Roanoke Personal Injury Lawyer - Defective & Dangerous Products

Political Pundit George Will: Is He Sane?

Dan Frith — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:55:28 GMT

This week I attended a lecture at a local college given by political pundit George Will entitled "Lessons I learned from the 20th Century." As most readers know, George Will is conservative newspaper journalist (Washington Post) and author.

Although I could take most of his comments as entertainment (he is just a slicker Rush Limbaugh), one part of his lecture was really absurd and made me question George Will's sanity.

Will began by commenting on childhood obesity and what a problem it creates for all involved. Will mentioned that obese children often become obese adults, suffer higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, etc. Next, he shared with the audience the reason for childhood obesity. Are you ready for this? The cause of childhood obesity in America is trial lawyers! I kid you not.

George Will said the reason so many children in America are obese is because the trial lawyers brought lawsuits against playgrounds and the manufacturers of playground equipment such as slides, swings, monkey bars, etc. alleging such equipment was dangerous. As a result (according to Will), towns and cities closed their parks and removed playground equipment....and that is why kids got fat!

Hey George...how about kids who spend 6 hours each day in front of a television or computer screen?..or how about kids who eat processed fast foods with high contents of sugar and calories?...or how about kids who refuse to exercise on a regular basis?...or how about kids who refuse to walk any distance greater than a trip to the refrigerator?

George Will's comments are laughable!

I am a proud trial lawyer. I am particularly proud of being a part of a national group of law firms (InjuryBoard) committed to making a difference by helping families stay safe and avoid injury. And yes, sometimes lawsuits are filed against the manufacturers of dangerous playground equipment but to suggest that those lawsuits are responsible for childhood obesity is not an intellectually honest comment.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Dan Frith

West Virginia: ATV Accidents On The Rise

Dan Frith — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:24:00 GMT

It is that time of year when people start getting outdoors more...becoming active..but these numbers from the state of West Virginia involving fatal accidents and All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) is scary!

Dr. Jim Helmkamp, director of the West Virginia University's Injury Control Research Center, reports that as of April 1, four people had been killed in West Virginia while riding ATVs. In 2006, 54 people died, although by April 1 only seven had been killed in ATV accidents. Those numbers followed suit for 2007, when by the first of April only eight people were killed but by the end of December 45 were dead, according to the Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center and Bureau for Public Health report, which Helmkamp helped prepare.

These numbers are way too high! If you drive an ATV be smart. Use a helmet, stay off paved roads, and don't drink alcohol before or during operation of the ATV.

Be Active...Not Stupid!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Dan Frith

Maine Lawmaker wants Lead Paint Registry

Dan Frith — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:55:25 GMT

Kudos to Maine's Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings! He is sponsoring a bill that would create a state registry of homes that have been declared lead-free, so that people with children can make sure the home they're buying is safe.

And Speaker Cummings knows something about the effects of lead paint on children....

His son was diagnosed with lead poisoning about a decade ago. Lead poisoning occurs when you absorb too much lead by breathing or swallowing a substance with lead in it, such as food, dust, paint, or water. Too much lead in the body can cause irreversible problems in growth and development in children. Lead in paint has been banned by the federal government for years. However, older homes pose a substantial risk to children.

Cummings' bill would also require safer renovation work practices, expand enforcement and inspection efforts, and ensure funding for lead poisoning prevention until Maine successfully reaches the goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Dan Frith

Lead Paint Manufacturers Attempt to Escape Responsibility

Dan Frith — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:27:41 GMT

A Rhode Island jury in 2006 found three companies -- Sherwin-Williams Co., NL Industries, Inc. and Millennium Holdings LLC -- liable for creating a public nuisance by manufacturing a product that continues to poison children. The state filed the lawsuit against the manufacturers alleging that they had created a public nuisance by selling and promoting lead pigment for use in paint in Rhode Island. Now, the manufacturers are appealing the jury's decision to the Rhode Island Supreme Court and oral argument is scheduled for May 15.

Exposure to lead-based paint is the primary source of lead poisoning. Urban areas, with their older and often more dilapidated structures, present the highest concentrations of lead paint and the greatest threat to children. For a child, even the smallest amount of lead-based paint poses a significant health threat and can lead to brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, attention problems, and more.

Children are exposed to lead when they ingest chips of lead-based paint or swallow or breathe lead contaminated dust. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) conducted a study that determined that about 74% of privately owned housing units in the United States built before 1980 contain lead-based paint. Congress passed laws during 1978 outlawing the use of lead in paint.

Rhode Island is the first state to sue former lead paint manufacturers.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Dan Frith

Botulism in Green Beans?

Dan Frith — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:39:26 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers about a possible contamination with Clostridium botulinum of canned cut green beans manufactured by New Era Canning Company, New Era, Michigan and labeled as "GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans." The products were distributed in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Clostridium botulinum is the bacterium that causes botulism. Botulism is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. People contaminated with the bacteria can have symptoms suc as doubled or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing, muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body, difficulty in breathing, abdominal distension and constipation. Botulism can even result in death due to respiratory failure although there have been a very small number of deaths in the U.S. in the last 50 years.

Health officials said that no one had presented symptoms of botulism so far. However, people experiencing any symptoms of the disease should immediately seek medical attention, especially that the period of incubation can be from two hours to two weeks.

Is there no end to the problems with our food production and distribution system? These serious problems should be caught way before the products make it to the local grocery store shelf! I expect more from the FDA!

For more information on this subject, please see our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Dan Frith

Lead Paint in Children - scary scary

Lauren Ellerman — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 14:54:10 GMT

We hear about toys from China made with lead paint causing harm to our children. More frequently, children poisoned by lead swallow or ingest it by eating paint chips. Now, at first glance, I could not understand how paint chips or peeling paint could be purposefully consumed by a child - but it happens and happens frequently! Cribs near windowsills, or small children within arms reach of chipped paint - if they place everything in their mouths, paint chips are accessible.

If your home was built prior to 1976, chances are very high that lead paint exists in the home. Here are a few quick ways to prevent your child from being exposed to lead:

1. Have the home tested - before you buy or rent.

2. Examine walls and windows for chipped, peeling paint. If you know you have lead, have the paint either removed or covered by a professional.

3. Keep children out during the repair process - as dust from lead paint can also be ingested by lungs.

4. Call your local health department and city/county government. Many localities have lead paint abatement programs that may pay to remove the lead on your behalf.

5. Have your child's blood drawn and tested for lead before you move - as a baseline. Then, if it changes have the tests repeated.

6. Monitor your children - place cribs and play pens in the middle of the room - and watch what they put in their mouths.

While not all lead poisoning is preventable, you can certainly do a great deal to prevent it..

What happens if it is too late?

Have the blood tests done, follow physician advice, and if levels are 10 units or higher -call an experienced attorney as your child may have lifelong problems.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Lauren Ellerman