Posts Tagged ‘“Boston personal injury lawyers”’
Head Injury Guidelines Begin for Student-Athletes This Fall
Student-athletes in Massachusetts will add a new drill to their warm ups this fall: concussion training aimed at preventing deaths, long-term injuries and disabilities.
In 2010, the state Legislature passed a law requiring training and education for anyone involved in public middle school and high school sports. The Department of Public Health issued guidelines in June detailing the requirements, which include:
- Parents, players, coaches, school nurses, volunteers and others involved in sports must participate in annual state-approved training on how to recognize the symptoms of concussions.
- Schools have a few options for fulfilling the training requirement, including offering training materials at parent meetings and online trainings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Federation of State High School Associations.
- Student-athletes who suffer a head injury must be immediately removed from play and get medical clearance before returning.
- Student-athletes diagnosed with a concussion must have a written plan for returning to the game and the classroom.
- Student-athletes with a history of head injuries must file an injury report before every season.
Across the country, an estimated 136,000 student-athletes suffer concussions in high school sports each year.
Concussions are often referred to as a “metabolic cascade,” a series of changes in which the brain’s nerve cells stop functioning properly and blood flow slows down.
Concussions can occur when athletes collide with other players, equipment or the ground. It is important for people who suffer concussions to reduce physical and cognitive activity. When there is a subsequent injury, concussions can be fatal and result in long term injuries impacting memory, mood and impulses.
Concussions can be difficult to diagnose in part because the effects are not visible on imaging tools such as CT scans or MRIs.
Massachusetts schools are making changes as awareness about concussions increases throughout the sports and medical community. Starting this fall, Ivy League football players are limited to suiting up for two full-contact practices each week. The pending contract agreement will implement new guidelines for National Football League (NFL) players as well.
For more information, click to read this article in The Boston Globe.
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Grill Safely This Independence Day
As families across the country celebrate Independence Day this weekend, many will enjoy tasty barbeques.
Family gatherings should be fun, but grilling can be dangerous without proper safety precautions. Each year, an estimated 3,800 people in the U.S. are treated in emergency rooms for burns, carbon monoxide poisoning and other injuries related to grilling, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Grill safely with our tips for your holiday cookout:
- At the start of each season, inspect a gas grill’s hoses for signs of cracking, holes and evidence of animal bites or insects. Replace damaged parts.
- Make sure the grill is clean before using. Regularly clean it throughout the season as described in the owner’s manual.
- Always use grills outside.
- Never leave a grill unattended.
- Keep children away from the grill area. The outside surface of a grill can burn a children’s hands.
- If a grease fire occurs, turn off the gas grill and use baking soda or a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.
- Never store or use flammable liquids such as gasoline near a grill.
- Check the CPSC website to make sure you are not using a recalled grill.
Charcoal Grill Safety
- There are several ways to start a charcoal grill, including starter fluid, charcoal chimney starters and electric charcoal starters. Choose one method and become knowledgeable about it before starting your grill.
- If you use a starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire.
- Store charcoal starter fluid out of reach of children and away from heat sources.
- When you are finished grilling, let the charcoals completely cool before disposing them in a metal container.
Propane Tank Grilling Safety
- Transport your propane tank to the refill station or hardware store in a standing position. Use a box or order a special carrying case. Do not let passengers hold the tank. Do not do other errands when you are getting your propane tank filled.
- Never take a propane gas tank inside the refill facility or your home because of the risk for a gas explosion.
- Be sure the propane tank valve is closed when you disconnect it from the grill. Newer propane tanks have a safety device that will prevent gas flow from the tank when it is disconnected. But it is still a good idea to make sure the valve is closed.
- When you connect your propane tank to your grill, if you see fog or smell gas, it is a sign of a leak. This means there is a risk for a gas explosion. Stop what you are doing, move your family away from the property and contact your local fire department.
- Another way to test for a propane tank leak before each season is to open the gas supply valve fully. Apply a soapy solution with a brush at the connection point. If bubbles appear, there is a leak. Try tightening the tank’s connection to see if the leak stops or contact a qualified gas professional.
Attention on Amusement Park Injuries
The winds that lifted three inflatable bounce houses and injured 13 people in New York this weekend have put the focus on amusement ride safety as summer begins.
A gust of wind picked up the inflatable bounce houses with children playing inside in Oceanside on Long Island. Parents and bystanders ran after the inflatable houses, trying to pin them to the ground but were knocked over. Eventually the houses came to the ground on their own.
Adults and children were transported to the hospital, but no one was seriously injured.
The incident follows two similar situations in Arizona. In February, an inflatable bounce house blew over a fence and onto a roof with two girls inside. One girl was seriously injured while the other suffered minor injuries. In April, four children were injured when the inflatable jumping castle they were playing in lifted up in a dust devil. The inflatable castle blew across a busy Tucson highway and landed in the median.
In March 2010, a five-year-old boy died after falling from an inflatable ride at a Wichita, Kansas entertainment complex.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that between 2003 and 2007, 31,069 people went to the emergency room after being injured on inflatable amusement rides, including bounce houses and slides. Of these, 85 percent of those injured were under the age of 15. Injuries often occur when inflatables get unhinged or there are users of different sizes.
Amusement rides and backyard toys are a staple of summer, but have come under scrutiny for their safety risks in recent years. In 2004, a 38-year-old man was killed on an amusement park ride at a Shrewsbury, Massachusetts church fair. Two other people suffered personal injuries.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Safety investigated the amusement ride death and found that the man’s lap restraint was defective. The state found other riders had complained about the restraint in the days prior to the death.
The state faulted the ride’s operator, Jaro Amusements, for not keeping proper maintenance records. The employee who supervised the ride was charged with manslaughter and received 2 1/2 years probation. The victim’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jaro Amusements, the supervisor and other parties.
What to Know About Amusement Park Safety
- All amusement park rides must be inspected annually.
- Do not visit amusement parks or use inflatable rides in windy or rainy weather.
- When waiting in line for a ride, check the equipment. Are riders wearing seat belts and other safety equipment? Listen to people exiting the ride to hear if they complain about the equipment. If you have a bad feeling, step out of line.
- Amusement riders have a responsibility to exercise good judgment. This means obeying verbal instructions and warnings from ride operators, not riding under the influence of alcohol and drugs and not disabling safety devices.
- If you are injured on an amusement ride, the operator must report it to the state Department of Public Health. This includes injuries caused by small rented inflatable rides used at backyard birthday parties and other events.
What to Know About Rented Inflatable Amusement Rides
- If you are renting an inflatable device or other amusement ride, ask the owner when it was last inspected.
- Carefully inspect the rented piece of equipment for excessively worn and damaged materials. Do not accept it in poor condition.
- Listen carefully to the set-up instructions provided by the company renting the device.
- Limit the number of users at one time to avoid injuries.
What to Know About Backyard Trampoline Safety
Backyard trampolines may look fun, but they come with dangers. In 2008, trampoline injuries sent an estimated 100,000 victims to emergency rooms with serious injuries such as spinal cord injuries, broken bones and head injuries. In some cases, victims have been permanently paralyzed.
- Never let children jump on the trampoline without adult supervision.
- Children under the age of 6 should never use a trampoline. The journal Pediatrics calls children this age “top-heavy” and said when they fall on trampolines, they often suffer head injuries.
- Only one person should jump at a time.
- Do not allow flips or somersaults. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports this is one of the leading causes of trampoline injuries.
- Install safety netting around the trampoline, but advise users the netting does not mean they can do flips or other unsafe maneuvers. Carefully explain they cannot bounce off it in any way.
- Cover the trampoline’s steel rim and springs with a safety pad so users do not fall through the openings. Do not allow people to sit on the safety pad.
- Users should step onto the trampoline and step off. They should never jump off. This could lead to trampoline accidents.
- Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for when to replace parts. Different parts have different lifespans and failure to replace could result in serious personal injury.
Driving Safely On The Roads This Winter
Massachusetts commuters struggled through a hard January, as a record four feet of snow slammed the region, making for dangerous drives, difficult walking and weary spirits.
As February moves in, both the snowbanks and frustrations keep growing – making it even more important to plan before heading outside, especially if you commute to work.
The risk for car accidents increases in the snow and approximately 70 percent of all winter deaths related to snow and ice occur in automobiles, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
Here are our some safety tips from the Boston personal injury lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck:
- Have a well-stocked Winter Emergency Car Kit. It should include a flashlight with extra batteries, cell phone charger, first-aid kit, windshield scraper and brush, shovel and a brightly colored cloth to use as a flag. Click here for other items to include.
- Consider public transportation.
- If you drive, travel during daylight hours. Consider commuting with a co-worker on the most difficult days.
- Slow down on the road. Many times, hazards such as black ice cannot be seen until it’s too late.
- Be extra cautious driving around bends in the road. The tall snowbanks have narrowed the roadways, leaving less room for both you and other cars, increasing the chance for car accidents on snow and ice.
- Give the snow plows extra room to work.
- Be aware you may have to slow down for pedestrians in areas where sidewalks aren’t shoveled.
- Keep your car’s gas tank at least half-full.
- Make sure your car has good winter tires with adequate tread and pressure.
- If you do have to stop your car on the highway, stay calm. Pull off the road and turn off the hazard lights. Take the brightly colored distress flag from your snow emergency kit and tie it to your radio antenna or window. Call the local police and your local auto club for assistance.
How to Avoid Cold Weather Injuries and Illness
The arctic air of January has hit Massachusetts and families around the state are working to stay warm, safe and avoid injury. It’s essential this time of year to be informed and make plans for your home heating system, water pipes and going outdoors. The Boston personal injury lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck offer these tips:
Oil Heat Systems
- If you heat your home with oil, have a qualified oil heat service technician inspect and clean your system annually to remove soot build-up and ensure safe operation.
- Avoid replacing or repairing parts of your furnace or oil heating tank yourself. This could cause personal injury and damage your home. Contact a professional.
- Ask your oil company about Automatic Delivery to avoid disrupting your heating service. The company will use a computerized system that signal when tank volumes are low.
Space Heaters
- One in every seven space heater fires in the past five years has resulted in a death, according to the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s office. If you use a space heater, be safe. Keep the space heater three feet from any person, pet or flammable material.
- Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off if you are going to sleep.
Wood-burning Stoves
- Clean ashes from your wood-burning stove in between use to avoid clogging the vents. Avoid injury by disposing ashes in a metal container away from your home.
- Keep three feet away from wood-burning stoves to avoid burn injuries.
- Only burn wood in your wood-burning stove. Never burn household garbage, cardboard, plastics, foam or other materials.
Protecting Your Water Pipes
- To keep pipes from freezing, wrap them in insulation, such as newspapers with plastic to keep out the moisture.
- Allow a small amount of warm water to trickle from a faucet near pipes you are concerned will burst. This allows the water to keep moving so it cannot freeze.
- Learn how to shut off your water valve if it bursts.
- Purchase a freeze alarm for your pipes. These can be purchased online for less than $100.
Keeping Safe Outdoors in the Cold
- Minimize time outdoors, especially for the elderly and young children.
- Dress in layers of loose-fitting, lightweight clothing rather than a single-layer of thick clothing. Cover all areas with mittens, hats and scarves. Try to wear water repellent fabrics.
- Hypothermia only occurs in extreme cases, but watch out for signs of shivering, memory loss, disorientation and exhaustion. If these symptoms are present or the person’s body temperature drops below 95 degrees, seek immediate medical attention.
- Also watch out for frostbite. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a pale appearance in the fingers, toes, the tip of the nose and other areas. Seek medical attention immediately for these symptoms.
Click for more safety tips on other home heating devices from the Boston personal injury lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck.
State Investigation Reveals Unodorized Propane Tanks in Fatal Norfolk Explosion
According to the recently released report of the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal, the Norfolk condominium explosion that killed an electrician in July 2010 was caused by a leak of unodorized propane gas. Breakstone, White & Gluck represents the late electrician’s family.
William Nichols, a 46-year-old electrician from Blackstone, was one of the workers in the condominium at The Village at River’s Edge when it exploded on July 30. He was buried under burning debris for more than ninety minutes before he was pulled alive and conscious from the wreckage. Mr. Nichols died that evening at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston from his massive injuries. Seven other people were injured in the blast.
State investigators called this a case of “odorant fade,” which results from underfilling of a new propane tank. Industry safety standards specify tanks should be filled 80 percent. EnergyUSA of Taunton only put 200 gallons in the tank providing propane to the condominium.
Workers at the scene had no warning there was a propane leak. The leaking gas contained no ethyl mercaptan, a strong odorant which is added to propane to allow for its detection. Without this additive, propane is odorless and undetectable.
Boston attorney Marc Breakstone, who represents the Nichols family, stated that ‘these reports describe in painful detail the danger of a leak of unodorized propane gas into the environment. This was a tragedy which could have been prevented if industry safety standards had been followed.”
Read the state report on the explosion.
News coverage:
- The Boston Globe
- The Boston Channel
- Fox 25 Boston
- The Milford Daily News
- Sun Chronicle
Don’t Buy Your Children These Toys This Holiday
Thanksgiving is just a week away and that means the holiday shopping season is almost upon us. If you are shopping for children, we want to help you make safe buying decisions to avoid injuries to your children.
Here is the 2010 “10 Worst Toys” list, published by W.A.T.C.H. This year’s list showcases toys that cause potential eye injuries, choking and even death.
- Spy Gear Split-Blaster
- Supasplat Splatbaster
- Buzz Magnets
- Kung Fu Panda Sword of Heroes
- Ballzillion Tug Boat Play Center
- My First Mini Cycle
- Pull Along Caterpillar
- Animal Alley Pony
- Big Bang Rocket
- Walkaroo II Aluminum Stilts
There are some other toys you may want to keep off your shopping list. They pose no safety hazard, but we believe they demonstrate bad taste and inappropriate marketing ideas.
Here is this year’s “10 Controversial Toys That Won’t Be On This Year’s Wish Lists,” published by Wallettop.com:
- Oreo Barbie
- Terrorist figurine
- Play-Doh Drill ‘n Fill Playset
- My Cleaning Trolley
- Harry Potter and the Vibrating Broom
- Breast-Feeding Doll
- Airport Security Play Set
- Mommy’s Boob Job
- Mattel’s American Girl Homeless Girl
- “Crazy For You” Teddy Bear
The personal injury lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck wish you a happy and safe holiday shopping season!
For more information on toy safety, read this report from the American Association for Justice.
Think Space Heater Safety
As the cold weather makes its return to Massachusetts, many people are bringing out the portable space heaters.
Always practice caution when using space heaters. Each year, space heaters cause death, injury and substantial property damage in both Massachusetts and across the country.
In 2007, U.S. fire departments responded to 66,400 home structure fires that involved heating equipment, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These fires killed 580 people, injured another 1,850, and were responsible for $608 million in direct property damage.
In Massachusetts, there were 57 space heater fires between 2004 and 2008, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. One in every six space heater fires caused a fatality.
The leading cause of space heater fires is when the appliance gets too close to combustible materials, such as furniture, carpeting or bedding. Other space heaters are also defective, improperly made and should never have been sold to consumers.
If you are using a space heater this winter:
- Keep the space heater at least three feet away from flammable items, such as rugs, curtains, blankets or clothing.
- Use a space heater to supplement your furnace. A space heater should not be your primary source of heat. If you are worried about having your heat shut off, learn more about the state’s Utility Shutoff Protection program.
- Do not leave a space heater in a room unattended while it is turned on or plugged in.
- Take caution not to use a space heater when you are sleepy. Many fires happen when someone falls asleep near a space heater.
- Do not allow small children near a space heater.
- Do not use an extension cord with your space heater. Many space heater fires start when an extension cord ignites a carpet, rug or wood floor. If an extension cord is needed, use one that is new and rated by the Underwriters Laboratory at 16-gauge or thicker.
- Purchase a space heater with an automatic shut off. This will stop the device from working if tipped over.
- Inspect your space heater for cracks and broken parts. If you see a problem, replace it before using.
For more information on space heater safety, visit the National Fire Protection Association’s website. We also urge you to check regularly to see if your space heater has been recalled. You can search for your model on the recall section of the Consumer Product Safety Commission website. If you don’t find anything, try a simple Google search. Space heaters are regularly recalled, as are other devices. Manufacturers make design mistakes, or errors are made somewhere along distribution. Other times products are marketed incorrectly. Even if you register products with the company, you really have to be proactive and search for product recalls yourself to protect your family. We should not have to check; manufacturers have a responsibility to fully test products before making them available to consumers. Because this does not always happen, it’s important to check for space heater recalls on your own.
Daylight Saving Time is Time to Check Smoke Alarm Batteries
Each day, it gets darker outside earlier and we are reminded that Daylight Saving Time is almost here. Next Sunday, Nov. 7, we “fall back” again and set our clocks back an hour.
Daylight Saving Time began during World War I to take advantage of the longer days and save energy costs from increased sunlight. Retailers like it because they believe it increases evening shopping. But today, fire departments across the country use it as a reminder to check the batteries in your home’s smoke alarms.
It’s important to follow this advice. Approximately every three hours a home fire death occurs in the United States. Eighty percent of these occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Many other people sustain serious personal injuries.
Daylight Saving Time is also a good opportunity to test your smoke alarm, although the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends smoke alarms be tested once a month.
In between monthly checks, pay attention for failing batteries. It’s time for a new battery if a smoke alarm begins to chirp. This is the smoke alarm’s low-battery warning.
Also make sure you have an adequate number of smoke alarms to protect your home. The CPSC recommends at least one smoke alarm on each level of your home. Make it a priority to place alarms near bedrooms and inside bedrooms. If you are changing the wiring in your house, wire your smoke detectors together. That way, if one goes, they all go.
Another suggestion is to produce a fire evacuation plan and do a home fire drill. When there is a plan, people panic less and there is a better chance they will escape the flames faster. For assistance with this, visit the National Fire Protection Association’s web page on fire escape planning.
For more information on smoke alarm safety, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website.
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Keep Your Family Safe This Halloween
Halloween is just a few days away and that means it’s time to pull out the ghost and goblin costumes. But before you and your children head out to trick-or-treat, it’s worth considering a few tips for staying safe:
- Help young children choose a safe costume. Make sure it’s made out of a non-flammable material. Facial masks should provide adequate openings for breathing and vision.
- Check to see if you can incorporate reflective tape or other components into your child’s costume. If not, other accessories like glow sticks or flashlights help make your child more visible to drivers.
- Children should go out trick-or-treating with an adult. When there’s a group of children, a few adults should go along and take careful head counts throughout the night.
- Plan a safe trick-or-treating route and discuss it with your children to make it easier to find each other if you get separated.
- Give your child a cell phone so he or she can contact you if get separated.
- Designate a time to return home from trick-or-treating in case you get separated or your children go out with another family.
- Instruct your children not to eat any candy until they bring it home and it’s examined by an adult.
- Tell your children and teenagers to never ring a doorbell without being escorted by a parent and never enter a stranger’s house.
- Talk to your children about crossing the street. Even if you’re with them, children who are excited on Halloween may be eager to get across the street on their own. Tell them to look in both directions before crossing and only cross the street in a crosswalk. Equip them with a strong flashlight.