Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer - Wrongful Death

The Deadly Dangers of Children’s Portable/Inflatable Pool

John Demas — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:59:27 GMT

Far too many small children keep drowning in inflatable pools. We must realize that small children can just as easily drown in inflatable pools as they can in bathtubs or larger pools. One of these most common, overlooked problems is that when small children walk up to small inflatable pools filled with water, they often actually trip and fall into these pools face down. A parent briefly interacting with another child may not turn around in time to save the drowning toddler.

Some Eye-Opening Statistics About Portable/Inflatable Pools

· It only takes two minutes for a young child to drown in a little pool filled with just two inches of water;

· Eighty-one (81 %) of serious submersion accidents take place during the summer months;

· Somewhere between one-half (to two-thirds) of all children are being watched when they fall beneath the surface of the water (numbers vary, depending on which study you’re reviewing). Parents who choose to answer their cell phones, visit with others nearby or handle some simple chores in addition to watching their kids may fail to see one of their children suddenly drowning;

· One study that relied on U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data stated that a child drowns in a portable or inflatable home pool every five days in America;

· Regarding unintentional deaths of children between the ages of one and four: more children die from drowning in this country than in car accidents;

· About 3,000 children under the age of five require emergency room treatment for pool submersion injuries every year;

· According to a June 2011 Pediatrics journal study, “portable pools” were involved with 11% of the deaths of children under the age of five (that were reported to the CPSC from 2005 through 2007); and

· One study showed that 209 children, under the age of 12, died in inflatable or portable pools between 2001 and 2009; another 25 kids almost drowned during that same time period.

Suggestions for Improving Child Safety When Using Portable/Inflatable Pools

1. Never mix pool supervision time with any other activity. Always view the time you’ll spend watching your kids while they swim as supervision time only. Any other activities could lead to the death of a child.

2. Turn off your cell phone while watching your kids. Remove all items from the swimming area that might tempt you to briefly stop watching your children play in the pool.

3. Remove the children from the pool and then toss out all of the water if you must leave the pool area unexpectedly. Whether there’s a special delivery person at your front door or you belatedly remember you left something cooking on your stove, never leave a pool filled with water to go handle unexpected events (even if you’re going to take your kids with you). A neighborhood child might sneak into your yard and drown while you’re away. Once you finish using your child’s pool each day, immediately pour out the water and store it somewhere where children cannot reach it until you need it again.

4. Never try to supervise more than two or three children in a small pool at once. If you’re going to watch three or more children, hire a babysitter or get a close friend to help you. Should an emergency arise, you’re going to need someone else to keep the other children calm and dial 9-1-1 while you apply CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or provide other care.

5. Keep a regular first aid kit handy while your children are playing in the pool. Before filling the pool with water, sit your children down and quickly look over the ground area where you intend to place the pool. Carefully remove any sharp objects that might cut your children’s feet or deflate the pool. If you need to apply first aid to one child, have all of the other children step out of the water before tending to the injured child.

6. Position the pool in the shade. Children will remain properly hydrated longer if you avoid placing the pool directly under the sun. Apply ample sunscreen, even if the sun isn’t clearly visible.

7. Don’t let any child play with your garden hose while others are swimming. You need to minimize all possible distractions so you can keep both eyes on the pool.

8. Never treat small flotation devices as secondary babysitters for your children. While you may want to use these items, keep in mind that some children may just fall forward while wearing them. These same kids may be unable to quickly turn themselves over so they can start breathing again.

9. Try to limit each pool session to no more than 30 or 40 minutes. This will let you take the children inside periodically where you can more accurately evaluate whether or not all of them can handle any more sun or heat exposure that day.

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Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and

accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients for

almost twenty years. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes great pride in obtaining

the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by John Demas

Safe boating

John Demas — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:03:26 GMT

The saying “a stitch in time saves nine” is more than just a catchy slant rhyme. It is a cautionary admonition to anyone who feels tempted to rush through a task or activity in order to get done sooner. The adage reminds us that, even though cutting corners may seem like a convenient shortcuts, odds are that haste is going to lead to accidents. Correcting these mistakes made in the interest of speed costs more time and more resources than it would have taken to complete a task correctly the first time around. This saying applies to safety precautions as well. Following standard guidelines can save you from unnecessary injuries, which cost both time and money. Now that summer is here, many families are looking forward to recreational activities that they can’t enjoy at other times of the year. One popular pastime that requires attentiveness and preparation is boating.

Before taking a boat out, you should first make sure you know what areas of the water are open to your type of boat. Doing so can help you avoid collisions with obstacles in the water, other boats, or swimmers. Prior to a boat trip, chart your destination, make a plan and stick to it. Check the weather and pack appropriate clothing, and double check to make sure you have enough fuel and oil. When fueling, use a fuel collar to prevent backsplash and try not to let gas drip into the water. Before you leave, you should pack your registration and owner’s manual in a waterproof container.

Never go out on the water without carrying a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, spill kit, and a life vest for each person on board; as the overconfident British Board of Trade learned when Titanic capsized, it is better to have a cluttered deck than too few emergency tools. Another lesson to be learned from the folly of the unsinkable ship is the importance of travelling at a safe speed. Don’t push your boat in order to arrive at its destination ahead of schedule or simply to enjoy the rush. Always remember that, just like a car, a boat is a vehicle, and you may need to stop at any time. To that end, you should designate a watchperson who can look out for swimmers, obstacles, or other boats.

Responsible boating also means avoiding unnecessary risks, like drinking, taking drugs, or attempting to jump a wake. There may be skiers or swimmers who aren’t visible because of the wave. Instead, cross at low speeds if you can’t go around the wake. You should also exercise caution when traveling through shallow areas and do so at a low speed.

Boating safely doesn’t end on the water. When it is time to take your boat home, check to see that your trailer is working properly, that the lights haven’t burnt out, and that the boat is secured and the items inside are balanced before you go on the road.

As long as you remember to treat the water with the same caution you would use on a highway, boating can be a safe, fun, relaxing activity. If you follow precautionary measures before taking the boat out, obey laws about speed and safe boating zones, and transport the boat safely, your caution and attention to detail will most likely be rewarded with an enjoyable trip. Just remember that when it comes to boating, cutting corners is never advisable. You can save yourself a lot of stitches or worse by taking the time to be safe.

Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients since our firm first opened its doors back in 1993. Every Demas & Rosenthal attorney takes pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by John Demas

Drunk Driving....the Aftermath

Laura Mackie — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:27:40 GMT

When an individual chooses to mix alcohol consumption and operation of a motor vehicle, the results are often tragic. The repercussions of drunk driving are not measured solely in terms of fines and jail time. All too often, innocent bystanders become the unwitting victims of the alcohol impaired driver. On December 26, 2006, Joanne Dues was sentenced to four years in prison for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. On September 29, 2006 Ms. Dues (age 55) was driving east on Highway 108 in Tuolumne County California when she struck and killed a pedestrian. The pedestrian, Jackson Lawe (age 43) had been walking on the paved shoulder of the road when Ms. Dues hit him from behind. Witnesses to the accident followed Ms. Dues' to her home where she was later arrested.

When families loose a loved one to such a tragic wrongful death, it is often left to the civil courts to sort out the emotional and financial aftermath. In these situations, the experienced litigator is able to provide invaluable guidance while assisting the bereaved family as they negotiate the complex and emotionally draining claims process.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Laura Mackie

Fair Oaks Couple Die In Plane Crash

Ed Smith — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 08:15:12 GMT

A local Fair Oaks couple, Donald and Adeline Dennehey, were killed when their small single engine plane crashed Saturday 15 miles south of Yuba City. The plane was a Zodiac CH 601 and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

In airplane crashes there are a multitude of questions a lawyer must immediately consider.

Is it possible to figure out the cause of the crash?
How should the evidence of the crash be preserved?
What is the best forum for the trial?
What is the best theory of recovery?
Who should be sued--the airline manufacturer, owner, operator, airport operator, corporate offices or component part manufacturers? The owner may be liable for the negligence of an operator or pilot.
What's the best method of proving damages?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Smith

Woman awarded 2 Million for Unattended Stroke

Ed Smith — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 13:36:21 GMT

A woman who suffered a brain injury becase she was neglected in a hospital after suffering a stroke was awarded 2 million dollars by an Illinois jury.
Even trained professionals, if they are hurried and unaware may miss stroke warning signs that are vitally important to full recovery.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Smith

Sixth Comair Wrongful Death Suit Filed

Staff Writer — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 12:37:39 GMT

The family of a woman traveling to Naples, Florida filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court this week in Lexington KY. It is the sixth suit filed against Comair after the August 27 crash and alleges that the company failed to provide proper training to the pilots who took off from the wrong runway. The runway was too short to accommodate such an aircraft, and the plane crashed shortly after takeoff.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer