No doubt, everyone is looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit. Part of that excitement is putting up the decorations leading up to the holiday. With the covid-19 pandemic, Christmas might be a little different this year. Families aren’t traveling to enjoy Christmas together, holiday shopping will be mostly online, and New York City for the most part will likely be empty.
At the end of the day, families will still be grateful to celebrate the holidays at home. Perhaps this year since many have more free time at home, some families will put extra effort to decorate. Whether or not this is the case, caution should always be taken when putting up Christmas decorations. There are a number of dangers that could present themselves, and avoiding these dangers could prevent a catastrophe for your family.
The president of the Electrical Safety Foundation International made that point that “People are using more energy than they’re used to and intrinsically you have more things around that can catch fire.” According to the National Fire Protection Association, Christmas tree fires cause more than $16 million worth of property damage each year. One frayed wire could mean the difference between a happy holiday and an electrical fire. When a wire is frayed and plugged in, it could easily begin to smoke, and being attached to a highly flammable object, a pine tree, it could easily go aflame.
To keep safe and avoid holiday fires, experts say never overload electrical outlets, inspect decorations for loose wires, buy lights and cords from trusted retailers, and always unplug decorations before leaving home or going to bed. Additionally, if you’re going to buy a real tree, look for one with fresh green needles. The more alive it is, the less flammable it could be.
While many believe Poinsettias are poisonous, they really don’t pose much of a threat. The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine found that only about 3 percent of children who eat it will develop any symptoms. Even those who do experience symptoms are mild at best. The main concern with poinsettias is that it could potentially make your cat or dog sick if ingested. If you have them in the house, it’s best to keep them out of reach from your pet.
Your bigger concern should be the holly. Not only are the leaves very pointy and could hurt a curious child, but the berries themselves are mildly poisonous. The berries look innocent enough to kids, but just five berries could lead to vomiting and abdominal cramping in children because they contain compounds called saponin. Bittersweet and Jerusalem cherry fruits can also cause GI issues and might even be fatal to kids.
If you have young children, then it’s important to evaluate the sturdiness of your Christmas tree. Test your stand to make sure it’s sturdy before you start trimming the tree. Take steps to keep it from being knocked over by keeping it away from doorways. Keep your children at a safe distance while putting up decorations. Be careful with putting up those ornaments as well, if a young child yanks one down, the glass ornament could shatter and hurt your child. If you’re worried, put a safety gate around the tree so curious kids can’t bump it down.
If you have a thing for fake candy canes, you really need to be careful about your children potentially attempting to eat the fake candy. You’d never put a fake candy cane ornament in your own mouth, but a child might not know any better. Avoid ones that really look like candy or food that may tempt a child. Some decorations could contain lead or cadmium, which could be poisonous if your child tries to eat them.
The top four days for candle fires are Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Christmas Eve, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Whether you’re adding some ambiance or lighting a menorah, treat a candle like the fire hazard it is. Never put one on a Christmas tree, and be sure to blow it out when you leave the room. If you do decide to use them, keep them on a stable, heat-resistant surface where kids can’t reach them or knock them over. Better yet, stick with a battery-operated candle instead of a real flame.
Finally, if you have children, it’s important to assess all the decorations you have around the house. Any small object could present itself as a choking hazard. You don’t give toddlers toys with tiny parts that they could swallow, so don’t leave those choking hazards around the house either. Kids might want to stick small parts, like nativity scene figurines, in their mouths. Leave them out of reach from little hands.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
When a person gets in a car accident, there are million things that go on in a persons head. A person will wonder what happened, if they are injured, if someone else is injured, who is at fault, should they call the police, what will insurance cover, should they go to the hospital and the list goes on. When a serious injury is involved, it is complicated even further, because now the accident potentially caused expensive medical bills and time off from work.
This is all understandably very stressful, and sometimes the last thing a person will think of is hiring a personal injury lawyer that specializes in car accidents. However, hiring an accident lawyer can alleviate a lot of the worries and complications involved with a serious accident. Yet, many people wait, and wait a long time before consulting with a lawyer.
Firstly, people don’t think to hire a lawyer because they are already overwhelmed with everything else resulting from the accident. What a person might not realize however, is that hiring a car accident lawyer can actually make life easier for a person, as well as reduce a measure of stress. The reason being, is that a personal injury law firm will often take care of all the paperwork involved and communicate with the insurance companies on your behalf. And ultimately, their goal is to earn you maximum financial compensation for the total cost of your injuries as well as your lost wages.
Another reason a person may not hire a lawyer right away is they didn’t at first realize how bad their injuries were. Oftentimes after an accident, a person doesn’t feel a lot of pain even if they are seriously injured. This is due to the adrenaline your body will give you that is a natural pain reliever. Additionally, some whiplash and brain related injuries take time to develop. The problem is, the closer a person seeks medical attention, the easier it is to tie the injury to be a result of the accident. This is why it is so important to seek medical attention right away if you have any pain following an accident. This way you can meet with a lawyer who can litigate on your behalf and easily pinpoint the severity of your injury to the accident.
The final reason a person waits to meet with a lawyer is they don’t know what it will cost and whether or not they have a case. The comforting part of this is that most personal injury law firms offer no financial burden to their clients. If you don’t know if you have a case, give the firm a call, and they will schedule a free consultation with you if they think they can help. Even at the initial consultation, you will be given all the information you need to decide whether or not you want to pursue a personal injury claim. If you do pursue a claim, it is at no cost to you if the firm works on a contingency basis. This means that you only pay the firm if you win the case. The firm would get a portion of the total earnings from the case as payment. Therefore, there is no reason to wait with a lawyer to see if pursuing a personal injury case is an option.
As you can see, the reasons people wait really offer no benefit to them or their eventual case. There are many reasons however, a person should not wait to see a lawyer after being injured in a car accident. First and foremost, when a person gets injured in an accident and it is someone else’s fault, the insurance company of the person who was at start to work immediately. They do not want to pay for their client’s negligence, so they start to investigate right away to begin building their defense.
Seeing a car accident attorney will counteract the insurance companies defense by equipping the person injured with the tools needed to earn the compensation they are owed by the insurance companies. This should be done as soon as possible because the attorney needs to know the circumstances surrounding the case and be able to gather evidence before it is lost. They can also gather witness statements while those lines of communication are still available and the accident is still in the witness’ memory.
As mentioned earlier, an attorney will handle all the paper work required to pursue and personal injury claim. Some of this paperwork, like no-fault applications, need to be filed within a certain timeframe. A personal injury law firm will make sure that paperwork is handled in the right time. They will also protect you from doing anything to harm your case, including the risk of allowing insurance companies to speak with you. All of these will ultimately ensure your ability to receive compensation for all the damage caused by the accident. If you know of someone injured in an accident, it is in their best interest to call a personal injury law firm for a free consultation right away.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
With Covid-19 cases rising in New York once again, many are starting to have trepidation about what to expect this winter. The holiday season especially is normally a time that families look forward to the most and this pandemic is once again requiring adjustments on everyone’s part. Thanksgiving is normally a time for families to get together. Often this involves family that doesn’t live locally to travel to whomever is hosting the dinner. With the virus’ incredible ability to spread from host to host, this can easily become another avenue for the infection rate in New York to worsen. Here are some suggestions on safety precautions for this Thanksgiving.
Aside from anyone living in your house, the CDC still recommends that any other person, family or not should follow the same social distancing guidelines that we have seen from the start. The reason being should someone visiting have the virus unknowingly, you and your family can avoid becoming infected. Keep the gathering small, maintain a distance of six feet, and avoid hugs and handshakes. If we are fortunate enough to have good weather, having the gathering outside greatly reduces the risks of spreading.
A simpler approach to a safe Thanksgiving would be to have your Thanksgiving meal together but separate through a zoom video meeting. Not only does this eliminate the risk of spreading the virus, but it also takes away the need for family members to travel far distances to celebrate Thanksgiving. Many students have used zoom for virtual learning. If you have never used zoom before, maybe someone in the family can show you how to set one up.
If you have decided to travel to see your family on Thanksgiving, if at all possible it would be better to drive instead of flying. Airports have large crowds of people and airplanes are a confined space you are sharing with strangers. If driving is a possibility, even if it takes a bit longer, you are greatly lowering your risk of spreading the virus.
If you are flying, it is imperative that you are aware of surfaces that you touch, and to wear your mask at all times. Some airlines offer the ability to pick your seat on the plane. Try, if possible, to seat yourself where there are empty seats next to you. In the airport, maintain social distancing and stay away from crowds. Especially during boarding, people tend to crowd around the gate to get on the plane. If it means getting on the plane a little later than others, it might be in your best interest to wait for the crowds to die down before you board your plan. Bring sanitation wipes to wipe your seats and your area.
Naturally what comes after Thanksgiving is holiday shopping. As exciting as this can be, we strongly discourage any and all “doorbusters” on Black Friday. Even with the precautions that stores may be taking to create a safer environment for shoppers. Going to the malls during the busiest shopping time of the year is only creating more opportunity for the spread of the virus. Practically every store is offering the same sales online as they are in store. Others are doing curbside pickup. Use these alternatives rather than physically shopping on Black Friday weekend.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
More than half of all reported traumatic brain injuries are as a result of a motor vehicle accident. A traumatic brain injury can occur as a result of any force that penetrates or fractures the skull. Naturally, we instinctively protect our head in any situation that could potentially damage it. The suddenness of a car accident doesn’t allow a person the time to protect themselves from hitting their head. The scary part is that a traumatic brain injury can take time to show symptoms, and the lasting effects of one can be catastrophic and even lethal.
There are many things in a car that can cause brain injury. Whether it’s the dashboard, a window, the steering wheel or the seat in front of you, blunt force to the head is a huge concern. Unlike other kinds of injuries, major damage can be done even if there isn’t an open wound or fracture to the skull. The sheer force of a motor vehicle accident can cause the brain to hit against the skull from the inside. The result can be multiple kinds of brain injuries. Blunt trauma to the head can result in injuries that are both debilitating and long-lasting. The scary part is that the symptoms of traumatic brain injuries are similar at first, but the range of severity can be huge. Traumatic brain injury can have wide-ranging physical and psychological effects. Some signs or symptoms may appear immediately after the traumatic event, while others may appear days or weeks later. Here are some types of traumatic brain injuries that are caused from motor vehicle accidents.
A sudden hitting of the head after something like a car accident can cause the brain to hit against your skull. Signs of a concussion include dizziness, confusion, vomiting, trouble balancing and problems with memory. While a concussion is mostly not life threatening, it is still very important to visit a doctor for this.
Edema is a swelling of fluid in the body. For a brain injury it causes a build up of pressure forcing the brain to press against the skull. Unlike edema in other parts of the body, edema in the brain is especially dangerous. The symptoms of edema are really just more severe symptoms of a concussion. This makes it even more important to get checked out if you think you have a concussion because there’s a possibility it could be something more serious. If you also have trouble doing normal things like walking, talking or breathing this could also be a sign of brain edema.
This is uncontrolled bleeding inside or around the brain. These hemorrhages cause extreme nausea and vomiting and can be very dangerous.
Fracturing the skull is very hard to do and requires a large amount of force. If you are in a motor vehicle accident and hit your head pretty hard you should immediately go to the hospital. Even if it isn’t a fracture it could still result in one of the other symptoms above. Bleeding or swelling from the nose or other parts of the face could indicate that a blow was hard enough to the face to possibly fracture the skull.
This is the most dangerous of all the brain injuries. Diffuse axonal injury is direct damage to the brain cells as opposed to hemorrhaging. Even worse is that it is hard to detect. If this happens, a person likely loses the ability to function. This kind of injury can be permanent or even result in death.
Any kind of blow to the head should not be taken lightly as it may be hard to know the severity right away. Brain injuries are categorized as mild, severe or catastrophic according to the extent of physical and/or mental impairment. The injury may cause damage that is intermittent, is short term, or lasts a lifetime. Severe and traumatic brain injuries place a great emotional and financial burden on the entire family.
If your brain is injured, in addition to medical treatment, you may require extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation to help you re-learn simple daily tasks, such as walking and talking. You may also need to redesign your home to accommodate a wheelchair and other equipment. Therefore, if you hit your head from a motor vehicle accident , you should get medically evaluated right away. Doing so not only will ensure you are treated properly and quickly, but it will also link your injury to the accident. Brain injuries are long lasting, devastating and expensive. When the accident is not your fault, you should not be responsible for paying for extensive medical treatment. That is why if you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle accident, it is in your best interest to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to help you regain your losses as a result of the accident.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.
The Covid-19 pandemic has put a pause on almost everyone’s life in some way. For a time, this included law firms and courts across the country. Especially with personal injury being an area of law that highly values a person’s safety, it was imperative that accident law firms do their part to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Additionally, we understand the urgency to move forward on our personal injury claims to give clients the compensation they deserve as soon as possible. Unfortunately, with the courts being closed down, cases that require trial had to be pushed back.
With the courts and law firms being closed for some time, some adjustments had to be made to move forward. There are several factors that are at play here, some positive and some negative. Overall, cases are being moved through the system at a decent pace. That is because the Court has implemented several new practices.
On the negative side, trials are still not back to normal. They only recently started to hear the first few trials. The trials that have begun have had mixed success with one of them having to be suspended due to a positive Covid test. As you could imagine, nine months or so of no trials has led to a serious backlog of cases.
Ultimately what we’re seeing is if a case is able to be settled, the effect of Covid is minor or may even play in your favor. On the other hand, if a trial is required, you may be delayed substantially. So far carriers have shown an interest in settling cases at a normal pace and have not used the court’s trial backup to delay. They don’t want to have a backlog of claims either. But in those cases where there is a dispute and a trial is needed, there will be a delay.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.