Hot Coffee
You don’t have to be a coffee aficionado or a McDonald’s regular to recall the case of Stella Liebeck and her scalding cup of McDonald’s coffee. Now an 18 year-old suit, the case of Liebeck’s coffee made not only national news, but was used as material for comedians, talk-show hosts, and a steady storyline for news reporters.
Well now, that case is back – in the form of an independent film to be premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
The film, which is in documentary form, will explore the case and its ensuing media frenzy, in order to answer tough questions like, “Who profited most from this case?” “Why did a personal injury case like this garner so much media attention?” and
“How was the case used (and/or misused) for propaganda purposes?”
Additionally, director Susan Saladoff follows subjects in need of civil justice who have been unable to access the court system, in contrast to the widely-publicized coffee case.
The film’s title, “Hot Coffee,” is an easy way to remember one of the nation’s most famous (or infamous?) personal injury suit. See it with a lukewarm cup’o joe.
Toys: Unwrapped
While it might be the time of year when surprises are the status quo, one surprise you won’t want this holiday season is a recalled toy. Early shoppers take note: There have been 44 children’s toys recalled so far in 2010, some as recent as this month. So to make sure that one of these toys isn’t wrapped in bright paper lying under your Christmas tree, we’ve provided a few highlights.
The most recently recalled toy, a rocking horse from Rocking Horse Depot, was voluntarily recalled last month in response to a child injury involving near-strangling within the horse’s reigns.
If you’ve bought any bathtub toys by Munchkin in the past year, you’ll want to look them up – several were recalled in October. And Fisher-Price – a big name in children’s toys – has recalled more than 10 million products this year. Among them any infant toys with inflatable balls due to their possible choking hazard, children’s trikes due to their possible injury risk and any 2010 high chair model. Several other toys are included in the recall, so be sure to check with Fisher-Price for a complete list.
Lead, always a risk in toys and other products, has been found youth tiaras manufactured by Wilton, and metal charm bracelets for children sold at Claire’s.
If you chose a toy dart gun as a stocking stuffer, make sure it wasn’t purchased from Family Dollar. Their dart guns have been recalled after two reports of asphyxiation deaths.
Help keep the season merry by reading warning labels and age recommendations on toys before presenting them to a child. And, of course, take a look at this year’s recall list to make sure your presents – and your child’s safety, remain under wraps.
Child-Proof Holiday
While you may not be bringing home a bundle of joy anytime soon, that bundle may very well be coming to you this holiday season, as the time for visiting family and friends ensues. In anticipation, you may want to rethink the safety of your home – it may pose no threat to you or your spouse, but kid-proofing can be a bit more in-depth than making the fine china and crystal goblets unreachable (although you’ll definitely want to do that).
You might be familiar with baby-proofing, but the fact of the matter is, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in kids 14 and under. What’s more is that more than a third of these injuries happen at home.
So before you receive some pint-sized visitors this season, make sure you’ve combed your home for potential hazards. Here are a few great tips:
- Keep guns locked up and out of reach
- Remove any items that are hot, sharp or choking hazards from a (under 14) child’s reach.
- Install smoke detectors
- Install doorknob covers to rooms that are potentially dangerous to children (i.e. dens, exercise rooms, etc.).
- If you’re making a bed for a child, keep the multiple pillows and soft bedding out of the mix.
- Fold up any exercise treadmills, ellipticals or bikes and stow them out of the way.
Here’s to a safe holiday season.
Black (Not Black and Blue) Friday
While the country’s best shoppers are gearing up for a festive Black Friday this week, there are times when that cheap X-Box or buy-one-get-one free DVDs just aren’t worth it – like when they cause bodily injury, for one.
And while the wild shopping is propelled by the season of giving, shoppers after deep discounts can seem anything but. And in recent years, as stores have opened to lines upon lines of shoppers, many Black Friday patrons have been hurt – and even killed in the raucous.
So for you bargain hunters out there, we’ve provided some tips on staying safe this Thanksgiving weekend.
First off, be wary of sales offering limited quantities. This is no doubt where the most hustle and bustle (and possibly fists and elbows) will occur. Avoid confrontations with other shoppers (and there will no doubt be ample opportunity). Most Black Fridays are not only anxious to swipe good deals, but are also sleep-deprived, some having been up all night waiting in line for the store to open.
If you’re one of the brave waiting in lines this Friday, take caution. Stampedes through the open doors have left many shoppers trampled and injured. Be courteous of others and protective of yourself and your family. If more shoppers choose not to participate in the stampede, fewer injuries will inevitably occur.
Additionally, if you happen to be shopping in a colder climate, take care to dress appropriately and watch for puddles and ice in and out of the store.
And happy shopping!
Thanksgiving Disaster?
We’ve all been in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning (or just witnessed it from the couch in front of the football game): the frantic cooking frenzy that turns frozen turkeys into roasted wonders, hard potatoes into creamy goodness and cold squash into warm, fresh pies. And though we love every minute of it, Thanksgiving could easily turn disastrous for unheeding of some basic safety precautions.
Food safety aside, there are plenty of ways to make a mess of this yearly feast, and Safety At Home has offered some great guidelines for the cooks:
• Keep the cooking range and oven area free of clutter.
• Do not cook while holding a child in one arm.
• Never put a glass casserole or lid over a stove burner (it can explode).
• Never put water on a grease fire.
• Make sure all cooking appliances contain a UL (safety standard) mark.
• Don’t use a turkey fryer (they’re dangerous and unhealthy).
• Keep work surfaces clean (especially when poultry is involved).
• Don’t stuff the turkey. This can prevent even cooking.
• Thaw the turkey per its instructions.
• Call for help: USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is there to help: 1.888.MPHOLTLINE.
Let’s keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive, and fill it with things to be thankful for, not mishaps to regret. Have a great one!
Respecting –and Protecting—our Elders
Young or old, the safety of your family members is likely one of your greatest concerns – especially for those who are the most defenseless. Like children, the elderly are also vulnerable mistreatment and abused due to their frailty – especially those who require nursing facilities or hospice care.
Unfortunately, elder abuse often goes undetected because mental or physical ailments might prevent a patient from telling a loved one what’s really going on. Even so, more than half a million reports of elder abuse are reported yearly. So to ensure the safety of your loved ones, keep an eye out for the warning signs.
Symptoms of physical abuse can include unexplained bruises, welts, scars, broken bones, failure to take medication regularly, broke eyeglasses, or refusal of caregiver to allow you to see your elder alone.
Emotional abuse signs can also include behavior that mimics dementia such as rocking, sucking, mumbling, and a general sense of fear.
If your loved one shows signs of unusual weight lose, dehydration, bed sores or is dirty and unbathed, they could be the victims of caregiver neglect.
Since your family’s safety is of great concern, ensure all elderly family members are properly taken care of – after all, it’s their turn.
Status Update… loses court case?
If you’re thinking that your Facebook and Myspace information are all in the safe hands of your privacy settings; think again – especially if you’re involved in a personal injury lawsuit. A recent suit between a woman and Steelcase, an office furniture company, blamed the woman’s serious injuries on a defected chair.
The only flaw in the argument was that the woman’s Facebook and Myspace accounts showed a much different side of her life than the severely-injured and confined-to-bed image she offered the court. In fact, the defense claimed that her social media photos showed her smiling and active and well outside the confines of her own home.
That being the case, the judge ordered access to the private information on both accounts, claiming that the plaintiff had already consented to sharing the information with others in creating the profiles.
Kind of makes you second-guess just how harmless that social media world is, huh?
4th and Sprain
If your definition of personal injury is limited to car accidents and construction site mishaps, you might be missing the proverbial boat. And while summer activities seem the most likely to trigger an accident or two, autumn can be just as risky – especially if you or one of your loved ones enjoys that great American pastime we call football. While life might be pretty cushy for an NFL quarterback –aside from a few dog-fighting debacles—it’s not so cushy on their bodies. And that goes for any football player – even the pint-sized city-league or the ambitious high school runningback you have at home.
The fact of the matter is that throwing that pigskin around can wreak havoc on the body – ligament tears, hamstring pulls, shin splints, whiplash, broken ribs, concussions, fractured bones and ankle sprains are just a few of football’s beauteous side-effects.
So keep the athlete in your life in good condition by encouraging him or her to train properly and listen to their own body. Stretching before and after a game or practice can help ease tightened muscles, while cross training with running and weight-lifting can help get the body into optimum athletic condition.
And don’t expect to spring right back from an injury. Physical therapy and guided training will help the healing process along. Because even a touchdown pass isn’t work a chronically-strained groin muscle. Well, maybe.
Crashology
While you might think that contemplating the complexity of a car crash is a bit like considering the complexity of Paris Hilton (a short and loathsome process), there’s actually a long list of events that contribute to a collision – last of all being the driver’s awareness that there’s even been an accident. In fact, Lone Gunman provides a timeline down to the millisecond describing the chronology of crashes, starting with an external object touching the car.
That event may seem to end the ball game, but in actuality it’s just the beginning. Within 2.5 milliseconds, the car’s pressure sensor has detected a wave, while the acceleration censor detects a collision. At 5 ms, the car’s crash computer is busy ascertaining the severity of the crash, and triggering further action. This leads to an airbag deployment at 8.5 ms.
Think that finishes it? Wrong again. In the next 150 ms, the airbag moves the driver away from impact and starts to deflate, while the car’s computer unlocks the car doors. It isn’t until the 300 ms mark that the occupant actually becomes aware of the crash.
Alright, auto collision, we misjudged you. But I doubt we can say the same for Miss Hilton.
Drive Alive!
Though it might be impossible to believe if you’ve spent anytime on the 5 freeway at rush hour, but statistically America’s drivers are getting better. In fact, in 2008, the US logged the lowest number of automobile-accident fatalities ever.
That said, the rate of auto accidents on American roads continues to be quite staggering – nearly 6 million per year. So maybe we could all use a bit of a brush-up on safety. So we’ve found a few tips to get you from here to there and have you driving (and not resting) in peace.
First things first: Don’t drink and drive. And don’t speed. Don’t get distracted by cell phones, radios, or unwrapping that Big Mac. Don’t drive when you’re sleep-deprived or follow others too closely (it’s both unsafe and annoying). And be on your best defense by watching out for bad drivers. And get those safety checks on your car regularly – it’s all fun and games until your brakes give out.