Zumba Sports Injuries Skyrocket
With the rush back to the gym in January, the cardio-dance fitness trend Zumba is more popular than ever. More than 12 million people participate in classes every week and this has led to an increase in Zumba sports injuries. Orthopedic surgeons and hospital emergency rooms see Zumba related injuries on a weekly basis. New Zumba participants should be aware of the risk of injury in the sport as well as how to protect themselves.
Zumba Sports Injuries Skyrocket
There are several reasons for the increase in Zumba sports injuries:
Read MoreFrozen Lake Accidents: What to do if you Fall Through the Ice
Frozen lakes present a draw, particularly to children and men who revel in outdoor activities such as ice skating and snowmobiling. Sadly, frozen lakes are an accident waiting to happen; public officials should work to raise awareness about their dangers through advertisements and signage located at main access points. Every year there are tragic deaths after someone slips through a thin spot on the ice and rescue attempts fail.
Read MoreTop 12 Christmas Safety Tips
Christmas is here! The hustle and bustle of people coming in and out of your home creates opportunities for Christmas accidents. Avoid a Christmas accident by following some basic Christmas safety tips. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 15,000 people were admitted to the Emergency Room for holiday decorating injuries alone in November and December, 2012. Many Christmas accidents involve falling from ladders while hanging lights, cuts from stepping on broken ornaments or burns from cooking or candle fires. Alcohol causing impairment is also responsible for its share of Christmas accidents.
Read MoreHanukkah Safety Tips
Hanukkah is the festival of lights and in this case, lights equal fire. In the last decade, dozens of fires have broken out in homes as a result of candles being lit unsafely. Even one candle lit unsafely can cause a big fire. Oil fires from frying latkes and other foods are also a potential fire and burn safety hazard during the holiday of Hanukkah.
Read MoreFrozen Lake Safety Tips
A frozen lake can be a great outdoor skating or hockey rink, snowmobiling surface, ice fishing spot or just a beautiful place for a walk. It is really important to understand, however, that there is no way to know for sure that the lake is frozen enough all the way around. A snow dusting on top of the ice can add to the illusion that the lake has frozen deeply. Most people evaluate the safety of frozen ice by gauging ice thickness, the daily temperature, water depth under the ice, and snow cover. The safety of frozen ice is also dependent on water depth under the ice, the size of the water and water chemistry, currents, and distribution of the load on the ice. (more…)
Read MoreWinter Sports Kills 40 Annually
Winter sports are a huge draw in the cold regions of North America. Every year, however, winter sport accidents cause the death of over 40 people on the slopes and injure thousands more. The 2011/2012 winter season saw 54 skier/snowboarder fatalities out of 51 million participants but the average annual fatality rate is 41.5. The rate of snow winter sport injuries is 2 to 3 per 1,000 participants, much higher than for other sports.
Read MoreTop 5 Snowmobile Safety Tips
The snowmobile was invented as a way to move people and supplies in areas where a lot of snow prohibited the use of conventional vehicles. Snowmobiling is now a popular North American winter sport pursued by more than two million people annually. Today’s snowmobiles are heavy, weighing in at more than 600 pounds with the ability to travel faster than 90 miles per hour. Sadly, each year more than 200 people die and 14,000 people are injured in a snowmobiling accident.
Read MoreTop 10 Christmas Decorating Safety Tips
Christmas is full of traditions including Christmas decorating, food, parties, stockings hung on the mantle, and Christmas trees. You and your loved ones should be able to enjoy the festivities without fear of an accident and trip to the emergency room. (more…)
Read MoreTop 10 Slip & Fall Tips in Snowy & Icy Conditions
Winter is almost here but the temperatures are already dipping well below freezing. Snow and ice are always a possibility once the cold weather has arrived. A slip on snow or ice can mean serious injuries including fractures, dislocations and bruising to the wrists, shoulders, and ankles. There is the potential for medical care costs and/or lost wages due to time off of work. If you have slipped on ice or snow on someone else’s property you may be wondering if you can sue for damages. Slip and fall personal injury laws vary from state to state but if you have experienced a legitimate slip and fall injury do not hesitate to pursue an injury case against the property owners.
A slip and fall injury case falls under premises liability. Premises liability is an area of negligent torts that holds a public or private property owner responsible for acts or omissions in care of their property that lead to an injury. A slip and fall accident that happens on private property is typically a more complicated case.
An owner of a store, for example, owes a duty of care to his customers that he will use all reasonable care to protect his customers from injury on the store premises.
Common hazards that can lead to valid slip and fall accidents include:
- A wet floor without proper warning signage
- Products stacked high on a shelf that fall on the customer
- Broken doors or shelving
- Boxes stacked in the middle of a shopping aisle
- Icy or snowy parking lots*
*In Washington, store owners are not legally required to remove snow and ice that are naturally accumulated but if they choose to remove it, it cannot be done in a negligent manner.
Top 10 Slip & Fall Safety Tips in Snowy & Icy Conditions
A slip and fall on snow or ice can cause a serious injury, especially if you fall on concrete. Winter months can see a ten-fold increase in emergency room visits due to outdoor slip and fall accidents in icy conditions. Be aware that black ice is hard to see so a surface can look clear when it isn’t and that many slips and falls happen on front steps to your house or while walking a path to your car.
If you can, just stay home but if you are forced to go outside follow these 10 safety tips:
1. Walk with slow, deliberate, short steps with your knees slightly bent; do not jog in the ice!
2. Wear shoes with rubber soles or add shoe ice grippers around your shoes.
3. Wear bright clothing and reflective clothing if it is dark.
4. Bring a flashlight to light the path if it is dark.
5. Do not wear anything on your face that could restrict your vision.
6. Walk with your hands out of your pockets and wear gloves so you will be more likely to break your fall if you do slip.
7. Watch for overhead dangers such as hanging icicles.
8. If provided, use a handrail when descending or ascending steps.
9. Walk on a footpath or if there isn’t a footpath then walk on the right side of the road toward oncoming traffic.
10. Consider using a walking stick or ski pole.
If you or a loved one were injured in an accident, you have enough to deal with. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times bigger with the help of a lawyer. Call the caring accident attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. today for a FREE consultation! You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
Read MoreThanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips
When we think of Thanksgiving most people picture a big, juicy turkey, stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes. A great meal is at the heart of Thanksgiving Day and that means plenty of time spent cooking in the kitchen. With extra people in the house, more alcohol consumed, and multiple cooking elements going at once, it’s no wonder that cooking fires are almost double that of any other day. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries on Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving Day is the number one day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment. Thanksgiving Day home fires are particularly dangerous as they cause more property damage and claim more lives than home fires on other days.
Cooking Safety Tips For Thanksgiving
Kids love to help in the kitchen which makes it especially important to follow good safety procedures while cooking. Even if you have no children around, it is still important to stay vigilant about Thanksgiving cooking safety.
- Stay in the kitchen while your stove burners are on to keep an eye on the food.
- Do not leave your home while a turkey is in the oven and check on it often.
- Keep children at least three feet away from the stove.
- Keep kids away from hot food and liquids.
- Be cautious around steam or splashing water from cooking vegetables, gravy, or coffee as it could cause serious burns.
- Offer activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during cooking. Keep the kitchen floor clear of toys and bags to avoid a tripping hazard.
- Check that electric cords from an electric knife, mixer, coffee maker, or plate warmers are not dangling off the counter where a child could grab them.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working. You can test them by pushing the test button.
Deep-Fry Turkey Safety Tips
Deep frying a turkey can be particularly dangerous if proper safety procedures are not followed. Observe these safety tips to avoid a house fire:
- Deep fry the turkey outside, a fair distance from the house and never under an enclosure.
- Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and dry when placing it in the fryer (oil and water don’t mix).
- Keep animals and kids away from the deep fryer for their own safety and so they don’t accidently knock it over.
- Do not drink or do drugs; you will need all your wits about you.
- Do not use too much oil as many accidents occur when excess oil spills over the pot.
- Oil should be no more than half an inch above the turkey.
- Turn off the fryer immediately if any smoke appears.
- Never leave a fryer unattended.
- Center the pot over the burner.
- Raise and lower the turkey slowly to reduce the chance of splatters and burns.
- Make sure your skin is completely covered when you deposit, check on or remove the turkey.
- Check on the oil temperature frequently.
- If a fire ignites, call 911 immediately. DO NOT attempt to extinguish the fire with water.
If you or a loved one were injured in an accident, you have enough to deal with. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times bigger with the help of a lawyer. Call the caring accident attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. today for a FREE consultation! You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
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