Articles Posted in Injuries

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Building-PI-Case-PI-Blog-edit-300x200If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you might be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries and losses. Getting that compensation, however, may require you to file a personal injury lawsuit, a legal process that can be overwhelming for those without experience.

While attorneys who focus on personal injury law are best suited to help guide you through the process, what you do immediately following your accident can help determine how strong of a case you have. To learn what steps you should take to bolster your case, read “How to Build A Strong Personal Injury Case.”

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Quality Control stamp signifies a product has been tested for safety before being sold to consumersMost consumers assume that before a product hits the store’s shelf it has been tested and has met established safety standards. Not necessarily.

According to a recent Consumer Reports article, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission oversees some 15,000 product categories; however, only about 70 of those categories are required to meet a mandatory safety standard, meaning they must comply with federally established safety requirements. The rest of the product categories are subject to voluntary, rather than mandatory, safety standards. Manufacturers of these products sometimes comply with the voluntary standards and sometimes they do not.

One way consumers can protect themselves against purchasing hazardous protects is to read the product label, although the references on these labels may not be clear. For explanations of some of the more common references and other ways you can tell if a product has been vetted, read “Is This Safe to Buy? How Dangerous Products Get—and Stay—on the Market.”

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seat_belt_laws_AdobeStock_117364055-300x200In its 2021 annual report, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety says there’s room for improvement when it comes to New Jersey’s traffic safety and offered several suggestions.

One of the recommendations of the coalition, which comprises representatives from various fields outside the automobile industry, is adoption of a primary enforcement seat belt law for rear seat passengers to better protect them in the event of an accident. Currently, New Jersey police can only enforce the use of seat belts by rear seat passengers if the vehicle is stopped for another violation.

The group also suggested certain changes to the state’s Graduated Driver’s License program. To learn more, read “Less Distracted Driving, More Laws Needed in NJ: National Report.”

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Portable_generators_AdobeStock_379468883-300x200Many homeowners rely on portable generators to keep their homes functioning during widespread power outages especially during storm season. While these generators are effective in keeping the heat and lights running until power can be restored, they do pose potential dangers. Although warnings about these dangers and instructions on the safe use of home generators are prevalent, people die every year in generator-related accidents. Now there is a bill before Congress intended to reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries attributable to portable generator use.

The bill calls for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to impose a set of standardized safety measures for all new portable generators requiring, among other things, lower carbon monoxide emissions and built-in CO shut-offs that would automatically stop generators before carbon monoxide levels reached a danger point. To learn more, read “New Bill in Congress Aims to Prevent Generator-Related Deaths and Injuries.”

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Car_Accident_Injuries_AdobeStock_274859159-300x200Motor vehicle accident injuries can be devastating, resulting in extensive medical bills and the potential loss of, or reduction in, income while you are recovering. Because it can be difficult to immediately assess the extent of your injuries, it is important to seek medical attention following the accident. Not only can a medical exam uncover hidden injuries, like broken bones or internal damages, it can help support your claim for just compensation.

It’s common knowledge that certain information needs to be exchanged following an accident — name and contact information, insurance company name and policy number, driver’s license and license plate numbers, make and model of vehicles involved, and a copy of the accident report — but when injuries are involved, more is needed. To improve your chances of recovering compensation for expenses related to your accident injuries, be sure to obtain the proper medical documentation. To learn more, see the Lawyer Monthly article, “Personal Injury Case: The Documents to Secure from Your Attending Physician.”

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PedestrianSafety_AdobeStock_229760658-300x200Walking has become quite the popular activity in 2020, with so many of us looking for an easy alternative to our otherwise restricted exercise routines or simply for a diversion from being cooped up at home. With this increased pedestrian traffic, comes an increased risk for accidents, prompting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to declare October National Pedestrian Safety Month.

Regardless of whether you believe it is the pedestrian’s or the motorist’s responsibility, there are precautions both can take to help avoid accidents. It is especially important now with the end of Daylight Savings Time approaching that both walkers and drivers take steps to stay safe. For some tips, read the NHTSA’s “October is National Pedestrian Safety Month.”

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safety_features_AdobeStock_272596255-1-300x199Each year it seems the automobile industry introduces new technologies designed to make driving easier and safer and to help us avoid accidents and related injuries. But do these technologies help, or do they lead to even more accidents resulting from driver inattention?

A recent study by AAA suggests the answer to that question could depend, at least in part, on the names used when marketing these advanced technology systems. For further details read, “AAA Study: Drivers Too Willing to Abandon Responsibility to Technology.”

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hand_sanitizer_AdobeStock_327266102-300x169Frequent and thorough handwashing is one of the activities said to be an important step in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. And when you don’t have access to soap and water, using a hand sanitizer is the next best thing — or is it?

While hand sanitizers may help stop the spread of germs, it has been reported that certain hand sanitizers contain potentially life-threatening chemicals which can be harmful when ingested or absorbed through the skin. Initially, consumers were warned to avoid hand sanitizers containing methanol. More recently, that list was expanded to also include those that contained 1-propanol.

For more details on what to look for – or avoid – when shopping for your hand sanitizers, read “FDA warns about new hand sanitizer ingredient, expands list of dangerous products to 149.”

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water_safety_AdobeStock_278714985-300x200Reminders regarding water safety precautions aimed at preventing drowning accidents are prevalent, particularly this time of year. But there are two other events – dry drowning and secondary drowning – that can be just as dangerous yet are not as widely publicized.

Both conditions are usually predicated by a near drowning event and, although the two terms often are used interchangeably, there are significant differences. In dry drowning, inhaled water causes muscles in the airway to spasm blocking airflow. In secondary drowning, on the other hand, water is inhaled into the lungs filling them with water and making breathing difficult. While both conditions can occur in adults, they affect young children more often.

To learn more about the symptoms of dry drowning and secondary drowning and the preventative steps you can take to avoid these accidents, read “Should I Worry about Dry Drowning and Secondary Drowning?”

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hot-car-deaths-AdobeStock_118785403-300x200The official start of summer is still a few days away and already there have been four child fatalities related to hot cars in this county this year, according to the National Safety Council. A recent nj.com article on the arrest of a Paterson, NJ mother on child endangerment charges after leaving her two children unattended in her car while she shopped at a local store brought to mind the need for reminders on the dangers of this activity. According to the article, the outside temperature at the time was 85 degrees, while the temperature in the car climbed to 140 degrees by the time firefighters rescued the children.

According to kars4kids.org, in the summer it can take only 15 minutes for temperatures in an automobile to climb to 109 degrees; a child’s internal organs begin to shut down when temperatures reach 104 degrees – evidence that even a short errand can result in devastating injury. For some tips to help ensure this doesn’t happen to someone you love, read “Preventing Hot Car Deaths: 6 Facts & Tips for Parents.”

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