Are Senior Drivers Safe on the Road?
In 2009, there were more than 33 million licensed drivers over the age of 65 in the United States and that number is likely to grow as our population ages. On average, 500 senior drivers are injured in car accidents every day. According to the NHTSA, “on the basis of estimated annual travel, the fatality rate for drivers 85 and over is nine times as high as the rate for drivers 25 through 69 years old.” In addition, older people made up 9 percent of the population in 1997 but accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and 17 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.
Per mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase starting at age 75 and increase considerably after age 80. Although this is largely due to a higher susceptibility to injury and medical complications among older drivers, age-related declines in vision and cognitive functioning as well as physical changes do affect some seniors’ driving abilities.
Do Driving Skills Actually Decline with Age?
In general yes they do but declines don’t affect every senior personally. With that in mind, we cannot simply say that anyone over a certain age cannot drive.For those whose skills do decline towhere they are a danger to themselves and others, caregivers can expect a difficult situation. Many elderly drivers become defensive or even angry when they are told that they are no longer safe to drive. The decision may come down to their medical doctor or the department of licensing.
How Does Aging Affect the Abilities of Senior Drivers?
The physical and mental changes that come on as we age can diminish the abilities of senior drivers:
- A slower response time
- A decrease in vision and/or hearing skills
- A loss of muscle strength and flexibility
- Drowsiness due to medications
- A reduction in the ability to focus or concentrate
- Lower tolerance for alcohol
Tips for Elderly Adults to Stay Fit for the Road:
- Exercise regularly to increase strength and flexibility.
- Ask the doctor or pharmacist to review medicines (both prescription and over-the counter) to reduce side effects and interactions.
- Get eye exams at least once a year. Wear glasses or corrective lenses if required.
- Drive during daylight hours and in good weather.
- Find the safest route with well-lit streets, intersections with left turn arrows, and easy parking.
- Plan the route ahead of time.
- Leave a large following distance behind the car in front of you.
- Avoid distractions such as loud music.
The bottom line is that we should be compassionate to our parents’ desire to maintain independence through driving but equally aware of changes in their ability. If you believe that your elderly parent or patient is experiencing medical or other problems due to aging that could impair their ability to drive safely you should address the issue right away; involving their medical doctor if necessary.
If you or a loved one were injured in a car 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 two to three times bigger with the help of a lawyer. Call the caring accident attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. today for a FREE consultation!
Read MoreIs Mom Still Safe to Drive?
Most North Americans depend on cars to get us around; driving gives us independence and freedom. The problem is that as we age our motor skills, vision, and response times can deteriorate, making us a danger to ourselves and others. Many families agonize over the decision to take their parents’ car keys away and most are met with resistance. How do you know if your elderly parent is still safe to drive?
Signs of Elderly Driver Decline:
- Drives either too fast or too slow for the road and traffic flow
- Relies on passengers for line of site questions
- Responds too slowly or doesn’t see bicyclists, pedestrians, or other drivers on the road
- Ignores, disobeys or misunderstands traffic lights and street signs
- Stops being able to gauge the distances between or approaching cars
- Doesn’t yield to others that have the right of way
- Seems drowsy, confused, or frightened, or easily angered or frustrated
- Drifts across lanes or bumps into curbs
- Forgets to turn on headlights after dusk
- Seems to be having a lot of near accidents or is having car accidents
- Lacks the strength to turn the wheel quickly in case of emergency
- Gets lost on the road, even in familiar areas
- Has difficulty maneuvering their neck, head, or shoulders while driving or parking
- Experiences night blindness when glare from oncoming headlights or streetlights appears
- Ignores needed mechanical repairs
If you can identify one or more of these issues in your elderly parent, suggest they be assessed by their medical doctor as they may be unfit to drive.
Caregivers Should Look at These Medical Issues:
- Has the elderly person had a physical exam in the last year to test reflexes, vision, and hearing?
- Have they been diagnosed with any medical illness that could affect their ability to drive?
- Has a physician recommended that they stop driving?
- Are they on any medications that could make them drowsy?
- Have they reduced their alcohol intake to compensate for a decreasing tolerance?
- Have they had a serious fall in the last year?
- Do they have difficulty climbing a flight of stairs or walking more than a city block?
Easing into Decreased Driving Ability
Just because your elderly parent is experiencing declines in their abilities doesn’t mean that they have to give up driving all together:
- Stop driving at night
- Only drive in familiar areas
- Avoid highways and rush hour traffic
- Leave plenty of time to get to destination
- Don’t drive alone
The AARP (the American Association of Retired Persons) sponsors a program called the 55-Alive Mature Driver Program, which helps older people deal with issues such as compensating for vision problems associated with aging. And, the Association for Driver Rehabilitation offers referrals to specialists who teach people with disabilities, including aging drivers, how to improve their driving. Some states, including Washington, offer seniors a discount on car insurance in exchange for taking a safe driving course each year.
If you or a loved one were injured in a car 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 two to three times bigger with the help of a lawyer. Call the caring accident attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. today for a FREE consultation!
Read MoreTexting and Driving Deemed Six Times More Dangerous than Driving Drunk!
Texting and Driving has been in the news a lot the last few years but despite the media coverage, social campaigns, and changes in law enforcement many people continue to text and drive. This year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that driving a vehicle while texting is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated and that it has now replaced drinking while driving as the leading cause of car accidents among teenagers. Texting while driving causes over 3,000 deaths and 330,000 injuries every year according to a study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.
Texting and Driving Facts
- One quarter of teenagers admit that they respond to a text message while driving at least once every time they drive while 20 percent admit to sending and receiving multiple messages per trip.
- 47 percent of adults admit to texting while driving and 10 percent admit to sending and receiving multiple messages per trip.
- Reaching for a phone, dialing or texting are a serious distraction to your primary task: driving. These sub-tasks increase the risk of getting into a crash by three times.
- Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds; while driving at 55 miles per hour that is like driving the length of an entire football field, blind.
- 11 percent of all drivers under the age of 20 who were involved in a fatal car crash were distracted while driving. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted while driving.
- For drivers 15-19 years old involved in fatal crashes, 21 percent of the distracted drivers were distracted by their cell phones.
- To date laws against texting while driving are not proving effective: in states with anti-texting and driving laws, fifty-seven percent of teenage boys admitted to texting and driving, compared to 59 percent in states with no texting law.
- By texting and driving you are 23 times more likely to crash your vehicle.
The question is what can we do to stop people from texting and driving? We know that over the years, less people are drinking and driving which can be attributed to public service messages, strict laws and enforcement, and increased social stigma. Cell phone manufacturers could do their part through advertising and developing apps that restrict texts and calls from coming in when it detects the phone is in a moving car.
Lawmakers have been pushing for tougher distracted driving laws including increased fines for talking or texting on a cell phone and stricter measures for repeat offenders. A survey conducted by NHTSA found that 90 percent of drivers support laws that ban texting while driving; 80% support a ban on e-mailing while driving; and almost 75% believe that restrictions should apply to all drivers, not just specific groups such as teens.
If you or a loved one were involved in a car accident, please don’t fight your insurance company alone. Do not underestimate the ability of an accident attorney to get the job done: the Insurance Research Council found that insurance payouts to clients are 3.5 times higher to those who hired an accident attorney. Call the experienced accident lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. to setup your FREE CONSULTATION today!
Read MoreHow Safe Are Convertibles?
What is the Danger of a Rollover Accident in a Convertible?
The truth is that the real danger is being involved in a rollover car accident at all. Statistically, 20 percent of car crashes with a fatal outcome involve a vehicle being overturned while only five percent of car accidents involve a rollover. This translates to a very high rate of car accident deaths from a small percentage of vehicle rollovers. The main reason that a rollover is so dangerous is the risk that passengers will fly out of their seats; clearly this could happen easily if the person is not wearing a seatbelt. Many cars are now built with padded roofs to help protect the head should they be released from their seat in a rollover accident but this doesn’t help passengers in a convertible. A person ejected from their seat in a convertible vehicle is likely to receive very serious or life threatening injuries.
In some convertibles, the passengers are the second tallest objects in the vehicle which means that if the taller objects like the windscreen and A-pillars are damaged in a crash, the passengers’ heads are vulnerable to damage. Car manufacturers such as BMW, Citoren and Saab have been working to make improvements to convertible safety both by reducing the likelihood that a passenger will be ejected from their seat (by building seatbelts right into the seat) and by improving protection for those who do leave their seat.
BMW installs a hidden rollover safety system in its 325Ci that includes high-strength bars that spring up in less than 110 milliseconds if the vehicle overturns. It also has a strengthened windscreen surround that is less likely to buckle under pressure in an accident.
Citroen has made its own safety improvements to the C3 Pluriel. The structure is very well reinforced, with roof arches, windscreen pillars and rear seats all being given extra strength so that the car is less likely to crumple if a rollover occurs. The head restraints also have integral rollover bars that work together with reinforced seats to provide a virtually crush-resistant area.
Saab uses a pop-up protection system in its 9-3 convertible, similar to the one used in the BMW. The safety system is called the DynaCage and when a heavy impact is sustained or the sensors on the car detect that it may roll over, bars built into the seats pop up behind the head restraints. It also has a reinforced windscreen frame, sills and A-pillars for a strong body structure.
The reality is that the odds of being in a rollover car accident are very low and even if you are riding in a convertible, there have been many safety improvements made to help keep you safe. The best thing you can do to avoid a serious car accident injury is to pick a model with adequate safety features, drive defensively, and always wear your seatbelt!
If you or a loved one were involved in a car accident, please don’t fight your insurance company alone. Do not underestimate the ability of an accident attorney to get the job done: the Insurance Research Council found that insurance payouts to clients are 3.5 times higher to those who hired an accident attorney. Call the experienced accident lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. to setup your FREE CONSULTATION today!
Read MoreU.S. Car Accident Deaths on the Decline!
After a disturbing uptick in car accident deaths in 2012, U.S. traffic deaths fell by 4.2 percent during the first half of 2013, according to early figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Accident related highway deaths had been on a sharp decline for most of the last decade before reversing course in 2012 with a 4.4 percent increase. Despite the decline in 2013, the federal safety agency still estimated that 15,470 people died in all forms of motor vehicle crashes between January 1 and June 30. This number accounts for all car accident deaths nationally including motorcycle deaths for the first half of the year. Additionally, some states have seen their car accident death rates decrease while others have seen increases.
This welcome ebb in car accident related deaths actually comes as a surprise to government officials who had predicted an increase in fatalities as the economy improves and there are more cars on the road during rush hour. Officials are studying the reasons for this outcome and possible factors include:
- Crackdowns on impaired and distracted driving.
- Increased awareness of the effects and consequences of impaired and distracted driving.
- Improved car safety systems such as better vehicle and airbag designs.
- New technologies such as the electronic stability control now required in all new vehicles and further improvements to collision avoidance systems.
Studies will likely show even more reasons for the rate of accident death decline but whatever they are, it is good news. If this trajectory holds, road deaths will have taken a 26 percent nose dive since 2005 and an even more staggering 40 percent decline since their peak in 1972 with 54,589 deaths. It wasn’t so long ago on the late 1970s that more than 50,000 Americans were dying in car accidents every year and it took until 2008 before the number dropped below 40,000.
Despite the overall good news, there are some serious concerns over the rise in motorcycle deaths in 2012 (The NHTSA has not yet provided numbers for 2013). Sadly, despite the direct correlation between decreased helmet use and increased deaths more states are taking a “freedom” approach and reversing motorcycle helmet laws. For example in Michigan, motorcycle deaths rose an alarming 18 percent in 2012 after ending their helmet law in April. The overall trend doesn’t look good either as motorcyclist fatalities have more than doubled since the mid 1990s to almost 4,550 last year. According to a report by fairwarning.org biker groups backed by major motorcycle manufacturers are advocating for or against the following laws in Washington:
- Repeal State helmet laws.
- Implementing a rule that would prevent the NHTSA from providing any more grants to states to conduct highway stops of motorcyclists to check for safety violations such as wearing helmets that don’t meet federal standards.
- Preserve a rule to prevent the NHTSA from communicating safety measures at the state and local levels, in place since 1998.
- Derail a measure to reinstate financial penalties for states lacking helmet laws.
This lobbying on Capitol Hill has caused downward pressure on state legislators who have begun repealing helmet laws in alarming numbers. Compared to the late 1970s where 47 states had helmet laws, only 19 states do today. Although Washington State does not have a bicycle helmet law it does require helmets for Motorcycle riders.
Helmets save lives! The NHTSA estimates that helmets saved 1,483 lives in 2009 and that 732 deaths could have been prevented if all riders had worn a helmet.
Automakers and automotive safety equipment manufacturers would like nothing more than to eliminate all vehicle deaths in their vehicles and equipment but it is unclear how this would ever be accomplished. In the mean time, safety advances are real and getting better every year.
If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a car accident the last thing you need is to be negotiating with your insurance company for a settlement. An experienced car accident attorney will identify the particulars of your accident and get the best settlement possible for your case. Call the car accident lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. today!
Read MoreKitchen Safety Tips to Avoid Kitchen Accidents!
Kitchen fires kill about 480 Americans in kitchen accidents every year. These fires also injure almost 5,000 people and cause $724 million in property damage. The reality is that we all need to eat and most of us use our kitchens to prepare meals and snacks multiple times per day. Fires are only one part of the danger; over 100,000 people rush to an emergency room from a scalding accident, by far the most common kitchen related injury. Other accidents involve sickness from bacteria living on kitchen surfaces including counter tops, the sink and cutting boards. Shockingly, the average cutting board has 200% more fecal bacteria than a toilet seat. It takes only ten bacteria to make a person sick and the average kitchen sponge or cloth carries 134,630 bacteria! Your kitchen faucet alone houses more than 13,227 bacteria. Often, children are victims of kitchen related accidents as they do not understand the dangers of sharp knives or boiling water and reach up to grab something interesting off the counter. The bottom line is that the kitchen is one of the most dangerous places in your house.
Kitchen Hazards Include
- Leaving the stove on
- Defective appliances
- Wet or otherwise slippery floors
- Hot oil
- Electrical outlets
- Sharp knives/graters
- Fires/smoke inhalation
- Bacteria
- Toxic fumes/chemicals
There are kitchen accidents that are truly the fault of the victim due to carelessness but there are situations where a third party caused the accident and should be held liable. An electrical shock, smoke or chemical fume inhalation, a serious cut or burn can all be deemed damage worthy personal injury, depending on the circumstance. Whether you were on the job or simply cooking for your family, a personal injury attorney can wade through the particulars of your case and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Kitchen Safety Tips
Knives:
- Store knives in a knife block
- Never leave a knife unattended near the edge of a counter
- Don’t cut with dull knives
- Always watch where you are cutting
- Always cut away from you
- Don’t rush
- Keep a first aid kit close by
Storage:
- Keep sharp and breakable items safely away from children
- Close cabinets and drawers after you retrieve your item
- Don’t overstuff cabinets
- Install child safety locks on cabinets
- Keep plastic bags out of reach of children
Cooking:
- Keep children out of the kitchen when using the stove or oven
- Turn frying pan handles toward the inside of the stove
- Use a burner that is the same size or smaller than the pot or pan
- Clean oven regularly to avoid fires
- Keep a fire extinguisher handy
- Monitor oil closely and don’t use too much
- Avoid wearing loose fitting clothing and pull back long hair
- Replace appliances with frazzled cords
- Don’t yank cords out of the socket
Food Poisoning:
- Wash utensils, cookware and containers with warm, soapy water
- Don’t keep leftovers for too long
- Don’t keep freezer food for too long
- Don’t leave food on the counter, cooked or raw
- Clean up spills right away
- Clean your sink with soap regularly
- Wash your kitchen cloths regularly and let them dry out in between uses
- Don’t cross contaminate raw meat utensils and cutting boards with those used for vegetables
Whether you were injured in a kitchen accident as an employee or at home you could be eligible for damages due to employer negligence or a defective product. Contact an accident attorney at Tario & Associates, P.S.. We will assess your situation and fight for the compensation you deserve!
Read MoreSports Injuries
Exercise is an important part of staying slim and keeping our heart healthy. The trouble for some people is finding an activity that they enjoy and are therefore more likely to keep doing. For many, a sport seems to be the perfect solution: you can socialize and play to get fit. According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report, however, sports injuries among baby boomers increased by 33 percent from 1991 to 1998 and cost $18.7 billion dollars in medical expenses in 1998 alone! Baby boomers are more active than their parents but this has come at a cost. There were about 276,000 Emergency Room visits for sports-related injuries in 1991 compared to more than 365,000 in 1998. If you include injuries not treated in a hospital the number jumps to a few million! In 2006, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) reported over half a million injuries just for basketball. Another two million injuries were associated with bicycling, football and other sports.
People should be aware of the risks of riding a bicycle. There are more deaths from head injuries that occur while riding a bike than from any other sport. Most bicycle injuries and deaths occur because of a head on collision with a car, particularly in times of heavy traffic, poor visibility due to bad weather and distracted driving. Non-fatal bike injuries include feet caught in spokes, head injuries from falling and slipping while carrying a bike. Drowning while swimming and crashing while skiing are the causes of the next highest number of sport related fatalities. Swimming without a lifeguard present puts people at risk if an unexpected cramp or other difficulty crops up that suspends their ability to swim. Deaths from skiing accidents are usually caused by a high speed crash into a tree of rock.
The game of basketball produces the most injuries of all group sports. Perhaps a factor is the sheer number of people who play basketball for recreation but the jumping and physical aspects of the sport cause opportunities for sports injuries. Players often trip and fall while running and jumping or crash into other players. Blocking the ball under the basketball net puts your eyes and face at risk without any protective equipment. Common basketball injuries include cut hands, broken fingers, sprained ankles, broken legs and eye and forehead injuries.
Other group sports such as Lacrosse, Rugby, Football, Soccer and Baseball have their share of injuries too including broken bones, chipped teeth, dislocated shoulders, twisted knees, facial cuts, strains and sprains.
It has been in the headlines a lot in the last couples of years: Football causes a lot of head injuries. Head Injuries can have long-term effects particularly when there was a loss of consciousness. Other symptoms can crop up as well including headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, irritability and memory loss. Long term the brain damage caused by concussions can increase your risk of strokes, paralysis, headaches plus reduced concentration and mental clarity. It is smart to avoid sports that put you at risk of head injuries including soccer, boxing, ice hockey and of course, football. Helmets and other protective equipment can lessen the impact of a hit to the head but it’s not a guarantee.
If you or a loved has been injured in a sports related accident you may be eligible for compensation. It is always best to seek professional advice from an accident attorney; the experienced accident lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. are here to help. Call us today for a consultation!
Read MoreAvoid a Christmas Accident! Tips to Keep your Christmas Merry and Bright!
Most people look forward to Christmas but there are a surprising number of Christmas accidents associated with the holiday. 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. Injuries have been growing in the last few years; many of the accidents involve falling from ladders while hanging lights, cuts from stepping on broken ornaments or burns from cooking or candle fires. The hustle and bustle of people coming in and out of your home also creates opportunities for Christmas accidents.
Most of the 250 daily accidents that occur could be avoided with some careful planning and caution. Apart from the obvious risks of drinking and driving, alcohol can be a contributing factor in all kinds of Christmas accidents and should be avoided until you are “off duty”. Clean up glasses with leftover alcohol to avoid kids picking them up and taking a drink.
Tips to Avoid a Christmas Accident
Cooking Hazards
- Be careful of splashing hot fat, boiling water and sharp knives while preparing your holiday feast.
- Keep other people (especially children) out of the kitchen if possible.
- Wipe up spills as soon as they happen to avoid slipping and falling injuries.
Stairs
- Clutter from gifts, luggage and people moving around can create a potential fall hazard.
- Keep the stairs well lit and clear of debris that create obstacles.
Opening and Assembling Presents
- If using a knife to open a package, move cautiously to avoid a cut.
- Be careful not to trip and fall over toys and cables strewn on the floor.
- Use a screwdriver to assemble toys when necessary. (Using scissors instead is a common cause of stabbing and cutting oneself).
- Clear away packaging and wrapping paper quickly to avoid a slipping hazard.
Christmas Trees
- Every year hundreds of people are injured while decorating their Christmas tree.
- Use a step stool to decorate the top of the tree.
- Buy a tree that fits in your space so you don’t have to saw off the top and risk a bad cut.
- Keep your tree well watered so it doesn’t dry out and become a fire hazard.
Christmas Lights
- Hundreds of people are injured by Christmas lights every year.
- Common injuries include people falling while installing lights, children swallowing the bulbs, and electric shocks or burns from broken or faulty lights.
- Test your lights before installing them and if they are old, consider replacing them. The new ones meet higher safety standards.
- Don’t overload sockets; it’s a fire risk
Decorations
- Keep glass and small decorations away from toddlers and crawling babies.
Fires
- Deep fried Turkeys cause about 4,300 house fires during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
- People are 50% more likely to die in a house fire over Christmas than at any other time of year.
- Be careful with candles and never place them on a tree. Never leave an open flame unattended.
Christmas Plants
- The much sought after Christmas plant mistletoe is beautiful but poisonous; the berries contain toxic proteins that slow the heart rate and can cause hallucinations.
- Orange Christmas cherries can cause stomach pains.
- The Christmas rose causes severe diarrhea.
- Check with the garden center to find out if you’re buying a plant with poisonous berries and either skip it or keep well away from pets and children.
Indigestion and Food Poisoning
- Make sure that any meat you serve is fully cooked by using a meat thermometer.
- Be careful not to overeat to avoid indigestion. Wait ten minutes after a serving to see if you are still hungry.
If you have been injured in a Christmas accident you may be wondering if there is compensation available. The personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. will help you determine if you have a legal case and move forward to claim your money. Call us today for a consultation!
Read MoreAvoid a Christmas Decorating Accident!
The holidays are here! Twinkling lights, Christmas trees and indoor and outdoor decorations are all a special part of celebrating Christmas but you should know that decorating accidents cause thousands of injuries every year. Before you hang your Christmas lights or setup that giant Santa in the yard, you should be aware that about 12,500 people are treated in the emergency room every year for cuts, falls, and electric shocks thanks to holiday decorations. Christmas trees are behind about 300 house/building fires annually, causing 10 deaths, 30 injuries and more than $10 million in property loss and damage. There are some things you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe while still enjoying the festivities.
Tips from the CPSC to Make Your Holidays Safer
Christmas Tree Safety Tips:
- If you choose an artificial tree, it should carry a label saying “fire resistant”. Check for it before making the purchase. This means that the tree is not likely to catch fire and if it did the flames would extinguish quickly.
- If you choose a real tree, be aware of its freshness. A fresh tree has more moisture and is less likely to catch fire. Clues to look for are green needles that do not pull out easily or break easily when bent. The trunk end should be sticky with resin and when you tap it on the ground, needles should not be falling off in high numbers.
- Setup the tree a safe distance from fireplaces or radiators. Keep candles away from the tree.
- A fresh tree should have plenty of water in the base.
- Never block a traffic area or doorway with a tree.
Christmas Lights Safety Tips:
- Buy only lights with fused plugs.
- Every year and before using a new set of lights, check for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires or loose connections. Throw out any strands with damage. Replace burned-out bulbs but be sure they are of the same wattage.
- Never use more than three strands of lights (standard size) per extension cord.
- Never use electric lights on a metallic tree as the tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights and a person could be electrocuted from touching a branch!
- Outdoor lights need to be certified for outdoor use; check the box!
- Fasten outdoor lights securely in place with insulated staples or hooks, not nails or tacks. Light strands flapping around in the wind can become damaged and dangerous.
- Always turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house as the lights could short out and start a fire.
- Plug outdoor electric lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). If necessary, portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold.
Christmas Decorations Safety Tips:
- Use plastic or non-leaded metal ornaments to trim your tree.
- Although it used to be done, you should never use lit candles as tree decorations.
- If you have small children old enough to grab ornaments off the tree, keep the ones with small, removable parts or that are breakable high up and out of reach.
If you have been injured in a Christmas decorating accident you may be wondering if there is compensation available. The accident lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. will help you determine if you have a legal case and move forward to claim your money. Call us today for a consultation!
Read MoreAvoid a Deep Fried Turkey Accident this Thanksgiving!
If you haven’t had a chance to try deep fried turkey for Thanksgiving then you are missing out. The fact is that deep fried turkey has soared in popularity over the last decade and it has been the cause of many thanksgiving accidents. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), about 4,300 house fires are started on Thanksgiving every year, accounting for 15 deaths and almost $27 million in property damage, many of them due to deep fried turkey accidents. Interestingly, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that most turkey frying accidents occur while the oil is being heated, before the turkey is even in the fryer.
Safety Tips for Deep Frying your Turkey
- 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 have been injured or suffered other damages because of a faulty deep fryer, you may have a legitimate defective product liability claim. If you are not sure whether you have a case, it would be helpful to be familiar with the basics of proving product liability.
The specifics in the law differ from state to state but in most places you need to prove all the following “elements” in order to win your case:
You were injured or suffered losses. For example, you were splashed with scalding oil and burnt badly while deep frying your thanksgiving turkey. You suffered a lot of pain, had to go to the emergency room for treatment and it cost time and money.
The product is defective. The simplest angle to prove is that there was something actually wrong with the deep fryer such as a manufacturing error that caused the oil to get too hot or leak. Although this could be a much harder point to make, you could also try to prove that the product was manufactured according to design but that the design itself is flawed and thereby caused your injury. You could also have a case if the product’s package lacked reasonable warnings about its potential dangers. This, however, could also prove to be difficult in the case of a deep fryer which is meant to get very hot.
The defect caused your injury. You will not win a case by showing that you were injured while using the product; you need to prove that the defective product caused your injury.
You were using the product as it was intended. You must have been using the deep fryer in a reasonable manner for cooking your turkey.
It is always tricky to prove a defective products claim and the law varies from state to state. It would be in your best interest to contact an experienced product liability lawyer if you get injured while deep frying your thanksgiving turkey. The experienced product liability attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. are here to help; call us today!
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