Posted on April 29, 2014 in Uncategorized

The Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse is currently one of the most popular toys available. Fisher-Price markets the toy as the perfect companion to help babies sleep. When the stuffed animal is hugged, its belly glows and it begins playing lullabies. The company recommends the product for children between the ages of six months to four years old.

However, despite reports of the stuffed animal smoking and even one report of the toy actually catching on fire, Fisher-Price refuses to issue a recall. There are currently over two dozen complaints on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) SaferProducts website. In addition to the formal complaints to the CPSC, many online websites that sell the product have hundreds of negative reviews written by parents who purchased the toy and had similar experiences to those who have filed complaints. Parents have complained about the battery chamber heating up and smoke coming out of the coils. This appears to be a frequent occurrence when the batteries are changed, although many incidents occurred randomly, without a change of batteries.

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 Posted on April 25, 2014 in Uncategorized

According to statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vehicle crashes were the number one cause of accidental deaths for children 14 years and younger in 2012, with 1,100 lives lost. Another 176,000 children were injured. Sadly, despite increase use and awareness, many of those young victims were not restrained in child seats properly.

The CDC numbers show that infant car seats reduce the risk of death in car crashes by 71 percent for infants. The risk for toddlers, ages 1 to 4 years old, is reduced by 54 percent when properly restrained in child safety seats. For children ages 4 to 8, booster seats can reduce their risk by 45 percent.

The CDC also recommends that children under the age of 12 always sit in the back of the vehicle. Airbags that go off can kill a young child. It’s also critical that a rear-facing infant car seat never be placed in the front seat or in front of an airbag. The safest place for the child to be buckled in is the middle back seat.

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 Posted on April 22, 2014 in Uncategorized

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there were 460 fatalities of people riding motorcycles or scooters in accidents on Texas roads in 2012. That was done from the 488 fatalities in 2011. But that is still too many losses.

Texas has implemented the ‘Share the Road’ campaign as a way to remind all drivers to be aware of motorcyclists and urges everyone to ‘Look Twice’ while on the road. TxDOT urges drivers to keep checking your mirrors for motorcycles and always use turn signals. And if you are driving near a motorcycle, remember to give them enough space, allowing them enough time to react if traffic situations should arise.

The TxDOT also offers safety tips for motorcyclist. The agency urges all riders to wear a helmet and other protective gear. They recommend driving with your headlights on at all times and at safe speeds. Also try to avoid the center of a lane as this is where oil and debris build up, which could be dangerous. Whether you are a brand new rider or an experienced one, take a motorcycle riding course to help reinforce safety rules and techniques.

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 Posted on April 19, 2014 in Uncategorized

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning that some at home, over-the-counter (OTC) wart removers may be flammable.

The products remove the warts cryogenically – meaning the warts are ‘frozen’ off. But several of these products have caught fire, causing injuries to the consumers using the product and also causing damage to property. The FDA says that since 2009, it has received 14 complaints of the wart remover catching fire. These products contain propane and dimethyl ether gases, both highly flammable gases. The products’ labels warn consumers not to use the products near an open flame or cigarettes. And although three of the complaints the FDA received did have a candle in the vicinity of the remover, the other 11 complaints of fire were unable to identify what the source of ignition was. However, a spokesperson for the FDA says that many people do not realize that household items such as curling irons and hair straighteners, can actually throw off enough heat to cause a fire. Ten people who filed complaints reported injuries of blisters, skin burns, and redness and singed hair. The brand names this product is sold under are Compound W, Dr. Scholl’s and Wartner. It is also marketed under many generic store brands. Instructions for use include taking the nozzle of the pressurized dispenser and pressing it, releasing the product onto an applicator.

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 Posted on April 15, 2014 in Uncategorized

There’s no doubt that being involved in an airplane accident can be one of the most harrowing experiences of your life. While many victims feel a big sense of relief from surviving a crash or other in-flight incident, some victims may continue to suffer from chronic pain long after the accident is over. Following are some of the most common types of accidents and incidents that can impact a passenger.

Minor accidents involving turbulence or the opening of the overhead baggage area can have big repercussions. Nearly 4,500 accidents happen every year involving overhead baggage compartments, which can fly open during flight. According to a NATO report, the heavier the items in the overhead compartment, the more serious injuries may be. With baggage fees going up at many airlines, more passengers are cramming their carry-ons full of items, making it all the more dangerous for passengers sitting underneath the heavy luggage.

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 Posted on April 10, 2014 in Uncategorized

A new study titled “Measuring Sprawl 2014” finds that those living in highly populated areas reap many benefits including longevity, better health status, and more economic mobility. The study scored urban sprawl throughout 221 metropolitan locations and found that among other indicators, city dwellers were less likely to die in car accidents.

Using scores developed out of factors like proximity to business and people, the size of local street networks, the land use mix, and development density, researchers compared that data with quality of life measures like chronic disease, safety, obesity, and the cost of living.

Living in the city showed promising results for helping people succeed in life: every 10 percent increase in density was connected to a 4.1 percent increase in the chance that children born in the lowest part of the nationwide income distribution would move up the ranks to the top 20 percent by age 30.

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 Posted on April 07, 2014 in Uncategorized

The National Safety Council (NSC) has just released its 2014 edition of Injury Facts®. According to the NSC, Injury Facts provides “the most current occupational, motor vehicle, home, community, state and international injury statistics on deaths and nonfatal injuries and their costs.

The NSC has been publishing the guide annually for over 90 years as a resource for government, employers, businesses, public safety officials and public health officials to identify the leading causes of injuries in an effort to help reduce those numbers.

This year’s edition reveals that accidental poisoning, especially from prescription painkillers, was the leading cause of death in almost 20 states and Washington D.C. This is in direct correlation to the increase in drug fatalities. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show that 100 people a day die from drug overdoses.

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 Posted on April 03, 2014 in Uncategorized

Nissan has announced a recall of approximately 1 million vehicles because of issues with front passenger side airbags not inflating in crashes. According to the company, both 2013 and 2014 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are affected by what appears to be a defect in the software that controls the airbags.

The models being recalled include:

• 2013-2014 Nissan Altima;
• 2013-2014 Nissan Leaf;
• 2013 Nissan NV200;
• 2013-2014 Nissan Pathfinder;
• 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra;
• 2013 Infiniti JX35;
• 2014 Infiniti Q50; and
• 2014 Infiniti QX60 .

Nissan reports that the issue may be the occupant classification system in the cars are not detecting a passenger in the seat. Therefore, when a crash occurs, the airbag doesn’t deploy. The manufacturer says the problem occurs when “a combination of factors such as high engine vibration at idle when the seat is initially empty and then becomes occupied” and also says it can happen if someone sits in the seat with “unusual” posture.

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 Posted on March 31, 2014 in Uncategorized

According to a report by ABC 17 News, at least 12 people are dead due to a flaw in the ignition switch of certain General Motors vehicles. More than 1.6 million vehicles are affected by the flaw. Even worse, the families of the victims are still in the dark because the identities of the 12 victims have not yet been revealed. The CEO of GM conceded that the families of the victims were not yet aware of the deaths when she was part of a media roundtable in Detroit on Tuesday.

This case is a vivid reminder of the stakes when manufacturers of consumer goods, including cars, allow defective products onto the marketplace.

The Scope of the Flaw

In a statistics report released by GM, it is revealed that the ignition switch flaw resulted in approximately 31 frontal accidents in addition to at least 12 deaths. GM previously admitted that they were aware of particular problems with the ignition switch in small cars around 2004, yet the 1.6 million cars with the faulty switch were not recalled until last month.

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 Posted on March 27, 2014 in Uncategorized

The warmer weather comes with barbeques, pool parties, baseball games, and summer vacations. But the spring and summer are also filled with another trend that Texans enjoy far less–road construction. The past few years in particular have seen a surge in local capital projects, planting construction work zones throughout some of the busiest roadways in the state. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) explains that this is the time of year when it is easiest to work with construction materials that depend on temperature, such as concrete and asphalt. At any given time there may be over a thousand work zones throughout the state.

While these projects are critical to expanding travel options and improving safety, the actual construction process itself is a well-known driving hazard. TxDOT officials report that each year there are thousands of accidents and injuries. In fact, some years have seen more than a hundred deaths annually in construction zone accidents. Considering the risks, safety advocates urge Texas residents to act cautiously whenever driving in or near a construction zone. Data suggests that the most common cause of auto accidents and injuries in works zones is speeding drivers. This is why these areas should have very clearly posted lower speed limits. It is also why law enforcement officers often crack down on moving violations in construction zones, with ticket prices increased for the offense. In recent years, distracted driving has also played a role in construction zone accidents. According to TxDOT data, a shocking 70 percent of work zone fatalities were connected in some way to either drunk or distracted driving. Work Zone Accident Liability Auto accidents that strike in construction zones often include unique legal issues. That is because there is always the chance that third parties may be implicated in the accident in addition to the drivers involved. For example, signage placement may be confusing or incorrectly used, maintenance equipment could be used dangerously or left in the line of traffic, or construction cones or barriers can be moved accidentally, also leading to collisions and other accidents.

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