Personal Injury

October 21, 2012

Massachusetts Helps InVivo Find Effective Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries

The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center predicts that there will be 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury each year. As of this year, there are about 270,000 people in the United States who are living with spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries can be caused in many ways, including assault, falls, gunshot wounds, industrial accidents, motor vehicle accidents, and playing sports. The commonwealth of Massachusetts understands the severity of a spinal cord injuries and is providing ongoing assistance to InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (“InVivo”), a company that has been developing technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries.

According to InVivo’s CEO, the commonwealth of Massachusetts first helped InVivo in 2009 by granting a $500,000 loan from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. Massachusetts also has an Emerging Technology Fund (ETF), which “targets technology companies that are starting up or expanding manufacturing in Massachusetts by providing financing for manufacturing facilities and equipment.” With the assistance of the ETF, InVivo entered into a loan agreement with the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency (“MassDev”) on October 5, 2012 for two million dollars. MassDev helps businesses and agencies financially to create jobs as well as positively affect other factors of the state’s economy. Now, this seven-year loan will be used to “purchase equipment for the expansion of manufacturing and research capabilities at its new facility in Cambridge.”

As of 2009, InVivo was a small based company with five employees and a great mission – to find effective treatments for spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries most occur in young adults and can amount to bleeding, fluid buildup, and swelling inside or outside the spinal cord. Besides the obvious back pain, patients have complained of loss of bowel and bladder control, numbness, sensory changes, and weakness. InVivo has created innovative treatments for these injuries and symptoms by using growth factors, biomaterials, stem cells, and drugs approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Now, with over 30 employees, this company continues its mission through its own growth and development with the help of MassDev’s loan.
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October 15, 2012

MBTA Green Line Trolley Derails in Boston

by Altman & Altman

Massachusetts has one of the most heavily used light rail lines in the country – the Green Line, named accordingly as it primarily passes through a place known as the Emerald Necklace of Boston. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) runs this streetcar system, which is the oldest line of Boston’s subway with an average of 232,000 people riding it on any given weekday. Have you ever taken the Green Line to work, to shop or to visit friends or family in another area?

Since the Green Line will take you through Downtown Boston and Back Bay, it is no wonder why so many people have chosen this convenient method of transportation over driving. Still, the Green Line is not perfect and is subject to scrutiny recently by its own passengers. This criticism is due to the accident that occurred two days ago when the trolley derailed, struck an empty trolley, and injured some of its passengers as well as its operator.

The accident occurred between Brigham Circle and Longwood Medical Area stops on the “E” line. Many people were injured and both trolleys suffered significant damage. An estimated 24 people were on the train, 3 of which were taken to the hospital to be treating for their injuries. These injured passengers, along with the operator of the trolley, complained of neck and back pain. Even though the number of accidents on MBTA lines has decreased in the past few years, the statistics provide little to no comfort to the victims of the latest accident.
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September 30, 2012

Southwest Airlines Sued By Passenger Over Alleged Burn Injuries from Hot Tea

by Altman & Altman

A Southwest Airlines passenger is suing the company and one of its flight attendants for burn injuries she says she sustained while being serve tea during a flight. Angelica Keller is seeking $300,000 for personal injury, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and property damages, as well as $500,000 in punitive damages.

The food injury accident allegedly occurred on December 28, 2011 while Keller was riding on Flight 955. She contends that the flight attendant gave her a cup of water that was “extremely” hot in another cup that was also carrying condiment packets and a tea bag. As the plaintiff tried to remove the tea bag, between the ‘hot’ paper cup with very hot water and the other cup, the liquid fell out and onto her groin area, causing her to sustain second degree burns, skin blisters, and permanent scarring.

Keller partially blames Southwest’s lack of tray tables in its planes’ front rows for her personal injury accident. She also believes that the airline served water that was too hot for use in a plane. Because she had her seatbelt on, Keller said it took her longer to get out of her seat because she couldn’t jump up right away. She claims the flight attendant wasn’t very helpful. Keller is contending that there was a failure to warn of the danger that can arise from drinking hot tea when there is a flight.

September 19, 2012

Teenager breaks neck in football game

by Altman & Altman

Last Friday on September 14, 2012, a Fitchburg teenager suffered a broken neck during a high school football game. Initially, nobody was aware of any kind of injury happening. During the first quarter of the Nashoba/Fitchburg football game, the teenager, while playing cornerback and wearing the number 30, took an unintended hit from a teammate while making a tackle. He then rose and walked to the sideline where he ultimately realized that something was wrong. The 17-year-old Fitchburg High senior was then taken to Umass Memorial Hospital where it was discovered that he had broken his C-1 vertebrae. Fortunately, he wouldn’t need surgery for the injury. But he would have to wear a halo for a time.

Through Twitter, the teenager confirmed his injury and thanked his classmates for the outpouring of love and support. Fitchburg’s high school coach, Dan Walker, was quoted as saying, “We are fortunate that [he] is going to be all right. He is a tough kid with a big heart. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

This was another story that hit me personally because I played high school football and endured a fair share of battle wounds, from strained tendons to broken bones. But personal injury and high school sports, specifically football, has become more of a hot button issue during the last ten years. Injuries happen in all fields of athletics but there have even been questions about whether some sports can survive America’s current discussion of the risks children undertake while playing sports, especially concussions.
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September 11, 2012

Remote control helicopter becomes dangerous product, cuts injuries into two

by Altman & Altman

On last Tuesday, September 4, 2012, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, a seemingly innocent pastime took a dangerous turn. Two men were cut and bruised when a remote control helicopter suddenly started on its own and struck the pair with its rotor.

One of the injured was Scott Proposki, of 10 Lavantie Street, owner of Camera in the Sky, a company started in 2008 that uses remote controlled helicopters to take aerial videos and still pictures. Proposki said that after the incident, he was taken to an unspecified Boston hospital where he had surgery to fix tendons in his right hand and arm. Proposki’s co-worker, John Perry, 26, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was the other victim. Perry suffered minor injuries and was taken to Lawrence General Hospital.

According to reports from Proposki, the two were working with the four foot helicopter in his backyard, using it to for taking pictures, when they eventually landed it. But shortly afterwards, the battery-operated device suddenly started on its own, rose about three feet into the air, and hit both Proposki and Perry with its six blades.

After seeing the helicopter initially hit Perry, Proposki grabbed at it with his bare hands, causing five to six gashes and damage to his tendons. Police received a call about the incident at about 12:34pm. Patrolman David Makalian responded to the call along with firefighters.

I was initially pulled in by this story because I had honestly forgotten that remote controlled helicopters even existed. I remember seeing them in movies as a kid and saying “I want that!” but then getting distracted by the next shiny new thing that had me saying “I want that!” And since my love for the remote control helicopter was so short lived, I suppose it makes sense that I never considered the somewhat obvious hazard of rapidly spinning, metal blades … on a toy.
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September 10, 2012

Danvers Man Injured by Exploding Personal Watercraft

by Altman & Altman

This past Saturday, September 8, 2012, a 31 year old man from Danvers, Massachusetts survived a devastating incident that had initially mystified authorities. Karl Marchionda had just finished loading ten gallons of fuel into his Sea Doo GTX 155 personal watercraft. While alone in the craft at Long Lake Marina on Long Lake in Naples of western Maine, at around 4:50pm, he attempted to start the engine. The PWC then exploded. Karl was launched twenty feet into the air, crashing face first into the dock, according to witnesses. Parts of the craft, including the cover to the engine, coasted through the air for sixty feet.

According to the District Game Warden, Neal Wykes, sparks ignited vapors in the hull of the vessel when Marchionda attempted to activate the engine. There was no immediate determination of what caused the explosion. But after further review, Wykes ascertained that a mechanism that secured the fuel lines to the gas tank had become loose. This allowed fuel to enter the hull of the watercraft. Apparently the gas fumes were ignited when the engine started. Fortunately the blaze was quickly extinguished by the marina’s owner, James Davenport.

For Marchionda, though his injuries weren’t threatening to his life, and he was conscious and responsive when Wykes arrived, he had no recollection of the explosion or of being thrown through the air and landing on the dock. The Massachusetts resident was eventually taken to Bridgton Hospital with several broken ribs, two fractured vertebrae, abrasions, and lacerations to the face. The authorities from the Cumberland County Sherriff’s Office and rescuers from Naples Fire and Rescue are presently still investigating the incident.
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August 31, 2012

Chemicals in school supplies may pose health risk for children

by Altman & Altman

With a new school year lingering just around the corner, there may be some questions you want to ask of the stores you shop at for new supplies in the interest of protecting your children from illness, especially about toxic chemicals known as phthalates. A recent report published by a non-profit called the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ) says that high levels of phthalates, some of which have been banned from children’s toys by Congress in 2008, are widespread in children’s vinyl school supplies. Studies have linked phthalates to asthma, birth defects, infertility, obesity, and even a heightened risk of diabetes in women.

Congress’ ban on six types of phthalates officially took hold on January 1 of this year. The chemicals are prohibited from existing in children’s toys and childcare articles in excess of 0.1%. The chemical is developed by Exxon Mobil and noted for its versatility and ability to add resilience as well as flexibility to plastics. Phthalates are also used in the production of certain inks, raincoats, detergents, food packing, and vinyl flooring.

Seventy-five percent of the school supplies tested had been marked for elevated levels of the chemicals. These products included popular Disney, Spiderman, and Dora branded wares such as vinyl lunchboxes, backpacks, 3-ring binders, raincoats, and rain boots. A Dora the Explorer backpack contained phthalates at 69 times the legal level for children’s toys. A Spiderman lunchbox clocked in at 27 times the standard for other children products.
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August 29, 2012

Watercraft accident cramps summer fun

by Altman & Altman

This past Sunday afternoon, John Howe Jr., 31, and Emily Howe, 29, a brother and sister from Sterling, Massachusetts were using their personal watercrafts (sometimes referred to as ‘jet skis’) on New Hampshire’s Lake Monomonac. When only about five feet into the water, and away from their boat launch, the watercraft exploded. The cause of the blast is under investigation with the New Hampshire Marine Patrol, and the brother and sister were tossed approximately ten feet from the vessel. Fortunately, they were wearing their floatation devices. And some good Samaritans helped them back to shore. Even more fortunately, all injuries were non-life threatening though Emily Howe had to be taken to the hospital.

American journalist, Howard Cossell, once declared that “sports is the toy department of life.”

I agree.

Humanity’s love affair with competition and activity dates back thousands of years to the original Olympics. And we’ve never been more in tune with our athletic heritage. Just this past summer, the world paused to admire its finest sportspersons, painting our bellies and faces alike, belting out cheers from the bottom of our feet.

For the first time ever, every country to compete in the Olympics sent women athletes. Usain Bolt cemented his legacy as a great by sprinting at a historic twenty-three miles per hour. But we don’t just run anymore. While Bolt topped out at twenty-three, we now drive cars that cruise well above two hundred miles per hour. We (intentionally!!!) drop out of airplanes from several miles in the sky. We strap breathing apparatuses to our faces and plunge into the seas, exploring worlds that were once restricted from us.
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August 27, 2012

MBTA employee assaulted by would-be passenger

by Altman & Altman

It’s happened to all of us at times, being just a few seconds too late to catch the bus pulling away from the curb.

On the night of August 23, 2012, Paul S. Kouroyen, 33, took the sting of missing the bus a little closer to heart. The 455 cruised away from Wonderland Station into its route, despite Kouroyen’s pleas from along aside it, and eventually from behind, to wait for him. Kouroyen then followed the bus driven by Baulo Rodriquez, 50, to Central Square in Lynn, Massachusetts. He asked Rodriguez if he was the driver who had left him. Rodriguez, a twelve year veteran of the MBTA, replied that he was.

A beating followed.

Rodriguez suffered bruises to his left and right cheeks, and cuts to his legs and fingers despite his attempts to defend himself. Police arrived to confirm the incident with testimony from Rodriguez and passengers who witnessed the assault. The bus driver was bleeding from the mouth and nose, obviously upset.
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July 10, 2012

Wayland Community Pool Re-opens After Chemical Hazard

by Altman & Altman

With summer officially here, everyone is running to the nearest pool to cool off. We pack our sunscreen to protect us from the sun, and lifeguards are on duty to keep us safe in the water. However, these aren’t the only hazards we need to be aware of during our day at the pool.

Last Monday, the Wayland Community pool was closed after an employee accidentally mixed muriatic acid with chlorine, creating a “hazardous situation,” according to the Wayland Fire Department. The mixture of the two chemicals produced a vapor cloud of fumes in the building, which was soon evacuated with help from firefighters.

Fortunately, this incident happened before the pool generally opens at 9 a.m., and only a couple of employees were working in the building at the time. The employee who mixed the chemicals was sent to the hospital, treated, and released, and the other employees were uninjured. The pool was closed while the state hazardous materials team dealt with the situation.
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