Back-to-school safety

Four quick safety reminders for parents of children heading back to school in the next week:

If you haven’t talked to your kids about bullies all summer, it’s time for a refresher. Bullying is a threat to a child’s physical and emotional health and safety. Help your child learn to identify, prevent and stop bullying when they see it. Learn more at StopBullying.gov.
Most kids carry a lot of weight in their backpacks, which can lead to neck, back and shoulder injuries. See 5 Tips for Backpack Safety for a few easy ways to prevent these injuries.
The majority of elementary and middle school injuries happen on the playground. The most severe – like head injuries, or fractures –are from falls.School playgrounds should not have equipment on asphalt, concrete or dirt surfaces. Other injuries can be prevented by proper playground behavior: no pushing, shoving, or crowding.
Hundreds of pedestrians are hurt or killed every year on their way to or from school. Even if your kids take a bus, or don’t have far to walk, go over pedestrian safety rules before school starts. Looking left-right-left for cars, finding the right places to cross the street, and other safe walking behaviors can be found in the Safe Routes to School guide.

Have a safe and happy school year.

About the Author

Tom D'Amore is the founder of D'Amore Law Group and a trial attorney with over 30 years of experience representing injured people and their families across the West Coast, securing more than $325 million in recoveries. He handles cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, construction injuries, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse. Licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California, Tom is the only NBTA board-certified truck accident attorney in Oregon. He is a national Board of Governors member, past Executive Committee member, and past Budget and Audit Chair of the American Association for Justice, as well as past President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and an Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice.