter. He is still there for treatment.
This child suffered a great fall and thankfully survived. Hopefully his injuries will all heal. We wish him a speedy and full recovery. If a faulty window design is determined to have been the cause of this accident, the family may be able to recover damages to pay for the cost of medical treatment and rehabilitation. Likewise, if the property manager was a fault, the family may be able to recover medical expenses. As these options demonstrate, it is often difficult to determine liability following a serious personal injury accident.
A caring and competent personal injury attorney can help you investigate your accident and determine who may be liable, as well as whether you have a case. The lawyers at Berman & Riedel, LLP consistently obtain the best possible results for our personal injury clients. We are happy to discuss your case with you. In addition, you can learn more about personal injury law at www.sandiego-personalinjurylaw.com.
