Archive for November, 2009

Auto accidents, especially when speed is involved, can cause serious orthopedic injuries and fractures. Comminuted fractures are serious injuries to a bone where the bone is crushed,  splintered, or broken into three or more pieces. Comminuted fractures can be complicated to repair, and can be very painful. The site around the fracture will frequently be swollen and weight bearing will be painful or impossible. . Repair of a comminuted surgery may require a combination of pins, plates,  and screws. When our clients have experienced a comminuted fracture, we contact their physician early and closely track their recovery and rehabilitation. We have represented dozens of people with these kinds of injuries and know that early action is critical in order to make a fair settlement.

Over a half million pounds of ground beef have been recalled due to an outbreak of  e coli poisoning from ground beef distributed by a packing company in western New York. E coli is a bacteria that can cause nausea, vomiting, bloody stools, cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Complications can include  fatigue, weakness and kidney failure. Children may develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This is a condition that is life threatening. Ground beef in Tennessee comes from many states – hopefully none from this packer, but the point is that e coli poisoning is potentially life threatening, especially to children. If your child develops signs of food poisoning after eating ground beef, get them to the hospital and have them tested for e coli and treated appropriately. Often the tainted meat is the result of “grinding”  of scraps and meats from several slaughterhouses, none of whom will agree to have their meat, trimmings or scraps tested. Legal claims for e coli poisoning are based on unsanitary handling practices, and in some cases violations of a companies own safety practices.  For a detailed review of how e coli gets into ground beef, click here.

Car crashes and auto accidents where children are involved can be catastrophic. In a study published in Pediatrics, researchers studied more than 7000 crashes and found that children who were in a booster seat were 45% less likely to be injured than children who were in seat belts alone. The greatest reduction in injuries was in side impact collisions. While the overall reduction in injury risk was 45%, for nearside collisions the use of a booster seat reduced injury risk 68%. Booster seats are required (in most states) for children between the ages of 6 and 8. This study suggests that there is no difference (from a safety performance standpoint) between booster seats that have backs and those that do not have backs. Some older children in this range may think a backless booster is more acceptable than a booster that may resemble a child seat for a younger child. While your 6-8 year old may want to be “grown-up” and just use a seat belt, it is clearly a choice they should not be allowed to make. For information about child seat guidelines and airbag risks to children, click here.