Dec 21, 2018 | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death
A Christmas tree is a symbol of holiday spirit, and style, when the season comes around. People flock to tree farms in the mountains, Lowe’s garden section, and even just to your everyday grocery— and pick their perfect tree. We string up lights, hang ornaments, put presents below, and top it all off with a shiny star. While we take pride in our holiday cheer, and display it for all to see— our trees also have the potential of leading to Christmas tree fires. These are unfortunately quite common, there are also a few steps we can all take to prevent them. That’s where we come in… Below, you’ll find a guide to avoiding Christmas tree fires, and keeping your holiday safe, sound, and jolly…
Christmas Tree Fires: How to Avoid Emergency During the Holiday
Pick your tree methodically
When choosing a tree, assuming you get a real tree, keep an eye out for a few different things… For one, make sure the needles are fresh, bright green, and don’t fall off easily. Needles that aren’t well intact point to a tree that is drying out. You know your tree is going to stand for at least a week, if not a few. Therefore, finding the freshest tree possible will go a long way in preventing potential Christmas tree fires.
Water your tree
Many people don’t consider the upkeep that comes along with having a real tree. But, watering them is absolutely one of those steps. The biggest key to keeping a tree safe, and accident-free, is to keep it moisturized. While accidents inevitably happen, a very dry, brittle tree is much more likely to go up in flames— and fast. So, when putting up your tree, add a few inches of water into the stand. Furthermore, refresh that water around once a week.
Watch the placement
When deciding where to put your tree, consider the heat sources within your house. If you have a fireplace, radiator, wood burning stove, or something of the sort— make sure to place your tree at least three feet away from those hot spots. Preventing Christmas tree fires may come down to where you put your tree. Furthermore, make sure that tree isn’t blocking any essential exit point for your house. That way, if you find yourself plagued with a fire of any kind, your Christmas tree isn’t hindering your safety plan.
Dec 16, 2018 | Personal Injury
Winter activities for most of us consists of Christmas movies, hot cocoa, gift shopping, and avoiding the cold. While we often think of these activities as relatively safe, this is not always the case. Winter injuries are quite common if you consider the changes in environment. Snow, ice, frozen roads, black ice, and quite obviously, the cold. Winter injuries are more common than you think, and you don’t have to be out too long to end up with one. So, we’re here to bring awareness, and help you keep safe from potential injury during this jolly time of year.
Winter Injuries: Have a Merry, Safe Holiday
Quite obviously, the change in elements brings along quite a few dangerous friends. But, arguably the most dangerous to look out for— is ice. Ice is slippery, cold, hard, and can often come out of nowhere. For these reasons, it can be easier than you think to take a tumble, or even slide in your car. Therefore, ice related Winter injuries are quite common.
When you fall, you might find yourself with bruises, head injuries, sprains, strains, twists, broke bones, back injuries, and even spinal cord injuries— there’s really no limit to the type of injury you might incur from taking a tumble on ice. Consider buying slip-resistant shoes, keep your eyes peeled for ice on the ground, and shovel your walkways.
Car Accidents
Aside from the obvious black ice, there are plenty of other hazards on the Winter roadway— such as falling snow, freezing rain, sleet, and drunk drivers. These later months not only bring more dangerous elements, but more careless— and high volume, drivers as well. Therefore car accidents can be some of the most common winter injuries out there. However, there might not be too much you can do to prevent them— besides avoiding drunk driving, and avoiding the roads during dangerous weather.
Sledding
While sledding is a popular pastime, and memory, for most of us— it also brings about potential dangers. From stiff muscles, joints, colliding with others, and even trees— there are plenty of dangers. When sledding, or doing any other sort of Winter activity, choose your spot wisely. Avoid hills near busy walkways, heavy wooded areas, and potential traffic.
In short, winter injuries are a possibility— but there are certain steps you can take to avoid being part of that statistic. Keep your eyes peeled, sled safe, drive as little as possible, and clear your walkways. By following these few steps, and creating your own safety routine, you’ll make it out of this holiday season without an injury in sight.
Dec 8, 2018 | Personal Injury
Basketball season is flush with excitement. From March Madness, to big wins, and celebrations with friends. During big games, and even small ones, fans find news ways to celebrate the win. But one method that is tried and true for fans, is court storming after a big win. While storming the court is a great way to join in with the madness, and to celebrate a big win, it can also produce injury…
Court Storming: Post-Game Celebration Injuries
If you think about court storming, you might begin to realize how dangerous the concept is. You’re jumping off the bleachers, or over a dividing wall, and into a stampede of people. In the heat of the moment, people might not realize how their actions could be dangerous. Running quickly, jumping and celebrating, and not paying too much attention to your surroundings. Due to the fact that most people are acting in this same way, there are a few common injuries.
Common Injuries:
Pushing and shoving
One of the main actions that can cause injury, is pushing and shoving. During these exciting times, fans may push towards the court and ignore the people around them. When you aren’t paying attention to the people around you, you might contribute to their receiving an injury. The people around you might be elderly, children, unsuspecting, or even just smaller in build. While anyone that is court storming could face injury, there are some parties which are more susceptible.
Stepping and kicking
Due to the quick movement of court storming, along with the pushing, there is the potential for someone to take a tumble. As thousands of fans rush towards the action, they might not look underneath their feet. Therefore, that little tumble can lead to some pretty serious injuries.
Tempers flare
While everyone is excited about the exact same thing, tempers can still flare quite easily in a confined space filled with chaos. If you bump into the wrong person, or knock someone over, they might get angry and try to retaliate. Someone might throw a punch, or shove you as well. Then, before you know it, this moment of celebration can turn into one of catastrophe.
No doubt, court storming will always be a favorite winning tradition. But, it is important to realize that some of these celebrations can cause serious injuries. So, have fun. But, remember to be mindful of potential injuries or danger— no matter the situation.
Sep 5, 2018 | Personal Injury, Products
Every single person, thing, and technology, is subject to failure every now and then. While inconvenient, we expect that we will face issues every now and then. However, what about when that failure leads to injury or death? When it comes to defective drugs, such as over-the-counter or prescription medications, the side effects can be serious, and sometimes deadly. But what causes those failures? And what responsibility does the manufacturer have when you’ve been injured at their expense?
Defective Drugs: Cause and Liability
Most commonly, people reserve medications for when they’re not feeling 100% like themselves. Therefore, you’ll usually follow the guidelines provided on the bottle, or from your doctor. We assume that the medicine is reliable, safe, and we’ve been provided the proper instructions for taking it. So, when something unexpected happens, we have a few people in mind to blame. And when that resulting injury is serious, or a cause of death, the costs can be pretty high. From pain and suffering, to medical bills— who is responsible? In short, the manufacturer is responsible.
Manufacturer responsibility for defect
As a consumer of medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter, you assume that the medicine your taking is safe, and as it’s supposed to be. But when that’s not the case, and defective drugs hinder your way of life, it is 100% up to the manufacturer to take responsibility. There is the potential for receiving payment for medical bills, pain and suffering, and so forth. While a settlement of any kind will not fix, or change, what happened to you or your loved one— it can create financial ease while you deal with the aftermath. But, one of your first questions, will likely be: why? Why did this happen? And what was the cause?
Causes for Defectiveness
Defect in the product. One reason for defective drugs may be a defect within the makeup of the product. In some cases, it could be that manufacturers are using harmful chemicals that do not interact well with one another. While plenty of testing should warn against these issues, that is not always full proof. Furthermore, there could be a defect in the making of the drug.
Incomplete labeling. Another common cause of defective drugs is incomplete or insufficient labeling. In short, without proper labels, consumers don’t know what they are taking. Therefore, they have no knowledge of how their body may react to it, or how it may react with other foods and medication.
Insufficient warnings. Like incomplete labels, insufficient warnings can leave a consumer unaware of how to take their medicine. All medications should include a list of instructions informing people how to take the drugs. In addition, that list should also include warnings as to how not to take the medicine.
As we’ve said, no amount of money can make your pain and suffering go away. But, it can ease the financial burden of your healing. If you, or someone you know, has been the subject of defective drugs, urge them to reach out to a personal injury attorney today. After explaining the details of your product liability case, an experienced attorney will be able to help you find the right recourse. Lastly, you might not be the only person who has faced injury or death at the hands of that manufacturer. So, coming forward might just help to save someone else…
Aug 1, 2018 | Child Accidents, General, Personal Injury
If you face an injury on your friends’ property, you might find yourself in an awkward situation. After all, you didn’t mean to get injured, especially at your friends’ house. But, accidents do happen, as they say. So, what can you do when your health is at stake, you need medical attention, but you also want to do right by your friend? This situation is tricky, but we’re here to help…
Injury on Friends’ Property? How-to save your friendship, your wallet, and your health
Seeking medical attention
First things first, you need to decide whether or not you need medical attention. If you’re experiencing a lot of pain, or a visible injury, you might want to see a doctor as soon as possible. But, even if you don’t experience one of these two factors, but still feel like something isn’t quite right, go to a doctor and have them check it out. By doing this, you can get a gauge on your injury and decide who is responsible for the injury.
Homeowner’s insurance
If you decide that your friend, or the condition of that friends’ property, is at-fault for your injury— that’s where homeowner’s insurance comes in. Your friends’ homeowner’s insurance can cover the cost of accidents on the property. As for you? It is technically not your responsibility to cover the cost of an injury that isn’t your fault. While you are aware of this, it can be difficult to ask a friend to compensate for an injury. No one likes to talk money with their friends, but in the event of injury— it can be necessary.
Talking to your friend
One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with an injury on your friends’ property, is coming to them and asking that they compensate for the injury. This could lead your friend to feel betrayed, or that you’re doing this for personal gain. However, you must make them understand that you only need their homeowner’s insurance to cover medical costs. While this might be a difficult conversation to have, and an awkward one at that, it is absolutely necessary when facing injury. Remember that you are not targeting their personal funds, but merely expecting their insurance to assist with cost.
Receiving Assistance
As much as you may not want to handle this situation with your friend, your expenses may demand it. The cost of treating your injuries may become expensive, and affect your livelihood. In that instance, that homeowner’s insurance is not only important, but completely necessary. If you run into the scenario where your friend might not want to help at all, you might have to consult with an attorney. While we hope our friends would do what they can to help, in some cases, that might not be the case. So, we offer our services if you unfortunately might need them. Lastly, we offer our condolences for your lost friendship and injury.
Jul 13, 2018 | Personal Injury
As you get older, you have to start taking caution in areas you didn’t worry about before. For many elderly people, slipping and falling can be extremely dangerous. Therefore, you’re likely wondering what steps you can take to prevent elderly slips and falls, or at least lessen their severity in the event that they do happen. Recovering from injury becomes more and more difficult with age. So, let’s prevent them before they happen…
Steps to Prevent Elderly Slips and Falls: What can I do?
Regular exercise
One way to prevent elderly slips and falls, is by exercising regularly. As people get older, they tend to lose a good bit of muscle mass. Therefore, you become weaker and more susceptible to injury. So, by exercising, you can regain some of that strength, agility, and flexibility. All of these things can benefit you greatly in preventing injury in a number of ways, not just by slips and falls. Look into water aerobics, dancing, or other forms of light cardio.
Diet
Just like when you’re children, eating fruits, veggies, and lean proteins can help build strong bones. By maintaining a healthy, mindful diet, you help your bones to stay durable. You want to keep your body in the best shape possible, and that ultimately starts with a strong diet.
Wear Smart Shoes
Look into comfortable shoes with a rubber sole. It might even be worth considering a non-slip shoe, just to be safe. Having practical shoes can prevent slipping and falling. Furthermore, keep them tied! Taking a spill due to untied shoes is harmful, and also unnecessary. So, shop smart and keep them tied! Slippers or socks inside the home are typically more slippery and have a greater chance of resulting in a fall.
Consider Making Modification to Your Home, or Make a Move
As you get older, the functionality of your home becomes much more important. The bathroom and the stairs are two of the main areas of concern for taking a tumble. Consider placing non-slip rugs in the bathroom, or a railing on your stairs. Furthermore, your chances of slipping on carpet are much lower than hardwoods or laminate. Your house needs to be accommodating to your needs. Therefore, consider making modifications, or even moving if that is something you can financially make happen. Ultimately, you want to be comfortable and safe in your home. So, making a modifications might just be the perfect move for you.
