Fall From Apartment Window Results In Permanent Brain Damage To Portland Child

In a lawsuit brought in Portland, Oregon on behalf of the child against the apartment owners and managers, Portland personal injury attorney Richard Vangelisti alleged that the landlord violated an Oregon law by failing to provide working latches on the window from which the child fell, and for negligently failing to maintain, inspect and repair the latches. While not admitting liability, the defendants settled the suit for over $1,000,000.

It is estimated that each year approximately 18 children, ages 10 and under, die from a window fall-related injury each year. Most of the fall-related injuries occur in the child’s own home and the injury can range anywhere from a quick trip to the emergency room to hospitalization with severe brain injury or damage. An estimated 4,700 children ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency departments annually for injuries sustained from falling out of windows. Head and brain injury injuries account for the majority of these injuries.

According to a Register Guard article in 2002, in the year 1994, 3.5 out of 100,000 children in Oregon fell out of a window and were injured. The number of children falling from windows has been on the rise for a number of years. Nearly 11 out of 100,000 children in Oregon fell out of a window and were injured in 1999.

Parents and their child have strict deadlines in which to bring any legal claim to recover for past and future medical expenses and other losses for injury. If a child has suffered an injury, it is critically important to have an Oregon lawyer evaluate any potential personal injury claim. A Portland personal injury attorney at Vangelisti Law Offices can provide a free, confidential consultation to discuss a child’s injuries and legal rights.

For information contact:

Richard J. Vangelisti
phone: 503-595-4131
email: richard@vangelisti.com
www.vangelisti.com