Articles Posted in Personal Injury

It’s hot out there and we’re seeing temperatures well over 90 degrees. To help to keep everyone cool, Mayor Thomas M. Menino recently announced that he would be keeping the city’s 16 public indoor pools open even longer. According to the City of Boston, the pools will now stay open until 9:30 p.m. Boston’s two outdoor pools with still be closing at dusk for safety reasons. Residents are also welcomed to cool off at several water spray features throughout the city that are operated by Boston Parks Department — or in air conditioned community centers.

“Keeping pools open later this evening will help our residents find a few more hours of relief on this dangerously hot day,” said Menino.

Boston personal injury attorneys understand that there are a plethora of safety concerns and dangers that accompany this heat we’re experiencing. According to the Mayor and Boston’s Elderly Commission, seniors are to take extra safety precautions in this heat. Young kids and our elderly residents are particularly at risk for a heat-related injury or illness during this time. Still, residents of all ages are urged to keep an eye on how long they hang out outside. You should drink plenty of water and stay away from alcohol of caffeinated beverages.

“A lot of the calls are coming in as minor illnesses because a lot of folks don’t realize that they’re dehydrated,” said Captain Jose Achilla with Boston EMS.

Help to Beat the Heat:

-Limit strenuous activity when working outside.

-Wear sunscreen.

-Wear loose clothing.

-Wear light-colored clothing.

-Take frequent breaks and rest in the shade.

-Consider taking cool showers of baths whenever possible.

-Stay in air conditioned areas whenever you can.

-Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of heat-related injuries and illnesses.

“No doubt, summer temperatures are here,” said Mayor Menino.

Typically, close to 200 people die every year because of heat stroke. If there’s a major heat wave, the number of deaths can increase to over 1,500 people. Many times, victims of heat injuries don’t even recognize the symptoms until it’s too late. You might be experiencing a heat injury, illness or heat stroke if you have a throbbing headache, if you get dizzy, light-headed, have red, hot and dry skin, if you get nauseous or weak, experience cramps, seizures, behavior changes, lack of sweating or even notice an increase in your heartbeat. If you notice any of these symptoms you’re to remove yourself from the heat, cool off immediately and drink water or Gatorade. If you don’t feel better immediately, call authorities.

Residents are asked to be cautious of the weather, cautious of their internal temps and cognizant of the welfare of loved ones and neighbors. We can all work together to get through this heat wave safely, it just takes a group effort. It’s important to especially keep an eye on your elderly loved ones and the young ones in your life as they’re the most vulnerable in these kinds of situations.
Continue reading

A recall of fresh cheese in the New York City metropolitan area stems from concerns that it may be tainted with Listeria.

Our Massachusetts food poisoning lawyers understand that the announcement came recently from New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine, who said that while no illnesses have been reported, listeria is a dangerous organism. Failure to recognize and treat it can result in personal injury or even wrongful death.

It stems from a routine inspection from the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services back in late June at the Woodhaven wholesaler, Mexicali Cheese Corp. on 87th Street. The manufacturer was notified that the test results preliminarily came back positive. The manufacturer in turn voluntarily recalled the cheese.

The cheese is packaged in a hard, plastic tub with the plant number 36-0128 and a code of 071512. All packages with these codes are affected, and they would have the following product names: Acatlan Queso Fresco, Fresh Cheese, Mexicali Queso Fresco Mexicano and Mexican Style Fresh Cheese.

While there haven’t been any reports of illness, Listeria can be fatal. Formally, it’s known as Listeria monocytogenes. It’s a bacteria that occurs in contaminated food.

As with almost any food borne illness, those primarily affected are pregnant women, newborns, older adults and adults who have weakened immune systems.

For example, a newborn can become sickened with Listeria poisoning, known as listeriosis, if his or her mother consumed it while pregnant. If you’re healthy, you may be able to eat a food contaminated with Listeria and never even know it or display any symptoms of illness.

It’s these risk groups, however, who must be especially cautious.

If you’re pregnant, you might experience some flu-like symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But these infections can lead to premature delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth or a life-threatening infection of your baby.

Those who aren’t pregnant are generally going to experience fever and muscle aches. If it’s serious, it will involve headaches, stiffness in your neck, confusion, dizziness and convulsions.

According to the CDC, certain foods are particularly prone to Listeria contamination – most of them raw. These include processed meat (think deli meat or hot dogs), soft cheeses and smoked seafood. Unpasteurized milk and cheese are among the most likely foods to contain the bacteria.

Listeria is usually killed in the cooking process, but if you should know that when you consume certain ready-to-eat foods, your chances of getting spike because contamination can happen between the food being cooked in the factor and being processed. Plus, unlike a lot of other bacteria, Listeria can thrive in your refrigerator.
Continue reading

“Even though fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts, unfortunately every Fourth of July we usually see at least a few fireworks-related injuries,” said Dr. Paul Biddinger with the
Massachusetts General Hospital.

The bottom line is that fireworks are dangerous, even sparklers. Unfortunately, there are still thousands of people who are injured in firework-related accidents in Boston and elsewhere. In 2011, there were more than 9,000 people who were injured in these accidents. Another 4 people were killed by fireworks during the year. About 70 percent of these accidents occurred during the 30 days neighboring the Fourth of July. This year, residents are asked to be safe, be cautious and to leave the firework displays to the professionals.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that Massachusetts’ state law forbids all private citizens from having or using fireworks. In the state it’s also illegal to transport legally obtained fireworks, this means into or out of the state. Because of these laws, the rate of related injuries and hospital visits resulting from fireworks is nearly 5 times lowers than the country’s average, according to the Boston Globe.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), most of the injuries from fireworks each year are caused by sparklers, accounting for nearly 20 percent, and firecrackers, accounting for another 15 percent. About 25 percent of all of these accidents and injuries occur to individuals who are under the age of 15. Regardless, people of all ages should be careful when they’re around fireworks. Accidents happen when people aren’t paying attention.

“Consumers need to heed our warning: fireworks related incidents, especially those involving illegal fireworks, can be fatal,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum
If you’re venturing out on a Fourth of July vacation and your plans include fireworks we’re asking you to be safe, to be responsible and to use common sense. To help you, we’re offering you some firework safety tips from the CPSC.

Firework Safety Tips:

-Young child should never be allowed to handle fireworks.

-Never purchase fireworks that come in a brown paper bag. This is a sign that they may have been made for professional firework displays and ultimately could be very dangerous for you.

-Never place any part of your body directly over a firework device when lighting it.

-If a firework doesn’t light don’t attempt to relight it.

-Never point or throw fireworks at anyone.

-Always keep water nearby, whether from a hose or in a bucket.

-Never shoot fireworks off from a metal or glass container.

-Never use fireworks in areas where they’re illegal.

For a list of firework displays in and near the Boston area, you can visit the Boston Central website. Many towns celebrate on different dates and at different times, so it’s easy to find a display to fit your schedule.
Continue reading