Children's advocacy foundation established

11/16/2005

By:Denise Allabaugh

KINGSTON - Attorney Joseph Quinn donated $200,000 to the Luzerne Foundation on Tuesday to start a new foundation to promote child safety.

The $200,000 donation came from the $4.4 million in attorneys' fees his firm received from the $11 million wrongful-death settlement of 4-year-old Torajee Bobbett. He died after spending 10 hours at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre in July 2001.

The foundation, called the Hourigan, Kluger and Quinn Foundation for Children's Advocacy or HKQ Kids, will promote a safer future for children in Northeastern Pennsylvania through public awareness and advocacy programs, Quinn said.

"The Bobbett case was the touchstone for establishing HKQ Kids, but the reality is we have represented many other families whose children have died or suffered severe injuries as a result of totally preventable hazards," Quinn said. "Contrary to what others might think, I wish I had never seen any of those cases come through my door."

Quinn presented the $200,000 check to Charles Barber, executive director of the Luzerne Foundation, at the firm's Kingston law office. More contributions will be presented in the future, he said.

HKQ will help prevent "the kinds of horrible tragedies we have witnessed as lawyers who represent injured people," Quinn said.

As its first project, HKQ Kids will partner with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group to promote its annual report, "Trouble in Toyland," which details potential hazards from specific toys on the shelves for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Beth McConnell, state director of PennPIRG headquartered in Philadelphia, will discuss findings of the group's annual toy safety report at a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Hourigan, Kluger and Quinn law firm. McConnell will demonstrate how specific toys can harm children.

"We think it's critically important that parents and those who act as guardians for children have some help and some input in the terms of identifying toys that are hazardous, unsafe and defective," Quinn said.

In the spring, playground safety experts will be hired to prepare a "report card" on the safety of public playgrounds in Luzerne County, Quinn said.

"We have recognized through our own work that playgrounds that act as magnets for our children sometimes pose very unreasonable risks of danger," Quinn said. "This is not about us. This is about trying to help those who are most fragile and vulnerable in our community - our children and our grandchildren."

Throughout the year, HKQ Kids also will inform the public about product recalls and other hazards that could pose dangers to children. The foundation also hopes to educate the public about child safety seats, Quinn said. A Web site, www.hkqkids.org, is under construction.