Boston Injury Lawyer Blog

January 27, 2012

14,200 Britax Child Safety Seats Recalled Over Defective Harness Straps

Britax Child Safety, Inc. is recalling 14,220 Chaperone Infant Car Seats due to a defect that could cause the harness straps to fail. The NHTSA says it does not know of any injuries or deaths related to this product defect. In Massachusetts, do not hesitate to contact our Boston products liability lawyers if you believe your child’s injuries were caused by a defective safety seat.

The safety issue involves the rivet that attaches the harness adjuster to the child safety seat. Because the rivet is defective, the adjuster may separate from the the seat, causing the safety straps that are supposed to keep the baby in his/her seat to fail.

Recalled Britax models include the:
• E9L692K • E9L692J • E9L692L • E9L692M
These were made between September 2010 and April 2011.

A child safety seat is supposed to keep its rider properly secured so that in the event of a Massachusetts car crash he/she is protected and the chances of serious injury or death are minimized. Unfortunately, there are car seats that not safe for use and may cause more harm than help.

Common child safety seat defects:
• Latch defects that prevent them from staying secure and locked during an accident • Poor quality straps that can easily tear
• Strap adjusters that allow/cause the straps to fit too tight or too loosely • Seat frame defects
Car seat defects can cause a child to be thrown from the seat, become trapped, or injured.

It is important to know that not all car seats are for every age group or child or can be used with all cars. Also, Child safety seat manufacturers must provide clear instructions on how to use these products.

Consumer Advisory: Britax Recalling 14,220 Child Safety Seats for Safety Harness Straps That Will Not Properly Restrain Child, NHTSA, January 27, 2012
Britax

More Blog Posts:
Boston Child Injuries: Do Some Toys Cause Hearing Problems?, Boston Injury Lawyer, December 26, 2011
Massachusetts Products Liability: $20.6M Andover Wrongful Death Verdict Awarded Against Toys “R’ Us in Fatal Swimming Pool Slide Accident, Boston Injury Lawyer, October 15, 2011
Boston Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in Toddler’s Fatal North Attleboro Crib Accident, Boston Injury Lawyer, January 12, 2011 Continue reading

January 25, 2012

iPhone app aids Police in Arresting MA Robbery Suspect

by Altman & Altman

The uses of the iPhone and its myriad apps-aiding travel, entertainment, and even weight loss-are countless. Yesterday, however, the iPhone served a particularly noble cause: helping arrest a suspect in a robbery at an MBTA station. According to news reports, on Tuesday, a woman reported that around 9:30pm she was at the Beaconsfield T station on the MBTA’s D Line when she was pushed from behind and had her face pressed against the wall. The woman gave up her purse upon the robber’s demand-turning over her money, checkbook, keys, iPod, and iPhone.

Thanks to the iPhone’s “MobileMe App,” however, the police were able to track down a suspect in the robbery within a few hours. This application apparently permits the iPhone’s user to track the phone-as long as it’s turned on-in real time. After initially reporting the incident to the police, the woman began to track the movement of her phone (and thus the suspect) using this app. She reported the phone’s movements to the police, who used this information to spot a teenager matching the woman’s description of the robber and who was carrying a phone. Indeed, the teen was carrying the woman’s iPhone. Since the teenager is considered a juvenile, his name has not been released.

Similar incidents of iPhone apps-including the “Find my iPhone” app and the iPhone’s GPS-aiding law enforcement in catching burglars and felons have been reported in other states. Along with these tracking devices, specific iPhone apps have been designed to aid law enforcement, including the Miranda Warning, Vehicle Identification System, “Spanish for Police,” and DUI Warning and Test Instructions.

January 24, 2012

Propone Tank Explodes at MA High School Construction Site, Injuring Worker

by Altman & Altman

According to news reports, a propane tank exploded at Weston High School today at a construction site. Neither the high school building-apparently about 25 feet from the propane tank-nor any student was affected by the explosion, and the fire was quickly extinguished. A 50-year-old construction worker, however, did appear to receive second-degree burns on his face, hands, and knee from the explosion and was immediately brought to Boston’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital. The cause of the explosion is current unknown, but is being investigated.

Construction sites are prime locations for injuries to occur, since they are often contain heavy equipment like forklifts and cranes, scaffolding, electrical equipment, and hazardous substances, along with dust and fumes. Construction workers thus risk falling from great heights, being crushed by heavy equipment, or being exposed to unsafe toxic chemicals.

Workers who are injured on the job, or who believe their work environment poses safety hazards, may file a complaint to have OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor) investigate your case.

January 23, 2012

Boston Family Suffers Carbon Monoxide Exposure

by Altman & Altman

According to media reports, firefighters removed a mother and three children-suffering the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning-from their Hyde Park home on Monday morning, and transported them to a local hospital. Apparently, the family had contacted the Boston fire department on Sunday night because the family’s carbon monoxide detector had gone off. Upon reaching the house, however, the fire department’s meter did not read any levels of carbon monoxide inside, so the department advised the family to replace the battery in its detector.

On Monday morning, however, the mother and her three children all felt sick, and were removed from the house and taken to the hospital. The four individuals are expected to return home from Mass General Hospital on Monday night. An investigation into whether the fire department’s detector was faulty or malfunctioning is being conducted.

According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), carbon monoxide can kill people before they are even aware of its presence, since it is a colorless and odorless gas. At low concentrations, the gas can cause dizziness, chest pain, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and flu-like symptoms. At higher levels, it can cause loss of consciousness, impaired vision, angina, and death. However, symptoms vary not only upon level of concentration, but also upon length of exposure to the gas as well as a person’s age and health.

January 23, 2012

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Sends Boston Mother and Kids to Massachusetts General Hospital

by Altman & Altman

According to Boston fire officials, a Hyde Park mom and her three kids were treated at Massachusetts General Hospital today after they suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. The four of them were removed from their residence this morning.

Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said they were called to home the evening before after the CO detector went off. However, when firefighters arrived at the residence, they did not detect carbon monoxide in the air and they advised the family to change the detection device’s battery.

The home’s owner, Jean Louisia, said that police might not have been able to detect the CO because he had opened the windows. Later that evening, the device went off again and Louisia unplugged him.

January 22, 2012

Seven Boston University Students Injured in Allston Apartment Fire

by Altman & Altman

A raging Massachusetts fire at a three-story Allston house early this morning has sent seven Boston University students to the hospital. A few people had to jump out off a top floor window to escape to safety. At least one person is in critical condition.

The Boston Fire Department says the fire is under investigation to determine its cause. The building is listed as a single-family home with the Assessing Department. However, fire officials said that the structure had been turned into apartments with students residing on different floors, including the attic and the basement.

It is not known at this time whether the building had working fire detectors. The damage to the building from the Boston fire was so severe that it will likely be torn down.

Unfortunately, fire accidents do happen and thousands of people are injured and killed as a result. According to the US Fire Administration, 16,705 people were injured and 3,320 others killed in 2008 in the US alone. 84% of civilian fire fatalities took place in residences. There were over 1,400,000 reported fires that year. 36% of them were structure fires.

If you or someone you love suffered burn injuries or other injuries fire that you believe was caused by another party’s negligence or could/should have been prevented, you should talk to a Boston injury lawyer immediately. Common causes of building and residential fires:

• Faulty wiring • A fire left on accidentally and/or without supervision • A candle knocked over • A defective electrical product that malfunctioned • Lighting equipment or electrical system malfunction
It is the responsibility of property owners to make sure that their premises do not have any foreseeable fire hazards and that there are proper fire prevention and safety measures in place. This could include working fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and (when buildings are involved) fire escapes and/or fire exits. That said, property owners are not the only one that may be held liable in the event of Massachusetts burn injuries or deaths resulting from a fire. For example, the manufacturer of a defective electrical product could be held liable, as the operator of the business where a fire broke out.

Students leap from upper floor of Allston building to escape fire; one critically injured, Boston.com, January 22, 2012
Seven BU students hurt in raging fire, Boston Herald, January 22, 2012

More Blog Posts:
Electrical Issue May Have Cause Fatal Westfield, Massachusetts Fire that Killed Elderly Couple, Boston Injury Lawyer, February 18, 2011
Quincy Apartment Where Fire Killed Father and Two Children Was in Illegal Basement and Didn’t Have Sprinklers or Working Smoke Alarm, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, September 3, 2009
58 Fire Fatalities in Massachusetts in 2007, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, January 4, 2008 Continue reading

January 22, 2012

Multiple Incidents of Falling Through Ice in MA

by Altman & Altman

This past weekend, there were at least two reported incidents of individuals falling through ice into the frigid water below. The winter weather this weekend-the first major snowfall in the state this year-appeared to bring many people outside to engage in winter sports such as skiing, ice skating, and snowmobiling. Unfortunately, along with flurries and fun came falls and freezing temperatures.

First, according to news reports, three men were snowmobiling in Dudley when they fell through ice on Hayden Pond. Two of the men quickly emerged from the freezing water, but the other remained under water for 15 minutes until he was rescued. Sadly, updated reports indicate that this 27-year-old man from Southbridge, MA, though rushed to the hospital, did not survive the freezing temperatures. Our sympathies are with his family and friends.

A second incident, according to media reports, occurred today in Arlington, when firefighters rescued two adults and a child who had fallen through ice. The three individuals were apparently about 25-30 feet from shore at Spy Pond-a popular skating area in the winter-even though the pond had not fully frozen over. The health conditions of the adults and child are not yet known.

January 21, 2012

Aspirin Causes Some People More Harm than Good, Says Study

by Altman & Altman

According to a recent study, baby aspirin may not be good for everyone. While close to a third of middle-aged Americans take this medication on a daily basis to prevent stroke or heart attack or reduce the risk of cancer, for some the risks of aspirin may outweigh any benefits.

You can find out more about these findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed several studies about the use of aspirin in Europe, the US, and Japan that involved over 100,000 participants. Subjects had never suffered a stroke or a heart attack and they had been given either a placebo or actual aspirin to help determine the latter’s benefits.

The New York Times, which published an article about the study, said the researchers reported that although people who took aspirin regularly had a 20% less chance of suffering a nonfatal heart attack and a 10% less chance of having any kind of heart event, the risks for at least some good be greater than the benefits. People who took aspirin had a 30% greater likelihood of experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding. Also, the study did not find cancer prevention to be a resulting side effect of taking aspirin regularly.

Also, while many believe that aspirin protects from stroke and heart attack because it acts like a blood thinner, thinning out the blood can lead to brain bleeding and gastrointestinal bleeding. Some medical professionals have said that the risk of bleeding from taking aspirin may rise as a person grows older. Also, while taking aspirin can reduce pain, fever, and inflammation, this effect may reduce the stomach’s protective layer, potentially upping the risk of ulcer.

It is a good idea to consult with your doctor to determine whether taking aspirin is best for you. That said, if you believe that you suffered health complications or illness from taking an over-the-counter drug, a medication that a doctor prescribed to you, and/or one that a drug manufacturer failed to provide adequate warning about the side effects involved, you may have grounds for a Boston personal injury case on the grounds of Massachusetts medical malpractice or products liability/dangerous drug.

Daily Aspirin Is Not for Everyone, Study Suggests, New York Times, January 16, 2012
Archives of Internal Medicine

Dangers of Taking Aspirin Daily, The Wall Street Journal, February 23, 2010

More Blog Posts:
Adverse Reactions to Diabetes Meds, Antiplatelet Drugs, Blood Thinner, and Insulin Linked to Elderly Seniors Ending Up in the ER, Reports New Study, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, November 26, 2011
Boston Personal Injury?: Use of Psychotropic Drugs Can Prove Fatal for Some Elderly Patients, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, March 30, 2011
Man Awarded $48.1M Dangerous Drug Verdict in Products Liability Lawsuit Over Motrin, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, October 7, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Continue reading

January 19, 2012

Stoneham Man Injured on I-93, One of Multiple MA Winter Storm Accidents

by Altman & Altman

News reports indicate that a Stoneham, Massachusetts man was hit by a sports utility vehicle when running across Interstate 93 in Somerville this week. The man’s car was apparently damaged, due to the overnight winter weather and icy roads, and he stopped his car in the left hand lane. He apparently then ran across four lanes of I-93 and was hit by a 2010 Ford Explorer registered to WHDH-TV. The man was taken to the hospital and is suffering from life-threatening injuries. This incident is among multiple recent crashes that have been caused by the icy road conditions and snowfall.

Car spinouts and crashes are a too-frequent occurrence during cold, snowy, and icy Boston winter weather. For the safety of other drivers and pedestrians, and for your own personal safety, please drive with particular caution this weekend and over the next few months of winter weather. If you have been injured in a car accident in Massachusetts, an experienced Boston and Cambridge car and truck accident attorney can help you seek financial recovery.

Stoneham man seriously injured running on I-93; may be one of several crashed caused by winter storm, Boston.com, January 17, 2012.

January 18, 2012

Plymouth Man Faces 8th Drunk Driving Charge

by Altman & Altman

According to media reports, a 49-year-old Plymouth man is facing his eighth charge of drunk driving-also referred to in Massachusetts as Operating Under the Influence (OUI). A habitual traffic offender, Edward Wright was arrested last night and charged with an OUI, a marked lanes violation, and operating with a revoked license. Reports indicate that his license had been revoked for 10 years due to consistent traffic offenses. Fortunately, no one appears to have been injured as a result of Wright’s alleged conduct.

Massachusetts courts view drunk driving and drunk driving accidents very seriously, as do we. If you have been injured by a drunk driver, an experienced Boston and Cambridge OUI accident attorney can help you through the process of filing a claim and seeking financial recovery. Although we hope that state and federal crackdowns on drunk driving will limit the number of accidents caused by OUI, our Boston personal injury lawyers are here to represent victims and their families injured by a drunk driver.

Plymouth man faces eighth drunk driving charge after arrest last night, Boston.com, January 18, 2012.