Articles Posted in Personal Injury

While some families buy ready-made costumes for Halloween, others spend considerable time creating their own costumes. However, homemade does not always mean safer. There are some advantages to homemade costumes: they often contain fewer plastics than store-bought costumes and therefore can be healthier, and they tend to be less expensive. If made correctly, home-made costumes can also be safer. However, if you are making your own Halloween costumes at home, keep these design elements in mind to keep your trick-or-treaters safer:

1) Choose the right shoes for the costume. Avoid giving your child adult shoes or shoes that are too large – these can increase the risk of tripping and put your child in danger of head injuries as a result. Look for shoes that fit your child correctly and ensure that the shoes have good treads to help prevent slip and fall injuries. Keep in mind that fall leaves can make sidewalks slippery. Consider adding some store-bought stickers to the bottom or shoes to give them extra traction.

2) Always carefully alter home-made costumes for a perfect fit. Many home-made costumes are made from adult clothes or large pieces of fabric. If this is the case for your costumes, make certain that you have the fabric altered to fit your child correctly. This is important to avoid trip and fall injuries as well as choking hazards. Use needle and thread to alter the costumes, as double-sided tape can easily become unglued, leaving dangerous dangling pieces of material.

Bullying is not just the occasional schoolyard tussle. In recent years, awareness of bullying has increased after a few students have died as a result of bullying. Bullies not only taunt their victims, but in many cases physically injure them, leading to scrapes, wounds, broken bones, head injuries, and other serious injuries. In some cases, a bully’s pranks can be deadly or can leave lasting emotional scars. Often, parents are unaware that their child is being bullied until the attacks escalate. As your child heads back to school, stay alert for these warning signs.

1) Your child’s grades are declining. Declining grades can be an indication of any number of issues and should always be addressed promptly. If your child is being bullied, he or she may be too upset to concentrate on school work. Even if there is another reason for declining grades, it is important to turn the situation around early in the school year so that your child can enjoy academic success.

2) Your child’s online habits change. Some bullies have taken their abusive tactics online, where they can attack other children without the prying eyes of parents and teachers. If your child spends a lot of time online suddenly and tries to hide online activities by erasing histories or staying on the computer late at night, he or she may be the victim of a cyber bully. Be especially wary if your child seems secretive about his or her computing activities and is upset after using the computer.

Most people take prescription drugs or over the counter supplements to feel better or to treat a condition. However, drugs can affect your everyday tasks and can result in personal injuries. Some drugs can cause you to feel drowsy or can cause slip and fall accidents by affecting your motor function. Some drugs and medications can make you feel groggy and can cause a car accident if you try to drive while taking them. Here’s how to stay safe with your medication:

1) When getting any new medication or supplements, ask lots of questions. Whether your medication is over the counter or from a doctor, read the label and talk to a pharmacist. Make sure you understand all possible side effects as well as the best ways to take each medication. If you are told to avoid some activities – such as driving a car – while you are on medication, obey these instructions.

2) Give your body time to adjust. Even medications that have few side effects can affect your body in various ways. Some people have allergic reactions to some medications. Some medications affect you negatively before they begin to heal you. You never know quite how your body will adjust when you take a new substance, so take things easy for a few days when you have a new medication and observe how it makes you feel. Report any unusual symptoms to your pharmacist or doctor and ask for advice.

Now that students are getting ready to return to school, parents may be worried about injuries to children and minors. Many children return home from school with scrapes and minor injuries. In some cases, these are caused by nothing more than schoolyard accidents. In some cases, however, personal injuries are caused by bullying.

Bullying is a serious problem in our schools. Bullies often taunt and assault their victims. In rare cases, bullying has lead to attacks that have resulted in head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and even fatalities. Many victims of bullying become withdrawn and depressed. Victims often struggle with self-esteem and even their school work as a result of their bullying experiences. In some cases, victims of bullying have attempted or committed suicide as a result of their experiences. Obviously, this is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

Talk to your child about bullying. If your child becomes withdrawn, is suddenly reluctant to go to school, or comes home with any injuries or scrapes, have a talk with your child about bullying. Encourage your child to talk with you about what has happened and ensure that your child knows that the bullying is not his or her fault. Even if your child shows no signs of being bullied, talk to your child about bullying and make sure that your child knows he or she can talk to you about bullying or any other worrying subject.

There are many difficulties and problems that can affect a person’s life after a personal injury caused by a car accident, trucking accident, or other injury. In addition to the emotional impact of a serious injury and the focus on recovery, far too many personal injury victims may face financial distress as well.

Many brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and other serious injuries leave people unable to return to work for some time. Some personal injury victims are permanently injured and can never return to their normal income. Worse, many people suffering from a serious injury face considerable medical bills at a time when they have lost their income.

Even less serious injuries can mean time away for work as injured parties visit doctors or specialists. Since Florida is a no-fault state in terms of car insurance, in the event of injuries caused by a car accident, your own policy will pay for up to 60% of your lost wages which result from your injury. Even if the accident was not your fault, your insurance provider will pay up to your coverage limits. Unfortunately, if your policy does not cover the full cost of your treatment and lost wages, you may still have to pay for some of your costs. As well, living on only 60% of your income while you recover may create problems for you. Some insurance policies take some time to pay as well. If your injuries were not caused by a car accident, your case may be more complex.

Each 4th of July, while many people across the country are celebrating their country, many people are being admitted to emergency rooms with serious burn injuries and other injuries caused by Independence Day festivities. Have a wonderful holiday, but use these tips to stay safe, as well:

1) Use extra caution with fireworks. Every Independence Day, fireworks cause many serious injuries, including eye injuries and burn injuries. Unfortunately, injuries to minors and children are the most common with fireworks-related injuries, since children are often fascinated by fireworks but often do not know how to prevent serious injury. Firefighters recommend that families attend public fireworks displays organized by professionals. This is the safest way to view fireworks. If you decide to enjoy your own fireworks, use caution and always follow all precautions in the instructions very carefully.

2) Keep your children safe. Children can easily get injured this weekend around pools, bonfires, fireworks displays and boats. Have fun, but ensure that your children are carefully monitored by a responsible adult at all times.

In Florida, lighting is the main weather-source killer, killing more people than all other weather causes of fatalities combined. There are more lighting fatalities and injuries in Florida than in any other state. While across the country the chances of being struck by lightning are about 280,000:1, in Florida those chances are 80, 000:1. In addition to the injuries and deaths caused, lightning also causes about $5 billion worth of damage each year. Usually, this is as a result of fires and property damage caused by lightning.

Lightning can cause lifelong personal injuries as well as severe brain injuries and burn injuries. One bolt of lightning is much hotter than the surface of the sun, at 50,000 degrees, so there is a high potential for severe injuries. The period between June and August sees the most lightning injuries and fatalities. In fact, over 70% of all lightning deaths occur during these few months.

There are several things that everyone can do to help prevent lightning related injuries:

Summer is a time for vacations, and while vacations and trips usually mean lots of fun, they also pose some hazards. Many of us completely unwind during vacations, but trips are no time to forget safety. Here are some basic ways to make sure that you and your family stay safe while at your summer destinations:

1) Check hotel room fire escapes. All hotel rooms have fire escapes and safety information posted. Make sure that you read the directions and familiarize yourself with the nearest escape route from your hotel room. Also, identify the closest fire extinguisher. You can often help prevent burn injuries and other serious injuries if you know where to exit during a fire.

2) Check accommodations for safety features. Before selecting your accommodations, find out about safety features. Does a hotel have 24-hour security, sprinkler systems or other features that can mean a safer stay? Check the safety record of your hotel or place of stay.

3) When flying, make sure you know where the emergency exits are. Listen to the flight attendants while they go through the safety demonstration at the beginning of the flight. Even if you have heard it before, it is a good review. Locate your emergency exits. If you do need to use them, you will be able to get to them more quickly if you know where they are.

4) Learn about your destination. Each destination has its unique features and hazards. Determine what the potential for injury is at your destination and take steps to prevent any problems.

5) Have the right documents with you. Make copies of your identification documents and any documents relating to your health coverage. Keep these copies in a safe place in case your original documents are lost or stolen on your trip. This is especially important if you will be traveling outside of the country, where you will need identification and the right documents to get most services.

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In the summer, many of us are more active, taking part in more outdoor activities and more sports. While this can mean that the summer is one of the times when we are at our best physically, it can also mean a few more injuries, including more cuts and scrapes and more serious injuries, such as burn injuries. It can be a good idea to assemble a first aid kit to be ready for the inevitable bruises and bug bites. Items you should include in your first aid kit for the summer include:

1) Emergency phone numbers. Your emergency phone numbers should be right inside the first aid kit. They should include the phone number of your local police stations, your doctor, your pharmacist, your poison control center, your dentist, and your vet. You should also include contact information for every member of your family.

2) Thermometer. A thermometer is useful in detecting fevers, which can signal anything from a flu to a serious allergic reaction to heat stroke.

3) Ice packs. Ice packs can soothe any swelling or burns.

4) Hydrocortisone cream. This skin cream is useful for minor scrapes and minor skin irritations.

5) Sunscreen. You should have bottles of sunscreen in your car, medicine cabinet, first aid kit, purse, and by your door, so that you remember to spray often.

6) Bug spray. Bug bites can cause serious allergic reactions and can spread diseases such as the West Nile Virus or Lyme disease. Keep small spray bottles of bug spray with you at all times during the summer.

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The summer is when many people decide to open their cottage or vacation home for a relaxing summer. You want to be able to enjoy your home away from home, but if you have been away for a while, you want to make sure that your cottage or vacation home is a haven, not a danger. Here’s how to avoid injuries as you get ready for the summer:

1) Check for insect nests and animals. While you have been away, bats, raccoons, rodents, birds, and insects may have decided to make your cottage a home. Always check carefully for signs of pests and have them removed immediately by a professional exterminator. Insects can swarm, while animals can spread diseases, so you want to make sure your home is free of any animals and insects.

2) Get your vaccinations before you travel. Get inoculations against tetanus and make sure your vaccinations are up to date so that you can have a worry-free summer. If you need medications or may require allergy medication, make sure you bring these items with you to the cottage.

3) Check for signs of wear and tear on appliances, stairs, plumbing systems, and other major systems of your vacation home. Shaky stairs can lead to broken bones and falls. Damaged power cords can be a fire hazard. Always check to make sure that everything is in good shape and get any repairs completed before you move in for the summer.

4) Check for damage to overhead power lines. Branches can easily fall on power lines, creating a hazard, especially to curious children.
5) Remove debris to avoid slip and fall accidents. Any debris and overgrown weeds should be removed from walkways and frequently used pathways. You don’t want someone to trip over a forgotten rock or a fallen branch.

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