Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

Nearly 800,000 Dorel Child Safety Seats Recalled

February 16, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is recalling nearly 800,000 child safety seats made by Dorel Juvenile Group. The recall, which affects infant, convertible, and booster seats, was issued because of concerns that the harnesses may not be able to keep children secure. Our Washington DC products liability law firm represents children injured because their child safety seat or another product failed or was defective and we are pleased to hear that steps are being taken to remedy a hazard that could potentially endanger kids and babies.

The recalled child safety restraints were manufactured between May 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009. They were sold under the brands Maxi-Cosi, Safety 1st, Julie Vallese, and Eddie Bauer. There is concern that because the harness locking and release button do not always go back to its locked position, the harness adjustment strap might slip back through the adjuster while a child moves around in the seat. This could loosen the harness, placing the child at serious risk of injury during a traffic crash.

While Dorel says it has received 143 complaints over the front harness loosening, the manufacturer was quick to say that it does not consider the issue to be a safety defect and that no related reports of injuries or deaths have been filed.

DJG says it will give consumers a repair kit to fix the safety issue. Consumers can keep using the DJC child safety restraints before the remedy has been applied, but they should make sure that the lock/release button is securely in the locked position and that the harness is properly adjusted and hasn’t come loose.

Washington DC Personal Injury

A child can die during a DC car crash because he/she was seated in a defective car seat. This is why it is so important that manufacturers make sure their child safety restraints are designed and made properly. Common child safety seat defects:

• Poor construction
• Design defects
• Shell separation
• Harness defects
• Mechanism failures
• Inadequate instructions
• Insufficient testing of seats
Nearly 800,000 Dorel Child-Safety Seats Are Recalled, NY Times, February 14, 2011
Consumer Advisory: Dorel Recalling Nearly 800,000 Child Safety Seats For Safety Harness Issue, NHTSA, February 14, 2011
Related Web Resources:

Dorel Juvenile Group

Child Safety Seats, US Department of Transportation
Related Web Resources:
Drop-Side Cribs No Longer Allowed, Rules CPSC, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, December 22, 2010
Preventing Washington DC Injuries to Children: Graco Strollers, Fisher-Price Toys, and Drop-Side Cribs by Ethan Allen, Victory Land, and Angel Line Among Latest Recalls Issued, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, October 23, 2010
CPSC Recalls “ChildESIGNS” and Generation 2 Worldwide Drop-Side Cribs Following Three Child Deaths, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, February 10, 2010

Washington DC Strangulation Accident Prompts Baby Monitor Recall

February 11, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last year, our Washington DC wrongful death lawyers reported on a DC injuries to minors accident linked to a baby monitor cord. Savannah Caroline, 10 months, died last March after she became entangled in the cord. Eight months later, a 6-month old baby died after he too was strangled because of his video monitor’s cord.

Now, Summer Infant and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are recalling about 1.7 million video baby monitors. The recall will allow Summer Infant to provide new on-product warning labels and instructions so that parents and guardians will know where they can place the baby monitor so that it doesn’t pose an injury hazard to kids. Summer Infant is also recalling the rechargeable batteries of another 58,000 video monitors because they pose a possible burn hazard. These monitors were sold at Babies R Us in 2009 and 2010.

Injuries caused by products that malfunction, have design defects, or fail to provide instructions or warnings on proper use can be grounds for a Washington DC products liability lawsuit against the manufacturer. The supplier or seller can also be held liable for DC personal injury or wrongful death for making the defective or dangerous product available for purchase.

Strangulation is an all too common problem when it comes to babies and certain product defects. Manufacturers know this and it is their responsibility to prevent these types of accidents from happening.

Last year, the CPSC provided a Safety Alert warning parents of what to do to keep their kids from strangling in a baby monitor cord:

• Make sure that the cord and the monitor is placed far away enough that the baby cannot reach for it.
• Make sure that the cord is over three feet away from any crib, play yard, bassinet, or sleeping area.
• As your baby grows, constantly check to make sure that he/she still cannot reach the monitor cord.
Two Strangulation Deaths Prompt Summer Infant to Recall Video Baby Monitors with Cords; Firm to Provide New On-Product Label & Instructions, CPSC, February 11, 2011
Big recall of baby monitors linked to 2 deaths, AP/Google, February 11, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Baby Products, Consumer Reports

Recalls

Related Blog Posts:
Washington DC Injury: Strangulation Accident Involving Baby Monitor Cord Causes 10-Month-Old’s Death, Washington DC Injury Lawyers Blog, October 28, 2010
Preventing Washington DC Injuries to Children: Graco Strollers, Fisher-Price Toys, and Drop-Side Cribs by Ethan Allen, Victory Land, and Angel Line Among Latest Recalls Issued, Washington DC Injury Lawyers Blog, October 23, 2010
Washington DC Injuries to Children: Banning Drop-Side Cribs, Washington DC Injury Lawyers Blog, August 17, 2010

District of Columbia Adding More Traffic Cameras

February 7, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The District intends to install more traffic cameras at street intersections. The main purpose of these new portable cameras is to catch motorists committing traffic offenses, such as failing to come to a full stop and not yielding to pedestrians. The cameras will be placed in areas where there is proven need for greater enforcement and control. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says the cameras will be put in place “within the next year.”

Intersections are a common site for traffic crashes. With vehicles approaching from opposite directions, pedestrians crossing the street, and people attempting to make left and right turns, the fact that the risk of collision goes up is no surprise.

Our DC personal injury law firm hopes that with additional cameras set up, more people will be discouraged from committing traffic violations that can lead to Washington DC car accidents. The knowledge that one can get caught on camera running a red light or not coming to a full halt at a stop sign, or turning left even when the left turn arrow is red will hopefully prevent such “minor” offenses, which are, in fact, among the most common causes of serious injuries and deaths at intersections.

How to Avoid Becoming Involved in an Intersection Accident:
• Pay Attention
• Don’t drive while distracted
• Be ready to stop or slow down even if there is no “Stop” sign or traffic light
• Yield to the pedestrian that is already crossing the street or the vehicle that is already moving through the intersection even if you technically have the right of way
• Always look in all directions before driving across the street or turning
• Obey traffic rules
D.C. to Add More Traffic Cameras, Government Video, February 7, 2011
Red-light cameras save lives, study says, Washington Post, February 1, 2011
Related Web Resources:

DC Department of Transportation

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

More Auto Accident Posts:
Washington DC Car Accident Involving Metro Bus Causes Injuries, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, July 6, 2010
Baltimore Injury Accident News: Alcohol Blamed in Fatal I-70 Car Crash that Killed Montgomery County Woman, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 6, 2011
Maryland Bicycle Injury News: Family Settles Wrongful Death Suit following Fatal Baltimore Cycling Accident, Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, December 24, 2010

Washington DC Nursing Home Neglect Can Cause Bedsores

January 31, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Our Washington DC nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers represent patients who have suffered serious illnesses and injuries at assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, one condition that we see and hear about way too often is bedsores (also known as decubitus ulcers or pressure sores). Many of the people we’ve represented who had bedsores didn’t have to develop this condition if only they’d receive the proper nursing care.

While a bedsore might sound like a mild sore, it can deteriorate to the point that infection, organ damage or death can result. The fact that bedsores can occur and are preventable is not news to anyone in the nursing home industry, so why, then, are so many patients still developing them? This is unacceptable, and if you or your loved one has pressure sores because he/she did not receive the proper nursing home care, then there is a good chance that you have grounds for a Washington DC nursing home negligence case.

Common causes of bedsores at assisted living facilities:
• Failure to regularly reposition/turn a patient in his/her bed
• Lack of mobility
• Prolonged pressure on one part of the body
• Dehydration
• Malnutrition
• Allowing a patient to sit in soiled bed sheets
• Letting moisture stay close to a resident’s skin for too long
• Failure to change wet diapers
• Inexperienced nursing staff
• Understaffing
• Failure to identify and treat bedsores

Bedsores can become extremely painful and debilitating. There is no reason why a patient should not get the appropriate nursing home care that would prevent pressure sores from developing.

Related Web Resources:
Nursing Home Directory, District of Columbia Department of Health
Bedsores, MayoClinic

Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog

More Blog Posts:
Psychiatric Report Says U.S. Needs to Prepare for Increase of Elderly Dementia, Maryland Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, June 8, 2011
Dementia Patient’s Wandering Leads to Death—Nursing Home Fined $20K for Negligence, Maryland Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, June 6, 2011
Florida Nursing Homes Investigated for Severe Abuse and Negligence, Maryland Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, June 3, 2011

Rep. Dennis Kucinich Settles Washington DC Personal Injury Lawsuit Over Sandwich

January 29, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, (D-Ohio) and Restaurant Associates, which runs the congressional cafeteria, have reached a confidential settlement agreement over his Washington DC injury complaint. Kucinich had sued the cafeteria operator for $150,000 for the pain, loss of enjoyment and suffering he experienced after he split his tooth in half when biting into a sandwich wrap that had an unpitted olive in it.

Kucinich says his tooth became infected. He had six teeth replaced, underwent oral surgery, reported an adverse reaction to antibiotics, and had to get emergency medical help for a related intestinal obstruction. Now, the congressman and Restaurant Associates have resolved his case with a settlement that he says covers out of pocket costs for his three surgeries.

Food Lawsuits

Recent Shootings at Safeway and Walmart Raises the Question of How Liable Premises are for Violent Crimes

January 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Just two weeks after 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner stood outside a Safeway in Arizona, fatally shooting six people and injuring 13 others, including US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, another shooter has shot dead two people and injured two others outside a Walmart store in the state of Washington. The two incidents are unrelated. Like everyone else in America, the thoughts and well wishes of our Washington DC injury lawyers are with the injured, the deceased, and their loved ones.

The latest tragic incident happened late today after three sheriff’s deputies arrived at the store to follow up on a bystander’s call that there was a suspicious looking person in the store. When deputies approached a man outside the store he tried to flee before turning around and shooting at them. The male shooter was eventually shot dead in the Walmart parking lot.

Two of the deputies were injured in the shooting. A young female, who CNN.com is reporting might have been a teenager, later died from her injuries. An investigation is underway to determine what happened.

Two Dead in Washington DC Car Accident

January 18, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A DC car crash at Canal Road and Clark Place on Friday has left two people dead. The victims’ names are Radovan Volikic, 27, and Milos Milicevic, 31. Both are Rockland, Maryland residents.

According to DC police, Milicevic lost control of his 2001 Jaguar. The car ended up rotating and sliding across the roadway into oncoming traffic where it struck a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck. The truck’s passengers sustained non-threatening injuries.

According to police, icy roads may have been a contributing factor. Reportedly, a number of complaints have been made that the water running down from the hills can freeze over where Reservoir Road and Canal Road meet.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a Washington DC car accident because there was ice or snow on the road, there may be parties who should be held liable. While no one can stop snow from falling or water from turning into ice, there are steps that can be taken to prevent traffic crashes from happening, including:

• Posting warnings on icy roads
• Clearing snow from the street
• Applying road-safety treatments
• Removing debris from the road

The parties responsible for such tasks can be held liable if the failure to properly complete them contribute to causing traffic injuries or deaths. Also, if the other driver’s failure to drive safely according to weather and road conditions caused your auto accident, he or she can be held liable for Washington DC personal injury.

In other local accident news, last week a Washington DC 15-passenger van accident involving another car sent eight people to area hospitals. The DC traffic crash occurred last Tuesday in the 3rd street tunnel. The van was transporting special needs passengers.

Canal Road closed in NW DC, The Washington Post, January 14, 2011
Van Crashes In DC Tunnel; Several Injured, WUSA9, January 12, 2011
Related Web Resources:

District Department of Transportation

Safe Winter Driving, Road Trip America

Will The New NHTSA Rule Prevent Passenger Ejections During Washington DC Car Accidents?

January 13, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has a new rule that will hopefully help decrease the number of occupant ejections that occur in passenger vehicle crashes. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the final rule today. He said that the “new standard will help save lives and reduce injuries.”

Per the new rule, automakers must create a countermeasure for light passenger autos weighing less than 10,000 pounds that will keep the equivalent of an adult without a seat belt from moving over 4 inches past the side window opening during a traffic crash—especially during a rollover accident. The new standard applies to the side windows next to the first three rows of seats and to part of the cargo area behind rows one and two will start phasing in during 2013. All new vehicles will have to offer this ejection protection by 2018. NHTSA administrator David Strickland has said that once this standard is fully implemented, about 476 serious injuries and 374 fatalities will be prevented each year.

A person ejected from a vehicle during a Washington DC auto accident has a three times greater chance of dying than the person who was able to remain inside the vehicle. Partial ejections can also result in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death.

In some DC car accidents, a passenger is ejected from the vehicle because he/she was not using a seat belt. Still, other ejections happen because the seat belt malfunctioned, the vehicle’s roof was not well-structured, or the impact of the crash was so forceful that the person was inevitably thrown from the vehicle. There may be a negligent driver, car manufacturer, auto part manufacturer, or another liable party who can be held liable for Washington DC auto products liability.

Final rule aimed at reducing partial and complete vehicle ejections, NHTSA, January 13, 2011
Automakers face tough new rollover-crash rule, CNN, January 13, 2011
Related Web Resource:
Read More About the New Ejection Standard, NHTSA (PDF)

Many Brain Injury Patients Suffer from Pseudobulbar Affect, Says Survey

January 6, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to a survey released by the Brain Injury Association of America, about 80% of respondents suffer from a neurological condition called pseudobulbar affect. PBA is believed to occur when there is structural damage to the brain. It can cause involuntary crying or laughing outbursts especially during situations that are inappropriate.

Survey participants included brain injury patients and caregivers. Data showed that almost 80% of qualified respondents experienced episodes of PBA. About 48% reported being regularly affected by this condition. Only 7% were aware of the term pseudobulbar affect, which is a treatable medical condition that is separate from the brain injury and often under diagnosed. 67% reportedly suffer from PBA but have not been treated for it.

Caregivers and brain injury patients suffering PBA report that the condition has a negative impact on quality of life, affecting social activities, time with family, and work. PBA can also strain relationships, causing embarrassment for the person and their family, while offending others who may not be aware that the seemingly inappropriate reactions are not within the person’s control. More than a million people reportedly suffer from PBA.

Brain Injuries

If you believe that your Washington DC brain injury was caused by another party’s negligent or careless actions, you may have grounds for a DC personal injury case. Common causes of brain injuries include motor vehicle crashes, violent crimes, illness, getting struck or striking a hard objects, fall accidents, firearm injuries, athletic or recreational accidents, drowning accidents, surgical errors, electrical shock, construction accidents, strangulation or suffocation accidents, and exposure to toxic chemicals.

Living with a brain injury can be very challenging and expensive. Some brain injury patients may need 24-hour care. Still others may require the use of medical devices and specialized medical care to maintain a decent quality of life. The side effects from a brain injury can make it tough for the patient to live independently, hold down a job, tend to daily tasks, take part in regular activities, or maintain relationships.

New Brain Injury Association Survey Reveals Nearly 80 Percent of Respondents Suffer Added Burden of Neurologic Condition with Debilitating Social Impact, PR Newswire/Brain Injury Association of America, January 6, 2010
Related Web Resources:

Brain Injury Association of America

Pseudobulbar Affect

Traumatic Brain Injuries, Maryland Accident Law Blog

Number of Fatal Drunk Driving Crashes Up Almost 150% on New Year’s Day, Says AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

December 30, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While New Year’s Eve and Day are definitely occasions to mark with celebration, it is unfortunate that there are people who may end up dying or getting seriously hurt in a Washington DC car accident because another person was driving while drunk. Hopefully, the more aggressive push by lawmakers and law enforcement officials through their “Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest” campaign will help keep more people safe this year. That said, it is still up to motorists to refrain from driving drunk.

According to new analysis from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, at about 80 drunk driver-related deaths on New Year’s Day, the average number of traffic fatalities where alcohol is a factor goes up by almost 150% more than if it were the same day of another week during the holidays. For example, in 2005 when New Year’s fell on a Saturday, there were more alcohol-related deaths at 98 fatalities than if the holiday fell on the season’s other Saturday. Last year, there were 73 drunk driving fatalities on New Year’s Day. New Year’s Eve fell on a Thursday night. Unfortunately, although many Americans don’t approve of drunk driving, AAA says that many of them do it anyway.

These fatality figures don’t take into account the number of injuries that can occur on New Year’s Day as a result of alcohol. Per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among underage drinkers alone, 1,980 of them went to the hospital on January 1. That’s a lot more than the approximately 546 who end up in the hospital on a typical day. Drunk driving, other alcohol-related accidents, and acute intoxication were among the causes. There are, of course, also adults and children who may have sustained injuries in a New Year traffic crash involving alcohol.

Steps motorists can take to drive safely into 2011:
• Appoint a designated driver.
• Don’t let your friends drive while drunk even if they think they can.
• Don’t get in the car with a drunk driver.
• Pack an overnight bag just in case you end up drinking more than you intended.
• Bring cab money just in case.

• Be careful if you choose to walk to or from your destination. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says New Year is the deadliest day of the year for pedestrians.

Beware of heightened drunk driving dangers this New Year’s Eve, Consumer Reports, December 30, 2010
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Holiday Drunk Driving Crackdown, NHTSA, December 13, 2010
Underage drinkers a New Year’s hazard, Washington Examiner, December 30, 2010
Related Web Resources:
What to do after a car accident, MSN
Metropolitan Police Department, DC.gov

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog