Oklahoma Personal Injury Legal Blog
Be Safe this Halloween by Using Suggestions from the CPSC
While Halloween is one of the most festive and celebrated holidays of the year, accidents and injuries regularly occur for many reasons. Some of the common culprits include accidental fires, pedestrian visibility, and dangerous costumes. Thankfully the majority of these incidents can be avoided, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The agency outlined a few of the main offenders for producing Halloween injuries and a safety checklist for preventing them in a recent release. Let’s take a look at the key points.
Fire ranked among the largest causes of dangerous accidents. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says Halloween is one of the worst days every year for accidental fires. To minimize fire risks, use battery operated devices in lieu of candles, lanterns, or pumpkins. Also, only choose costumes made of flame resistant materials, and be careful when constructing your own as they will not be subject to the Federal Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA), which mandates costumes offered at stores to be certified flame retardant. If you do make your own costume, fabrics like nylon and polyester have natural fire resistant qualities.
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Oklahoma Teenager Auto Accident Fatalities Down, Safety Still A Concern
Previously, in preparation for Teen Driver Safety Week (October 16 to October 22) we blogged about a program called “Take The Wheel” offered by the AAA Automobile Club designed to help teenagers and parents learn safe driving with a combination of road training and home coursework. According to reporting by News OK, it seems that these kinds of programs that promote education and safety awareness may be making a positive impact.
According to research by the AAA, there were 68 fatalities of people 16 to 20 years of age in all recorded car accidents in Oklahoma in 2010, a significant drop from 2009, 89 fatalities, and an even greater decrease from 2008, which recorded 112 deaths. Along with increased efforts toward education, civic change may also have played a role. Oklahoma’s “graduated driver’s license law” mandates that drivers between 15 and 18 years old are required to drive under family supervision with a learner’s permit for a minimum of six months, which is then followed by an intermediary trial period of another six months before a teenager can become fully and legally licensed.
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Report Shows Oklahoma Worker Fatalities Rose in 2010
New preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that fatalities in the Oklahoma work place rose during 2010. The data exhibits that 91 deaths occurred on the job in the state last year, an 11 percent jump from the 82 work place deaths that the Labor Department reported in 2009. On the national scale, over 4,500 occupational deaths were documented in 2010, within close range of the number of deaths in 2009.
Why the rise in on the job fatalities in Oklahoma? As reported by News OK, the rise may be deceiving according to one official with the Labor Statistics Bureau. Cheryl Abbot, an economist with the agency based in Dallas, told the website that although the rise “was substantial, the number of fatalities was in line with 2002 through 2008 and it’s actually the sharp decline in 2009 that is unusual.” She attributed the 2009 drop to a swell of unemployment during the economic recession’s peak.
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Educating Teens on Driver Safety
As state budgets continually tighten, Oklahoma has seen cuts across all sectors. Schools have especially felt the squeeze, and unfortunately key programs such as driver’s education have been shelved. Safe driving has always started at home, but in the current environment it’s extremely important for parents to educate and train teens on the subject. As part of Teen Driver Safety Week, observed from October 16 to October 22, the AAA here in Oklahoma is reminding parents about a tool they can utilize to instill safe driving techniques for their kids.
The program is called “Take the Wheel,” and combines materials to be used by families during home study as well as in behind the wheel training sessions. According to the AAA, the course meets Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (ODPS) certification standards and it counts as legitimate driver’s education credit by the state’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law. It also makes teenagers eligible for discounts honored by the majority of car insurance providers for those completing a driver’s education program.
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Safety Tips for Preventing Residential Fires and Burn Injuries
Every family should spend time developing and practicing a plan for fire prevention, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Both groups are encouraging families make this plan as part of their collaborative campaign on Fire Prevention Week.
The CPSC cited data that shows there were over 386,000 accidental home fires every year from 2006 to 2008. Those fires caused approximately 2,400 fatalities and over 12,500 injuries annually. The fire prevention initiative, in action during October 9 to October 15, stresses the correlation between preparedness and prevention. They provided a set of government approved safety guidelines, including a few of the tips listed below.
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Do Cell Phone and Texting Laws Reduce Distracted Driving?
There’s no argument regarding the serious nature of the distracted driving problem in the United States. However, there is some debate on how to properly curtail it. Many believe primary laws by states that ban cell phone and texting use naturally discourage and thus decrease the amount of accidents resulting from distracted driving. But a recent story in The Reno-Gazette Journal’s Fact Checker column challenged the preventative worth in these kinds of laws, alleging inadequate research by those supporting the laws. The piece was in response to Senate bill 140, which bans all handheld cell phone use in Nevada and goes into action on Saturday, October 8.
The column did not dispute the dangers of using cell phones and handheld devices while driving, noting University of Utah research that claimed drivers using cell phones were as impaired as those who were drunk with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit at 0.8 percent. It also pointed out tragic accidents in the Nevada area resulting from distracted driving. But its question lied in numerous conflicting studies concerning whether the bans decrease the occurrence of dangerous driving, as well as a recent Governors Highway Safety Association report that claimed, “there is no evidence that cell phone or texting bans have reduced crashes.”
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Fasten Furniture to Protect Children from Tip-Over Accidents
Every two weeks a child dies due to a falling piece of furniture or an appliance, according to a recent report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). However, the agency urged that these deaths can be prevented with education and awareness, specifically calling parents and guardians to carefully examine these kinds of items and either fasten or anchor pieces that have any chance of falling.
From 2000 to 2010, the CPSC received accounts of 245 tip-over accidents that resulted in fatalities of children 8-years-old and younger. Over 90 percent of those accidents included kids 5-years-old and younger. Approximately 67 percent of these cases involved fatal trauma to the head. Additionally, from 2008 to 2010, over 22,000 kids 8 years of age or under are given medical care in hospital emergency rooms each year for these types of injuries. Similar to the fatalities, most of the injuries (56 percent) are trauma to the head. And 70 percent of these incidents involved televisions, while only 27 percent included furniture alone.
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New Rollover Protective Structure Helps Decrease Tractor Rollover Injuries
Accidents involving tractor rollovers are amid the highest reasons behind farm and agricultural fatalities. Around 80 percent of accidents resulting in injury on farms stem from a tractor incident, and many of those include a rollover. Operators can take precautions to decrease the risk of rolling over, such as maintaining a slow speed, making turns and maneuvers slowly, refraining from making turns while moving uphill, and gaining a solid command over the vehicle through practice prior to operating it in a working environment. Outside of a driver’s operation, the most efficient measure to prevent rollovers is known as a Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS).
The structure is basically a specially designed metal bar that protects the rider in the event that the tractor tips over. After being manufactured, an ROPS is put through thorough tests by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers to verify that the unit will sustain numerous levels of impact on the shielded area around the operator. Be sure to confirm a valid certification for a ROPS with the dealer. Homespun apparatus used as a substitute are not adequate and can even put an operator in additional peril due to amateur design defects or installation flaws. In combination with a ROPS system, tractor operators must use safety belts at all times to ensure protection in an accident.
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Drilling Rig Explodes Near Watonga
An explosion of a gas drilling rig illuminated the sky close to Watonga, OK, this past week. Town officials ordered the evacuation of nearby homes and said the flames may burn for a number of days, according to The Enid News and Eagle and Associated Press. Reports stated that no one was injured or killed, however, the incident occurs at a time when increased federal and local authorities are focusing on drilling safety.
Unfortunately, Oklahoma has seen its share of oil field eruptions and fires. The unpredictable nature of the substances involved can cause large fires without warning. Corporations may take shortcuts to meet deadlines and turn larger profits while workers may be directed to use antiquated equipment to minimize cost. Luckily, the damages in this recent accident have been confined and relatively minimal, but that’s not always the case. Destruction can occur to properties nearby the event, and severe injuries or fatalities can be suffered by individuals in the region of the explosion.
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John Deere Recalls More Than 20,000 Tractors
Due to manufacturing faults, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that farm tractor giant John Deere will recall more than 20,000 units of two of their tractor models as a result of safety problems.
The first recall is for approximately 15,500 Lawn Tractors. In this instance, the apparatus that secures the blade to the deck of the tractor can bust. This can allow the tractor’s mower blades to rotate for longer than they are supposed to after the power has been turned off and can pose a danger for laceration. The model was sold by Home Depot, Lowes, and John Deere dealers for between $1500 and $2000 between December 2010-September 2011.
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