2010 February Archive

On January 20, 2010, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of 1.5 million Graco Children’s Products strollers after several reports of stroller hinges severing children’s fingertips. According to a report by the CPSC, the hinges on the canopy of the stroller have the potential to cause lacerations when opened or closed. There have been five reports of severed fingertips and two of fingertips being cut.

The Graco strollers were sold at major retailers including WalMart, Toys R Us and Target from October 2004 to December 2009. Consumers who own Graco Children’s Products strollers are advised to stop using the product immediately.

“It is long past time to re-evaluate our consumer safety procedures and make the needed improvements,” stated a CPSC representative.

This is the second major stroller recall in recent months. In November, the CPSC recalled one million strollers made by Maclaren USA Inc after similar incidents of hinges severing fingers. Following these two recalls, the CPSC stated that it would conduct a comprehensive review of all children’s strollers.

Toy and product defects can cause serious harm to children. The manufacturers of defective products are responsible for alerting consumers if there are any dangers associated with the use of their products. If an unsafe product has injured your child, you may be eligible to recover medical expenses and other financial losses incurred. Contact the San Fernando Valley product liability attorneys at the Mandell Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation. Our attorneys provide care and commitment for victims of accidents or wrongful death resulting from dangerous and recalled products as well as all other product liability cases.

Source:http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-strollers21-2010jan21,0,409322.story

Last week, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill that would require minors under the age of 18 to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding. Similar to California’s bicycle helmet law, parents of minors will be fined no more than $25 if their children are not wearing helmets. The California Ski Industry Administration, an organization that represents ski resort operators in California and Nevada, is in support of the bill.

“California’s ski slopes are perhaps the last area of recreation where we do not have basic safety standards in place for children,” said Yee. “Despite repeated warnings from public health experts, professional athletes, and ski resorts, each winter brings news of hundreds of unnecessary tragedies for the failure to wear a helmet. With this legislation, we can significantly reduce instances of traumatic brain injury or death for such a vulnerable population.”

Half of all skiing deaths are a result of head injuries. Helmets reduce the incidence of traumatic brain or head injuries by 29 to 56 percent. According to the Federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 7,000 head injuries that occur on U.S. ski slopes may be reduced in severity by helmets. Fifty-three percent of ski or snowboard related head injuries in children under 15-years-old are addressable by the use of a helmet.

If you or a loved one has suffered a head or brain injury because of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to recoup compensation. The Northridge personal injury attorneys at the Mandell Law Firm have experience in dealing with head, brain and spinal cord injury and offer hands-on care and commitment to victims. Call today at (818) 886-6600 for a free and confidential consultation.

Source:http://sandiegonewsroom.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40152:slippery-slope-ski-helmets-may-soon-be-mandatory&catid=49:california&Itemid=50

A former emergency room physician from Los Angeles was sentenced to five years in jail time for an accident with two cyclists on Mandeville Canyon Rd. in July 2008. The doctor deliberately slammed on his car brakes just moments after passing a pair of cyclists, causing one to smash into his rear window and the other to fall onto the curb pavement. The victim who slammed into the vehicle’s rear window had his nose sliced off and lost several teeth, while the other victim suffered from road rash and a separated shoulder.

In November 2009, a judge found the driver guilty of numerous charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury, reckless driving causing specified bodily injury and mayhem. The doctor reportedly had “exchanged words” with the cyclists after sounding his horn at them. He had told a traffic investigator that he “passed them up and then stopped in front to teach them a lesson.” The judge calls the case a “wake-up call” to motorists and cyclists and urges city authorities to build more bike lanes.

A bicyclist is fatally injured every six hours in the United States. Cyclists, unfortunately, face serious dangers on the roads of Southern California. If you, or a family member, have suffered personal injury from a bicycle accident, you may be able to recoup compensation for medical expenses and other losses. Contact the experienced San Fernando Valley bike accident lawyers at the Mandell Law Firm to learn more about your rights and for a free and comprehensive consultation.

Source:http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/la-doctor-jailed-for-road-rage-attack-on-cyclists-24570

According to a story from the L.A. Times, cheerleading has become a demanding and high-risk sport. Several studies done by the Journal of Athletic Training indicated that 89% of fall-related injuries in U.S. cheerleading had been from attempting stunts or pyramids. Eighty-five percent took place during practice and 51% occurred amid high schoolers. Although no deaths were reported in the study, the risk of concussion and head injury is still relatively high.

One of the more interesting aspects of the study was based on the practice surfaces and how they relate to head injuries and trauma. The critical height of a surface material is dependent on the highest point a person can fall without sustaining a life-threatening head injury. Apparently mats and spring floors that are four inches thick and rest on foam floors can absorb impacts for level two stunts (some tumbling and tosses) and had critical heights over 10.5 feet. For outdoor practice areas, high grass and wet soil provided better absorption and critical heights.

Head injuries from cheerleading can change a person’s life. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that, since 1980, cheerleading injuries requiring emergency attention have increased nearly six times to 30,000 in 2008. Symptoms of head trauma include confusion, headaches, nausea, un-reactive pupils, numbness in extremities, or loss of consciousness.

If you or someone you love has suffered a brain injury, you may be able to file a personal injury claim and recoup financial expenses for medical bills, medications or other financial hardships incurred due to the injury. Contact the Mandell Law Firm in Northridge, CA for a free consultation with an experienced San Fernando Valley traumatic brain injury lawyer. Call (818) 886-6600 today.

Source:http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/12/the-risky-business-of-cheerleading.html