Injuryboard Commentary - holiday

Gift Cards... Buyer Beware.

Mike Bryant — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:15:00 GMT

Representative Joe Atkins recently passed along advice following his legislation concerning gift cards.

According to the National Retail Federation, gift cards are going to be this year's most popular holiday gift. For consumers who purchase gift cards with hidden fees or
expiration dates, however, they could again be this year's biggest
holiday rip-off.

In Minnesota, a two-year-old state law has offered some important
protections to Minnesota consumers by prohibiting expiration dates and
fees on gift cards. But the law only goes so far. To get their money's
worth, holiday shoppers in Minnesota should:

1. Avoid bank cards and cards issued by credit card companies, which
are subject to federal law and still have fees and expiration dates

2. Look closely at the card - even though it may look like it comes
directly from the retailer, the small print may reveal it is a bank card
with fees and an expiration date

3. Avoid cards where you can see the number on the card before
purchasing it - these cards are popular with cyber-thieves who use the
number to make online purchases without having to buy the card

Gift cards are great. But rather than being the gift that keeps on
giving, they can often be the gift that keeps on taking. Expiration
dates and fees erode the value of the cards, sometimes leaving the
recipient with nothing. That’s why I worked with retailers to pass
Minnesota's law. But consumers still need to be careful about what sort
of gift cards they purchase.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Missouri Trial Lawyers Care (MoTLC) Needs Your Help To Provide Blankets To The Homeless

Brett Emison — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:15:42 GMT

Missouri Trial Lawyers Care (Mo-TLC) will assist in distributing coats, blankets, hats, gloves and food to the needy in Kansas City this winter. We need your help!

"Many men slept warmer Saturday night because of your generosity," said Lorraine Minor, Associate Executive Director of City Union Mission. "We found ourselves very short on blankets this year so your efforts made a huge difference."

Mo-TLC is the charitable arm of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys committed to making monetary donations and providing volunteer services to charitable causes across the state of Missouri. Mo-TLC is the only organization of its kind to partner with the American Red Cross to provide free legal services to victims of natural disasters.

You can learn more about Mo-TLC and find contact information to help at the Mo-TLC Facebook Page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Brett Emison

Public Interest Group Discovers Toys with Lead, Dangerous Chemicals Still on Store Shelves

David Mittleman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:45:19 GMT

As the holiday season approaches many parents will travel to the stores, eager to swoop up the latest toys for their children. Luckily, a new law that bans six dangerous chemicals from children’s toys, as well as lowering the lead limit, will help to keep children safer this year. However, what many parents don’t realize is that a number of toys at major retailers still contain dangerous chemicals and high levels of lead.

According to a recently released report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), many manufacturers are complying with the new regulations—but some still aren’t, and it is difficult for consumers to know the difference between safe and unsafe toys. U.S. PIRG sent 15 toys to independent laboratories for testing and found that four of the toys had excessive amounts of lead. Furthermore, two of the toys contained another dangerous chemical known as phthalates, which is widely found in plastic toys and has been linked to reproductive and other health problems. Congress overwhelmingly voted in 2008 to ban phthalates and to significantly reduce the amount of lead in children’s toys in response to the dangerously high levels of lead in toys imported from China during the last several years.

Despite the news that some toy manufacturers are still failing to comply with the new law, the U.S. PIRG stated that they “have seen substantial progress over the last year because of the new law and new leadership at the Consumer Product Safety Commission.” To help protect consumers and help them make wise choices in regards to the toys they purchase for their children, the U.S. PIRG has launched a tool with toy safety tips that parents can access via their cell phones.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Pair of Holiday-Weekend Accidents Result in Death, Injury

David Mittleman — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:16:28 GMT

Two young Lansing, Michigan residents fell victim to car crashes over the Thanksgiving holiday - a sobering reminder of the hazards of one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

Christy Luckett, 30, died Thursday morning, one day after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Waverly Road and Phoenix Drive in Lansing. The driver and one passenger in the other vehicle were also treated for injuries. The collision is still under investigation.

Some 50 miles away in Oceola Township, Zachery Warren was injured when he swerved to avoid a pickup truck driven by Clem Plowman on M-59 in Livingston County. Warren, a 23-year-old Lansing man, is still receiving treatment at University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.

Remember to use extreme caution when driving. Careful driving behaviors should be a year-long habit, but they become especially important during periods of heavy travel.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Coping with Brain Injury During the Holidays

Michael Phelan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:06:03 GMT

For victims of acquired brain injury, the time of year that once brought great joy may now be the most difficult time of year. Brain injury victims often struggle to cope with, among other sequelae, memory problems, obsessive compulsive behaviors, an aversion to loud noises, big crowds, and bright lights, decreased communication skills, and special diets. Imagine the terror of tying to cope with these issues while being expected to attend holiday parties and large family functions.

I read a wonderful piece in the Augusta Free Press advising brain injury victims how to cope with the holidays. Some suggested ways for making the holidays fun and less stressful for all, particularly when persistent cognitive /behavioral issues are problematic include:

1. Holiday shopping should be a fun activity and indoor malls are weather controlled and safe places for strolling on foot and/or for those wheelchair or walker assisted. However, the holiday period can make shopping less than a fun activity without preplanning. Start early to avoid the holiday crowds and use the opportunity to incorporate cognitive exercises into the planning. The individual with brain injury should make a list of gifts to be purchased or hand made, when possible, suggested gift ideas and estimates of costs associated with the gifts.

2. Catalogs that come in the mail this time of year are wonderful for gift ideas and also for estimation of prices. Take some time to sit down and look through a few as part of the independent planning phase.

3. Make out a simple budget before going to the bank and allow your family member with brain injury as much control of the funds as possible even though money management skills may be impaired.

4. Place greater emphasis on use of journals or calendars to record routine events as well as holiday activities. Schedule a week in advance, with a daily review to make note of any changes as they come up. Those accustomed to a daily routine may be better prepared when special dates and activities are written in the journal and/or on the calendar in colored ink for emphasis.

5. Each day, during the holidays, orient the individual by discussing the day’s activities over breakfast to avoid misunderstandings about changes from the normal routine. It is helpful to repeat this information several times during the day for those with severe memory problems.

6. If bright or flashing lights bother your family member and/or possibly trigger seizures, carefully plan any additional lighting that will be used during the holidays and avoid laser holiday lighting displays.

7. Crowded places and loud music may also bother some individuals and should be taken into consideration and monitored, if necessary.

8. Food is a big part of holiday fun and many of the foods may be very temptingly displayed. Parties, holiday family dinners, and open house gatherings are often scheduled at times that do not coincide with routine mealtimes, thus, presenting a problem for those whose mealtimes are more rigidly scheduled. You may want to offer a light snack at the regular mealtime to “tide him/ her over” until the main meal, or make whatever adjustments are necessary. For those with more severe cognitive deficits, which interfere with appropriate food intake, it may be necessary to help with monitoring to avoid overeating. It is very common for damage in the hypothalamus area of the brain to interrupt signals to the brain which help the individual know when their appetite has been satisfied, thus, many with brain injury need help with quantity control monitoring. Additionally, memory problems and attention can derail a persons resolve to watch their food intake to avoid excessive food and beverage intake. After a brain injury burning of calories may also be changed and individuals who could eat anything and everything before the injury may need to more diligently watch calories to avoid weight gain.

9. By all means don’t forget that increased activity during the holidays may be more fatiguing than usual so plan rest periods accordingly. This is particularly important when cognition and behavior are problems. Fatigue often increases confusion that can result in an outburst or other kinds of unpleasant behaviors.

10. Structure can be your best strategy for ensuring the entire family has a higher quality of life. Initially it takes effort to get the structure in place but it pays dividends in the end. Flexibility is a key word during the holiday season but planning and preparation will hopefully result in a happy holiday for family and friends.

Next comes New Year’s resolutions! Start thinking about ways your entire family can enjoy life more fully, fulfill the demands of your caregiving role and provide the best possible quality of life for your family member with brain injury.

Most of us take these simple pleasures for granted. As the father of a young adult with who suffers from the effects of brian injury and someone who represents victims of acquired brain injury, I know the importance of structure and routine in my child's life. There's nothing like the holidays to disrupt this routine.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Phelan

A Restful Labor Day

Mike Bryant — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:16:00 GMT

Today is a day of rest and parades. That was the call, when Labor Day was originally created in 1882 as the Central Labor Union Day. It is meant to be a day for the regular worker to get a day off. These are the everyday workers, that for the most part make up our clients. The regular citizens that come to us for help. They ask for Justice and to right the wrong of the tortfeasors. In most cases, this is usually a claim against the tortfeasor's insurance company.

As we work each case, arguably this could be our day also. But it seems so much more appropriate as a day to salute those we work for. In the same way, this day should be about each working voter and not about the politicians that will be speaking across the country.

Today is great day to salute all of those we have the honor of representing and the privilege of serving. Have a great day and get some rest.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Tighter Safety Standards Sought In Wake of Tragic Fireworks Accident

Pierce Egerton — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:51:43 GMT

According to State Senator Marc Basnight, new legislation will be introduced next week to tighten safety standards for the handling of large quantities of fireworks. The move comes in the wake of the tragic deaths of 4 workers in a fireworks explosion on Ocracoke Island.

The AP is reporting that the bill will direct the state fire marshal to provide oversight in the handling of pyrotechnics. Further details were not available at this time. While the change comes too late to help the families who lost loved ones in the recent explosion, let’s hope new safety standards will prevent future tragedies.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Pierce Egerton

UPDATE: 4 Dead, 1 Injured in Tragic Fireworks Explosion

Pierce Egerton — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:42:18 GMT

The Virginian-Pilot is reporting that two more workers have died from injuries sustained when a truck loaded with fireworks exploded on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The workers were apparently employed by Melrose South Pyrotechnics of Catawba, S.C. Melrose was going to provide the island’s annual Independence Day fireworks display.

www.youtube.com/watch

WAVY video.

One worker died at the scene. Of the other four injured workers, two were apparently airlifted to the Jaycee Burn Unit at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and two were airlifted to Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, N.C.

One of the workers taken to the burn center and one of the workers taken to Pitt Memorial subsequently died according to reports.

Several government agencies are investigating the explosion including the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the SBI. Ferry service to the island was closed to the public for several hours.

UPDATE 7/5/09: Sadly the death toll in yesterday's explosion rose to 4 this morning.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Pierce Egerton

One Dead, Four Wounded in Fireworks Blast

Pierce Egerton — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:15:58 GMT

One worker was killed and four others seriously injured when a truck filled with fireworks exploded this morning on Ocracoke Island, NC. WFMY is reporting that one of the injured suffered serious burns and was airlifted to UNC’s burn center in Chapel Hill.

According to a story by ABC11 the fireworks were for an annual Independence Day celebration on the remote island. Jane Hodges, Hyde County interim emergency manager, said, "There was an immediate response from Hyde County Sheriff's Department, the National Park Service, NC DOT Ferry Division, Marine Fisheries, and volunteers to handle the crowds and assess the situation. Fortunately, there were three doctors including a medical examiner and volunteer nurses who responded immediately along with the staff of the Ocracoke Health Center and Hyde County EMS."

Ferry service to Ocracoke was closed to the public for most of the day as use of the ferry was dedicated to emergency traffic.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Pierce Egerton

Happy Fourth Of July

Mike Bryant — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:13:00 GMT

It's Independence Day. It was always one of the greatest days each year when I got to enjoy it back in Rhode Island as I was growing up. There was a 3-4 hour parade, clam bakes and fireworks at night. The whole town of Bristol was electric as people returned home and there were parties everywhere. It was such a fun time.

Since then I've usually watched the local fireworks and have enjoyed watching my boys get used to the bright lights and loud sounds. I've also spent some time talking to them about the freedoms that those symbols represent. The Independence that our forefathers and many generations have since fought for. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights that describe our freedoms. Many of the same things that I get the privilege of talking to juries about.

I hope every reader has the chance to enjoy the day. Also to remember what the day is really about.

Happy Fourth.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant