Friday, 31 May 2013

How to Drive Safely Despite Wintertime Conditions

Dallas survived snow on Christmas Day (Wasn’t that fun for all the kids?), and we should get past New Year’s Eve with no ice on the roads. But this is still a good time for some winter driving tips. This guest post is from Richard McMunn:

Although there is a simple method that motorists can use to prevent wintertime accidents, in the form of avoiding the road altogether under bad conditions, that is not a practical solution for most individuals. Sometimes motorists must brave the roads despite poor visibility, frozen or semi-frozen precipitation, and almost invisible patches of black ice on the asphalt. These motorists should adopt cautious driving practices and have their vehicles readied for winter, while also keeping supplies on hand to handle bad contingencies.

Motorists should get their vehicles checked out even before winter has arrived. Wintertime conditions are often more stressful on vehicles, meaning that the chances of vehicle failure are higher during winter. Similarly, the consequences of vehicle failure are also more serious during winter, meaning that motorists should have greater incentive to make sure that their vehicles are in top condition. Not a single aspect should be neglected, not even the lights and windshield. Depending on the local climate and road conditions, motorists should also get their tires replaced. All-season tires might be suitable in more temperate climates, but such tires are not meant to handle either ice or snow and should be replaced with snow tires. Motorists who have questions about the best preparation for local wintertime driving conditions should never hesitate to consult their mechanics.

Once out on the road, motorists should exercise additional care appropriate to their current driving conditions. For example, if there is precipitation falling, motorists should turn on their lights to alert oncoming vehicles, reduce their driving speed, and maintain more distance between vehicles to compensate. Similarly, motorists should not come to sudden stops as that can send vehicles skidding, which is more reason to maintain the additional distance. Inexperienced motorists should take particular care when passing over less-traveled roads that are prone to freezing over due to the absence of traffic. On a related note, both experienced and inexperienced motorists should tell someone their travel route in case they get lost or become stranded out in the cold.

Motorists should also take care to maintain a kit to get them through roadside emergencies. In general, such kits contain tools and supplies for both getting them out of roadside emergencies and handling the aftermath. For example, beacons and flares tend to be essential to wintertime kits, as are rope, shovels, and salt that can be used to dislodge stuck vehicles. Similarly, most kits should also contain booster cables, spare tires, and tire sealant. For survival purposes, wintertime kits should also include food, water, warm clothing, a flashlight, either a blanket or a sleeping bag, plus a first aid kit that also contains needed medications. Stranded motorists should remain in their vehicles for shelter, rely on light sources to flag down passing vehicles, try to avoid strenuous labor, and avoid running their engines. Of course, all motorists should also bring along cell phones to contact the proper authorities in case of need.

Richard McMunn is the director and founder of How2become.com; a career and recruitment specialist. Richard has written a number of books and helped numerous applicants prepare for and pass recruitment processes. Connect with How2become on Twitter.

References:

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/winterdrive/winterdrive.shtml

http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/drivingsafety/drivingsafetytips/snow.htm

Source: http://www.pissd.com/2012/12/how-to-drive-safely-despite-wintertime-conditions/

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Worst Toy List: Inflatable Bongo Ball A Potentially Bumpy Ride

Bongo BallA huge inflatable ball that you can climb into by any other name—e.g., Bongo Ball, Giga Ball, GBOP Ball, Human Hamster Ball—whatever—is still a huge inflatable ball that you can crawl into and roll around in. Some even let you bounce around in them, bumping into things (and other people) as you play.

Source: http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/blog/worst-toy-list-inflatable-bongo-ball-a-potentially-bumpy-ride-011003.html

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Ignoring the Lawyers (Sports Glasses Edition)

Oakley-LogojpgOh look! Another shiny new gadget! What could possibly go wrong, besides, you know, everything?

From the New York Times yesterday:

Oakley, the eyewear company, makes a $600 ski goggle that comes with a warning in the package: Do not operate product while skiing.

Zeal HD camera goggles allow athletes to make videos.

It is an admonition that should be taken with a grain of salt, said Chris Petrillo, a product manager at the company. Of course, he said, the digital goggles are meant for skiing and snowboarding.

“Welcome to the world of lawyers and litigation,” he said.

But maybe the lawyers are on to something.

There are lots of people out there that like to make fun of warning labels, often because they are placed in silly places and say silly things. Like a bag of peanuts that warns it may have been produced in a plant with nut products.

Perhaps Chris Petrillo is one of them. The Oakley lawyers see a dangerous product and then the company laughs at its own lawyers. Because, you know, the lawyers are all just a bunch of chuckleheads. Who would really listen to what the lawyers are saying, right?  Wink. Wink.

So here’s the deal, the article describes a wave of new goggles and sports glasses coming out that give real-time feedback to the participants, right there in the glasses. Video, text messages, phone, the whole enchilada.

But if you are skiing, running, biking, etc., then real time data is exceptionally difficult to receive and process because you are actually engaged in a high octane activity that requires your senses. Even listening to music on an old time Walkman or modern equivalent can be dangerous when used in outdoor sports — a widely ignored warning — as it can distract and disconnect the listener from the environment.

This is not an improvement over a quick glance at the watch, as one industry participant claims in the article. Your eyes still have to refocus to the image and then refocus again to your immediate surroundings.

I wrote about this previously with Google Glass and the dangers of distracted driving. Distracted skiing/biking/running may be slightly less dangerous, but if you’re the person that gets hit by the skier this will not be a consolation.

Want to stick a Go-Pro camera on your chest or helmet to film your family and friends? No problem. Want to put text messages in the users field of vision while they are moving? Big problem. Big problems indeed.

Hospital number crunchers will love this stuff as it will bring in more injured. The goggle company lawyers? Well, they probably get paid by the hour, so perhaps they like it too. Unless, of course, they actually want to protect the company, in which case they aren’t too pleased.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewYorkPersonalInjuryLawBlog/~3/9GtPmSkZqcw/ignoring-the-lawyers-sports-glasses-edition.html

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Technology Increasing Dangers of Distracted Walking

I’ve written many times about the dangers of driving while distracted, whether by cell phones or conversations with passengers. But good grief — now we also have to worry about the dangers of distracted walking!

So many of us walk around with earphones blaring and focused on our smart phones, reading e-mail or sending text messages, that we’re placing ourselves in harm’s way. This problem was detailed in a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Here are excerpts:

A young man talking on a cell phone meanders along the edge of a lonely train platform at night. Suddenly he stumbles, loses his balance and pitches over the side, landing headfirst on the tracks.

Fortunately there were no trains approaching the Philadelphia-area station at that moment, because it took the man several minutes to recover enough to climb out of danger. But the incident, captured last year by a security camera, underscores the risks of what government officials and safety experts say is a growing problem: distracted walking.

On city streets, in suburban parking lots and in shopping centers, there are usually people strolling while talking on phones, texting with their heads down, listening to music or playing video games. The problem isn’t as widely discussed as distracted driving, but the danger is real.

Reports of injuries to distracted walkers treated at hospital emergency rooms have more than quadrupled in the past seven years and are almost certainly underreported. There has been a spike in pedestrians killed and injured in traffic accidents, but there is no reliable data on how many were distracted by electronics.

State and local officials are struggling to figure out how to respond, and in some cases asking how far government should go in trying to protect people from themselves.

In Delaware, highway safety officials opted for a public education campaign, placing decals on crosswalks and sidewalks at busy intersections urging pedestrians to “Look up. Drivers aren’t always looking out for you.”

Philadelphia officials are drafting a safety campaign that will be aimed in part at pedestrians who are looking at their devices instead of where they’re going. “One of the messages will certainly be ‘Pick your head up’ – I want to say ‘nitwit,’ but I probably shouldn’t call them names,” said Rina Cutler, deputy mayor for transportation and public utilities.

A University of Maryland study found 116 cases over six years in which pedestrians were killed or seriously injured while wearing headphones.

About 1,152 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms in the United States last year for injuries suffered while walking and using a cell phone or some other electronic device, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But that’s likely an underestimate because patients may not mention they were using a device at the time they were injured, said Tom Schroeder, director of the commission’s data systems.

Source: http://www.pissd.com/2012/08/technology-increasing-dangers-of-distracted-walking/

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Featured Link: Asbestos & Mesothelioma Center

From the excellent Asbestos & Mesothelioma Center Web site comes this information about asbestos exposure in Texas. Please visit the Asbestos & Mesothelioma Center for more information about asbestos and related health risks.

Texas (TX) Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure

Everything is bigger in Texas – including asbestos problems. Texas
is the state most involved in the domestic oil industry, and companies
like Shell, Gulf, and Mobil call this state home. Unfortunately, the
oil industry is one of the hardest hit in terms of asbestos problems,
with millions of employees being exposed over the last 100 years.

Although Texas has large stretches of rural areas, it also has a
number of larger cities, where asbestos problems have been
concentrated. In 1999, there were 125 reported deaths from mesothelioma
along. This rare form of cancer only occurs after asbestos exposure.
Furthermore, asbestosis and other respiratory problems have contributed
to deaths in Texas. If you live or work in this state and believe
you’ve been exposure to asbestos, talk to a doctor right away and find
a lawyer to help you protect your rights.

At-Risk Occupations and Locations in Texas

The petroleum industry booming, companies during the industrial
revolution needed a way to protect their plants from fires and to cut
down on machinery corrosion. Using asbestos was a great idea because
this substance can be used to create materials that are heat-resistant
(and, essentially, fireproof), flexible, durable, lightweight, strong,
and cheap. Asbestos was used to create products like gaskets,
insulation, and every uniforms for employees. However, over time,
general wear and tear causes the asbestos fibers to be released back
into the air, where employees can breathe them in. Although the use of
asbestos made these plants safer from fire, they increase other health
risks and put millions in harm’s way. All of the major oil companies
used asbestos in some capacity.

Texas also has a number of other popular industries that have been
known to use asbestos. Along the Gulf Coast, shipyards are common, and
for the factors listed above, asbestos was a great product to use for
building vessels. Until the 1980s, asbestos (especially in insulation)
was used in this industry for many building materials. In additional
asbestos had its place in the electrical power and chemical industries,
two other industries that were major powerhouses in Texas for many
years (and still are today).

There are also deposits of asbestos naturally found in Texas.
Although these are typically not a threat to someone on a hike, for
example, mines to retrieve this asbestos for commercial use were very
dangerous. If not regulated, people living in this area could see a
high concentration of asbestos in their air and water. The
naturally-occurring asbestos in Texas is located northwest of San
Antonio, in the Canyon State Natural Area vicinity.

It is important to note that Texas, due to its location, is a
hotspot for violent winds and tornados. When a structure built using
asbestos is damaged in high winds, the asbestos fibers fill the air and
become a danger to everyone living and working in the area. Therefore,
here more than in other locations, asbestos should be closely monitored
in homes, even if it is contained in the structure and currently not a
threat.

Asbestos-related Deaths in Texas

As you can imagine, because Texas is so highly involved in a number
of injuries that used asbestos, there have been thousands of deaths
from asbestos-related illnesses in this state. According to one study,
there were almost 2,800 asbestos-related deaths in Texas because 1979
and 1999. About half of these deaths were due to asbestosis, while the
other half were due to mesothelioma. Harris County, Jefferson County,
and Dallas County were the location hardest hit, which is not
surprising as these are industrial hubs in Texas.

Texas is 7th in the United State in terms of mesothelioma cases,
with a mortality rate of over 8 per million. With more and more people
reporting asbestos-related illnesses in this state every day, that
number could continue to rise, unfortunately. Asbestos exposure in
Texas may be regulated now, but cases are still being discovered as
these illnesses take many years to materialize. Someone exposure to
asbestos in the 1960s could just find out today that he or she has
mesothelioma, for example.

Legal Resources for Texas Residents

There have been many lawsuits in Texas regarding asbestos-related
illnesses and personal injury. Some of these cases have set precedence
in the state and in the entire United States. For example, in 2000, due
to the case of Pustejovsky versus Rapid-American Corp., Texas’ Supreme
Court rules that someone affected by asbestos could sue more than once.
This is because more complicated medical conditions may arise later in
life. This ruling has changed the course of many lives, as it is common
to need help for asbestos one year but develop more medical bills with
mesothelioma a decade later.

Many Texas cases have proven that victims are in the right in the
case of asbestos-related illnesses. If you’ve been hurt due to asbestos
exposure in Texas, it is important to talk to a lawyer right away.
There is a two-year statute of limitations rule for filing suit, so
make sure that you call an attorney soon to talk about your case.

Source: http://www.pissd.com/2008/07/featured-link-asbestos-mesothelioma-center/

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Lawsuit: Medieval Times Honeymoon Leaves Husband Blind

Source: TripAdvisorMedieval Times may not be your #1 honeymoon destination. True, there's courtly love and Chippendale's-worthy guys. But Dustin Wiseman also got a blinded in one eye on his honeymoon visit. And now he's suing.

Source: http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/blog/lawsuit-medieval-times-honeymoon-leaves-husband-blind-010703.html

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Newborn suffers brain injury, requires CPR

In 2000, the plaintiff became pregnant with her third child. All prenatal testing showed the child growing well with no problems. On Aug. 31, the plaintiff arrived at the hospital at 7 a.m. Testing showed that the baby was healthy. Throughout the day, the fetal heart monitoring was reassuring, with no problems noted. The baby’s [...]

Source: http://masslawyersweekly.com/2013/05/30/newborn-suffers-brain-injury-requires-cpr/

Defective Drugs Defective Product Dog Bites / Dog Attack

Car crash results in debilitating knee fracture

On Feb. 18, 2012, the plaintiff was driving home from work when the defendant drifted into her lane, causing a violent collision. The plaintiff was diagnosed with a comminuted fracture of both the patella and the ulnar shaft. She immediately underwent knee surgery, during which hardware was put in place to reconstruct the comminuted fragments. [...]

Source: http://masslawyersweekly.com/2013/05/23/car-crash-results-in-debilitating-knee-fracture/

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Ignoring the Lawyers (Sports Glasses Edition)

Oakley-LogojpgOh look! Another shiny new gadget! What could possibly go wrong, besides, you know, everything?

From the New York Times yesterday:

Oakley, the eyewear company, makes a $600 ski goggle that comes with a warning in the package: Do not operate product while skiing.

Zeal HD camera goggles allow athletes to make videos.

It is an admonition that should be taken with a grain of salt, said Chris Petrillo, a product manager at the company. Of course, he said, the digital goggles are meant for skiing and snowboarding.

“Welcome to the world of lawyers and litigation,” he said.

But maybe the lawyers are on to something.

There are lots of people out there that like to make fun of warning labels, often because they are placed in silly places and say silly things. Like a bag of peanuts that warns it may have been produced in a plant with nut products.

Perhaps Chris Petrillo is one of them. The Oakley lawyers see a dangerous product and then the company laughs at its own lawyers. Because, you know, the lawyers are all just a bunch of chuckleheads. Who would really listen to what the lawyers are saying, right?  Wink. Wink.

So here’s the deal, the article describes a wave of new goggles and sports glasses coming out that give real-time feedback to the participants, right there in the glasses. Video, text messages, phone, the whole enchilada.

But if you are skiing, running, biking, etc., then real time data is exceptionally difficult to receive and process because you are actually engaged in a high octane activity that requires your senses. Even listening to music on an old time Walkman or modern equivalent can be dangerous when used in outdoor sports — a widely ignored warning — as it can distract and disconnect the listener from the environment.

This is not an improvement over a quick glance at the watch, as one industry participant claims in the article. Your eyes still have to refocus to the image and then refocus again to your immediate surroundings.

I wrote about this previously with Google Glass and the dangers of distracted driving. Distracted skiing/biking/running may be slightly less dangerous, but if you’re the person that gets hit by the skier this will not be a consolation.

Want to stick a Go-Pro camera on your chest or helmet to film your family and friends? No problem. Want to put text messages in the users field of vision while they are moving? Big problem. Big problems indeed.

Hospital number crunchers will love this stuff as it will bring in more injured. The goggle company lawyers? Well, they probably get paid by the hour, so perhaps they like it too. Unless, of course, they actually want to protect the company, in which case they aren’t too pleased.

Share

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewYorkPersonalInjuryLawBlog/~3/9GtPmSkZqcw/ignoring-the-lawyers-sports-glasses-edition.html

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Asbestos & Mesothelioma Litigation Part 7: What to look for in law firms who handle Asbestos Lawsuits

In part 7 of our 8-part Asbestos Litigation series, Asbestos & Mesothelioma attorney Doug Rothschild talks about the attributes that a good asbestos law firm should have, and what people seeking an asbestos lawyer should look for.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheKCRLegalPersonalInjuryPodcast/~3/muZZa6J2T1s/11_4-13_DARAsbestosPodcast-part7.mp3

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Car crash results in debilitating knee fracture

On Feb. 18, 2012, the plaintiff was driving home from work when the defendant drifted into her lane, causing a violent collision. The plaintiff was diagnosed with a comminuted fracture of both the patella and the ulnar shaft. She immediately underwent knee surgery, during which hardware was put in place to reconstruct the comminuted fragments. [...]

Source: http://masslawyersweekly.com/2013/05/23/car-crash-results-in-debilitating-knee-fracture/

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Boston Marathon Bombing (And the Lives We Lead)

Boston Marathon logo 2015I wish I could say that I was shocked by the explosions that rocked the Boston Marathon on Monday. But I wasn’t . Appalled, disgusted, and cringing for others, yes, but shocked, no.

Since 2001 I have long expected that a major road race would eventually be a target. It is, quite frankly, too easy. A 26.2 mile race course is unsecurable. Boston’s marathon has 500,00 spectators and New York has two million. Those spectators are a large part of what makes such events magnificent pieces of urban theatre.

Do the risks of such events mean that we should not create them or participate?

In 2001 the fires were still burning at the wrecked World Trade Center when 25,000 runners stormed over the Verrazano Bridge to start New York. I was one of them. If not for the attack, I would have deferred my entry due to injury. But the thought of canceling vanished from my mind when I learned the race was going forward; it was better to run slowly than not run at all.

Each of us, runner and spectator alike, knew back then that we wore bulls eyes on our shirts. Yet the crowds were as large as I’ve ever seen. It was important to both commemorate those that had been killed as well as the vitality of lives that we had.

If we want to live in a free society we have to accept such risks. The alternative is unacceptable. Since the September 11 attack I’ve run a dozen races with fields of 15,000+  in New York, Boston and Washington DC, the last of which was the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in the capital last week.

The only acceptable response is to continue on with life, to enjoy what you enjoy doing. Cowering is not an option. I don’t believe that the families of those killed and those injured would want to cede freedom to fear.

Boston Marathon finish line in the winter.
Photo credit: Me.

One point on the bombing that I did want to mention: Unless there was a certain significance to the date, I  think New York might have been the original target and that after the race was canceled due to hurricane Sandy the attack was moved to Boston.Why? Because the bombs went off at 4:09 into the race. (That time is based on the first of three waves of runners, each 20 minutes apart.)

While 4:09 would be ahead of the mid-pack of New York (average time in 2009 was 4:24), it is the back end of the pack for Boston runners. That is because the vast majority get into Boston based on strict qualifying times (average finishing time in 2010 was 3:50), while New York stresses a more democratic lottery system. One of the great allures of Boston is not just its age, but the fact that it is merit-based.

Those in the back of the pack, the ones mostly affected here, were running for charities or sponsors, who didn’t get in based on the swiftness of their legs.

The timing of the bombs is significant because they not only affect those in the immediate vicinity (mostly spectators), but they create city-wide chaos since an army of people are still running toward the spots when it happens.

Attacking the back of the Boston race is much different than attacking the front of New York. While in Boston 17,000 had already finished the race from a starting field of 23,000, in New York most would have been behind the bombing and the starting field would have been almost 50,000. Instead of six thousand Boston runners, it would have been tens of thousands of New York runners. Trying to stop such an event on the fly is a daunting concept, to say the least. And reconnecting each of these people to items that they had checked in bags at the start (hotel keys, car keys, phones to connect with family, money for transportation, etc.) would be a logistical nightmare.

On a final note, the graphic I choose to use here is not one of blood and fear, but a simple photo of the finish line that I shot in December 2008 out the hotel window of the Charlesmark Hotel that sits over the finish line. I wish to remember the excitement that leads up to running one of these races and to remember Boston as I had run it the first time.

Some psychotic(s) want to affect the rest of us by terrorism. But I’m not interested in losing my fond memories, or stopping the creation of new ones.

Remember those killed and injured. Honor them in a manner that you believe is appropriate. Then lace up the sneakers and go for a run, and live the life that you want to lead regardless of those that wish to stand in the way.

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Thursday, 30 May 2013