child safety | Dolan Law Firm

Residential Pool Safety Regulations Updated

Summer is upon us and each year it’s important to revisit safety laws and best practices in regard to residential swimming pools and spas. Drowning is California’s second leading cause of death for children aged 1-4 and even nonfatal drowning injuries can result in long-term disabilities from irreversible brain damage. Since most drownings in young children occur in home swimming pools, it is especially important that owners of residential pools take proper precautions to keep unaccompanied children out and, in case a child does enter a pool unaccompanied, to prevent injury by the suction of pool pumps and filters.

What Is The Law On Leaving A Baby Or Child In A Car?

Attorney Chris Dolan explain law on leaving a child or baby alone in a car

This week’s question comes from Cheryl in Petaluma, who asks: “I recently heard your PSA on the radio regarding children dying from heat stroke by accident when they are locked in cars. What are the legal repercussions of leaving children unattended in parked vehicles and are there any new laws designed to protect children in automobiles?”

Halloween Child Safety Tips & Recommendations For Parents

Be safe on Halloween

Keep our children safe tonight. More than twice as many children are killed in pedestrian/vehicle incidents on Halloween between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm as compared to the same hours on other days throughout the year, according to theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Are Your Children Safe at School?

It is hard to ignore the issue of whether school safety actually exists, especially when shocking and unbelievable news coverage bombards parents daily. The question often becomes, “where and when is a school district responsible if harm is caused to a child?”

School Must Contact Parents When Performing Certain Medical Procedures

This article was written by Chris Dolan and published by The San Francisco Examiner. Click here to read more of Chris Dolan’s biweekly articles at SFExaminer.com.

This week’s question comes from a reader who wishes to remain anonymous:

Q: “If you dropped off your child at school and later that day, the school resident doctor noticed your child had a fever and the school never calls you but does tests and draws the child’s blood. The doctor misdiagnosed your child with a wrong illness at the same time infects the child with an STD that the child could not possibly have or know about! Your child is now dismissed from school for several days and your family life is placed in a state of turmoil – one, because they didn’t notify you of the child illness; and two, keeping the child and performing unauthorized tests and it turns out that they were fine but in the process infected with a disease because of their negligence.”