Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

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.

3) Use extra caution on the water. Many people take their boats out for Independence Day or head out swimming. If you do go swimming, make sure that you have someone with you in case you get fatigued or ill in the water. Swim in designated swimming areas. If you take your boat out, make sure everyone has a life vest on and only head out on the water if you are completely sober.

4) Don’t drink and drive. Across the country, police forces will be monitoring the roads more carefully for drunk driving and other traffic violations. Unfortunately, the 4th of July weekend often means more drunk driving arrests, in part because so many people are heading out to gatherings and driving home when they have been drinking. If you go out, make sure that you take a taxi or alternative form of transportation if you have been drinking. If you are hosting an Independence Day event, do not allow your guests to drive under the influence.

5) Use caution when drinking. Whether you are setting off fireworks, driving, taking your boat out on a lake, supervising swimmers, having a bonfire, or taking part in any other 4th of July activity, staying sober will allow you to do all these activities safely.

For many of us, slip and fall injuries are nothing more than a simple embarrassment. We dust ourselves off, look sheepish, and walk away. For some of us, though, a simple slip and fall could lead to a serous brain injury. The greatest risk of falling, in fact, is that you will hit your had on the way down.

The tricky thing about brain injuries is that they range widely. Some people who sustain a brain injury get a mild concussion that can be managed with medical supervision. Others sustain a more serious injury that results in a large hemorrhage and a fatality. Researchers have now found that head injuries are a main cause of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, so we might not even see the effects of a brain injury for many years to come.

Force obviously affects how serious your brain injury is. If you fall very suddenly and do not break your fall, your head may hit the ground with greater force and you may sustain a more dangerous brain injury. If you fall from a greater height – from a roof or ladder, for example – your fall will reach a greater velocity and you will hit the ground with more force, causing a worse injury, potentially. Where you fall will also make a big impact. Falling so that your head hits the pavement or a rock will generally mean a more severe brain injury than falling on grass.

In addition to force, where you hit your head can affect the severity of a brain injury. If you fall on the back of your head, you are less likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury because your neck protects your head from stretching or moving about too much. If you hit your head face-first, your brain will move in a back-and-forth motion in your head. It can crash up against your skull and get damaged, but generally a more serious head injury involves being hit on the side of the head. When this happens, your brain moves side to side or even twists slightly in the skull, and this can cause deep tears in the brain. As well, when you hit your head straight on, your brow bone, forehead, and nose absorb some of the impact. This is not the case when you sustain an impact on the side of the head.

No matter where you have been injured, if you have hit your head hard, you should seek medical help. If you have lost consciousness, have blurry vision, are having trouble staying awake, have a severe headache, are having balance problems or have any other serious symptoms, get emergency help. Otherwise, visit your doctor for a check up as soon as you can. Even if you have no symptoms, you may have a mild concussion that needs supervision.

If you are experiencing many falls, you are at an increased risk of brain injury. Don’t wait until you experience a severe concussion – or worse. Visit your doctor to find out what the problem is. You may have a condition that can easily be treated or you may be taking medication that makes you unsteady on your feet. Either way, your doctor can help you stay safer by offering you options.

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:

1) Know how to avoid lightning if you're stuck outside during a storm. If you hear thunder outside, try to move inside. Buildings that are completely enclosed and have plumbing and wiring offer the best protection from thunder. Tents, porches, picnic shelters, sheds, and temporary buildings are not a good place to hide during a thunderstorm. If you cannot find a building, stay inside of a metal vehicle with a hardtop. Close all the windows. If you cannot get to either a building or a car, stay away from open areas. As well, stay away from tall towers, utility poles, and tall trees that are away from other trees. Lightning will generally strike the tallest object in any specific area. Avoid being the tallest object and don't stand near a tall object. Get out of the water if you are swimming or boating and avoid any metal objects, including fences or wires.

2) Stay alert about the weather. During the summer, listen to the forecast. If you are planning an outdoor activity but thunderstorms are predicted, consider rescheduling or moving your event indoors. If you see flashes of lightning, increasing wind, and darkening skies, it can mean that a thunderstorm is on the way. Stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities if at all possible.

3) If you're outside, evaluate how close the lightning is. If you hear thunder and see lightning, count the period of time between the lightning and the thunder. Thunderstorms that have a window of 30 seconds or less during these two events can be dangerous because they're close enough to injure you with lightning. Go indoors or find a shelter and wait until the thunderstorm passes. You should wait at least 30 minutes after the last lightning flash before re-emerging outdoors.

4) Practice safety indoors as well. Just because you're indoors, that does not mean that you are completely safe from lightning. People are injured indoors during thunderstorms all the time. Electrical equipment and wiring as well as plumbing can conduct electricity from lightning. For these reasons, use only cell phones and cordless phones if you need to speak on the phone during a thunderstorm. Do not use a corded phone unless there is no other option. Avoid using sinks, showers, or bathtubs during a thunderstorm, since water pipes can conduct electricity from lightning. Avoid wiring and electrical devices as well.

Many families choose to move into a new home during the summer, before the school term starts. If you and your family will be moving this summer, be aware that moving day can be not only hectic, but also brings with it some unique dangers. Before you disconnect your utilities and before you head for your new home, consider these moving-day tips to keep everyone safe:

1) Hire movers who are insured and bonded. Hiring non-professionals may be less expensive, but if someone gets injured on the job, you and your insurance may be responsible for any personal injuries and medical bills. Also, if your items arrive damaged, you may not have much recourse unless your movers are properly insured. Check references and insurance carefully.

2) Keep children away from movers and moving trucks. Movers will be carrying large boxes, which can reduce their field of vision. Small children can be accidentally stepped on or can cause movers to fall. Never let your children play where the movers are doing their job and always keep children well away from the moving professionals. Moving trucks are also large and have many blind spots. Never let children play outside when moving trucks are pulling into or off of your property.

3) Consider placing all items to be moved in one room. This will help reduce the number of stairs movers must climb. At the very least, carry all the light and smaller boxes into the room closest to the door. This way, movers will have to carry fewer items over long distances.

4) Be certain to remove all small objects from the floor before the movers arrive. If you have small toys or objects (such as packing tape or scissors) on the floor, there is a chance that someone – either the movers or someone in your family -- will slip and fall on these items. By the time the movers arrive, everything should be packed or at least out of the way.

5) Do a quick sweep before you move to make sure that there are no slip and fall accident dangers. Whether you are moving yourself or getting movers, check the path you or the movers will have to make from each item to the driveway. If there are any obstructions, remove them. Even a single overlong branch can lead to an accident. If there are stairs or any hazards that cannot be removed, make sure that you mark them clearly if you have hired movers.

In the summer, injuries to minors and children are more common, since children are out of school and often taking part in more activities outside the home. Summertime should be a wonderful time for children, and you can ensure that your child has a wonderful and safe summer by being wary of these common summertime injuries:

1) Pedestrian accidents. Pedestrian accidents injure many children and minors each summer, simply because there are more children on sidewalks and roadways. Always teach your children how to cross the street properly and if you children are playing outside, make sure that they play well away from the street area. You don’t want a child running into traffic to follow a lost ball or Frisbee.

2) Boating accidents. In the summer, as many families get out their boats for the summer, boating accidents become a serious concern. The best way to prevent boating accidents is with prevention. Ensure that everyone in your boat wears the correct safety gear and make sure that all children are wearing life vests that are properly fitted. Teach your children to swim. If it has been a while since you have taken a boating safety course, consider taking a refresher class.

3) Car accidents. Car accidents are all too common in the summer, as many more people are on the road, taking children to summer camps, summer programs, and on trips. When driving with children, give your children some activity so that they do not distract you from driving. Use common sense on the road and drive only when you are able to give your full attention to the road.

4) Sports injuries. Many children play sports in the summer, and this can mean sports-related injuries such as broken bones, head injuries, scrapes, and bruises. It’s important to make sure that children are wearing the right safety equipment for their sport at all times. If an injury does occur, make sure that it gets evaluated right away. A simple bump on the head may mean a concussion and can lead to serious injury if untreated. If your child is injured during a sport, make sure that he or she recovers completely before playing the sport again.

5) Burn injuries. Bonfires at night and electrical wires can pose a hazard in the summer. Teach your children to avoid electrical wires at all costs and teach your child fire safety. Many fire departments offer fire safety demonstrations – call your local station to find out if such an event is planned for your area. If you plan on having bonfires, make sure that children are carefully supervised as they toast marshmallows and sit close to the fire.

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.

Continue reading "Avoid Personal Injury When Opening Your Cottage or Vacation Home" »

Outdoor decks are a common feature on most homes. Unfortunately, they are also an increasingly common issue in hospital emergency rooms. In the past five years alone, about 30 deaths and 300 personal injuries have been linked to decks and experts expect that number could grow. Most homeowners do not realize that decks have an expected life span of 10 to 15 years. Decks have been a popular feature of homes for about two decades now, so many decks out there are past their prime, and many homeowners do not realize the dangers lurking in their own backyards.

As decks age, the wood supports can weaken and rot, eventually leading to collapse. In some cases, pests may get into the wood and compromise the structure of a deck. Boards can become loose and nails and screws may rust or fall out. Unless a homeowner checks their deck carefully, however, these changes and dangers may not be obvious until it is too late.

According to the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory at Washington State University, deck accidents are very preventable. Professional, licensed home inspectors, for example, can quickly tell a homeowner whether a deck is safe or whether it needs some repairs to be safe. If it has been a few years since your deck was installed, call a qualified inspector. New safety codes may be in place that make parts of your deck obsolete.

Most experts also agree that if you buy a new home, you should have the deck carefully inspected before you step out on it. Many decks are DIY projects and while many homeowners build perfectly safe and sound decks, construction varies widely. If the previous homeowner knew little about building but wanted to quickly put together a deck to make the home more attractive to buyers, you could be in trouble if you assume that your deck is safe.

An unsafe deck can cause anything from skin injures (caused by splinters or undismayed pieces of wood) to serious, permanent injuries. If the deck collapses while you are on it, you could sustain brain injury, broken bones, spinal cord injury, and other serious injuries. If your deck is made from certain pieces of pressurized lumber, it could pose a hazard to your health. If someone else is injured on your deck, you could be held liable. It pays to exercise caution.

Even if your deck was safe last year, you still need to inspect it carefully. The ground under the deck may have eroded, causing the deck to shift. Pests might have moved into the wood or under the deck. Moisture from rains and weather might have caused pieces of wood to rot. In some cases, dry weather can cause the wood to crack. When checking your deck, look for corrosion, rot, loose nails or connections, and cracks. Any one of these may be a sign that it’s time for a professional inspection.

Florida has many water parks and theme parks offering water rides and slides. While these can be a great deal of fun, they can also pose dangers to children. Although all water parks take precautions to prevent injuries, brain injuries, dental injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other injuries are still a risk. Here’s how to keep your child safe at water parks:

1) Read the warning signs and follow them. The warning signs are there for a reason, so make sure that you read any warnings and follow them exactly. If certain clothing items are required, for example, make sure your children are wearing the right gear. If children are not allowed to stand up in a water ride, make sure they remain seated.

2) Make sure your children wear proper shoes near water slides and rides. Shoes should have good treads, since water parks inevitably have many slippery areas as water gets splashed everywhere. Encourage your children not to run near water slides and rides, where splashed water may make some surfaces slippery.

3) Only allow your children on water slides that are feet-first. Going down slides head-first puts your children at risk of dental damage and brain injury. Ensure that your children always slide down feet-first.

4) Pay attention to age and weight limits. Again, there are reasons for these limits. It may be useful to research a park before you go, to ensure that many slides and rides are available for your child. That way, your child won’t be disappointed to find many rides closed to him or her.

5) Encourage your children to take frequent breaks. Take regular breaks in the shade and make sure your child drinks something and reapplies sunscreen during these breaks. Breaks are important to ensure your child does not get too tired and does not develop cramps. Hydration can help prevent heat-related illness.

6) Have your children shower and bathe thoroughly after a trip to the water park. Although water parks have chlorinated water, all public places have germs, and water parks are no different. Make sure your child bathes thoroughly after a trip to the water park and dries off carefully – especially between the toes.

Summer is a time when many of us host events, have friends drop by and have work done on the house. All this can mean added visitors to your home, which means that now is a good time to re-evaluate the safety of your property. If a delivery person, worker, post office employee or other visitor to your home sustains a personal injury, has a slip and fall accident, or has an accident, you could be held responsible.

Many of us assume that we only need to worry about premises liability in the winter, when less natural light and wetter conditions increase the likelihood of accidents. However, summer also has its unique hazards which can result in injuries and legal problems. More outdoor work and play can mean that more objects are left around the yard. Insects can set up nests on your property. Dogs are often relegated to the outdoors in the summer, where they can pose a risk for visitors.

There are, however, several things that homeowners can do to ensure that their homes remain safe and welcoming throughout summer:

1) Regularly clean your yard, walkway, and driveway of tripping obstacles and leaves. Remove leaves quickly, as they can get very slippery after a summer shower. Get in the habit of removing toys and tools from your yard when you head back indoors. Before retiring for the evening, make it a habit to look over your property to make sure that there are no tripping obstacles.

2) Make sure that painted stairs and asphalt have traction strips. Traction strips are available at your local hardware store and are important, since painted stairs and asphalt can be very slippery.

3) Trim back tree branches and hedges. Be especially vigilant about thorny or sharp hedges that jut out into walking areas. Also, regularly check for overhead tree branches and for hedges and plants that grow over a walkway and pose a tripping hazards.

4) Remove bee and hornet nests from your property. Be especially careful about nests that are near entranceways, stairs, and walkways. An unsuspecting visitor can brush by a nest and unleash a swarm of stinging insects, which can be dangerous. For small nests, most hardware stores have kits. For larger nests, professional exterminators might be needed.

5) Keep dogs restrained. Keep your dog on a leash, especially if you know there are visitors, postal workers or other people coming to your property. Take your dog to obedience classes and keep your dog’s vaccinations up to date. Dog bites are a serious summer risk.

Your pool can be a place of fun and relaxation, but it also poses hazards. In addition to the potential for drowning, pools also pose a slip and fall danger. As any child knows, wet surfaces are slippery, and pools often are surrounded by water caused by inevitable splashes. Slipping and falling by the pool can lead to brain injuries, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and other serious injuries. Here’s how you can prevent pool-side falls:

1) If your pool springs a leak, have it cleaned right away. A leaking pool creates many slick surfaces, all of which pose a slip and fall hazard. Close off the pool area until the leak is fixed.

2) Do not permit running in the pool area. Children, especially, can get carried away by the pool and can run by the pool. Running increases the odds of slipping significantly, so have everyone be a little more careful around the pool area.

3) Consider having no-slip adhesives or strips added to the poolside. These strips are sold at most hardware stores and many pool supply stores and are relatively inexpensive. They don’t prevent slip and fall accidents, but they do provide extra traction near the pool.

4) Post signs near your pool about dangers. Signs advising “no running” and listing pool safety rules are a good reminder for your family and are useful when visitors come over for a swim. Posted pool safety rules tell everyone how to stay safe while having fun.

5) Clean up the pool area after swimming. Water drips from swimmers and most swimmers create splashes in the pool. As a result, the surrounding surface of a pool is often quite slick. After you have finished your swim, mop up the extra water to prevent injuries.

6) Place a solid fence and gate around your pool. Keep the gate locked whenever the pool is not in use. This can prevent someone from wandering into your pool area and injuring themselves.