Oakland Personal Injury Lawyer - Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)

Proposed Bill Will Prevent Child Drowning Deaths

Claude Wyle — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:20:41 GMT

After the recent drowning of a 4-year-old boy, Great America is now requiring all children under 4 feet tall wear life vests in its pools. The mother of the boy was not in the pool at the time of the drowning and blames lifeguards for not spotting her son until it was too late. Will the new requirement save lives, or will it simply provide a false sense of security? Perhaps a better rule would be one in a bill proposed by Senator Elaine Alquist, D-Santa Clara, which would require parents actually watch their children.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Wrongful Death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Texas Toddler Bitten by Dog

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:09:00 GMT

A 2-year-old girl was bitten by a dog outside of her Tyler, Texas home and had to receive 80 stitches. The girl was outside with her mother when she left her mother's site and was attacked. The dog bites were on her head. The attack happened last Wednesday.

I come running around the house and there she was coming to find me. Her head was just blood was everywhere. Scared me I didn't know what happened. I could see her skull," said Stacie, "That is a mom's worst fear. Not knowing what happened to their kid and seeing their child in that kind of condition."

Five dogs were put down, including two of the family's pets. None of the dogs had a rabies shot. The little girl is now home and expected to recover completely.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Property Owners' Liability.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

What You Can Do To Prevent Slip And Falls

Claude Wyle — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:16:27 GMT

Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents and injuries have reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., particularly for persons over 65 years of age. Fortunately, there are several ways to help prevent slip and fall and trip and fall accidents, which are listed herein below. If you are injured due to another's negligence or because of a dangerous or defective condition on someone's property, you should contact a premises liability or slip and fall attorney.

Many slip and falls and trip and falls can be prevented. By changing a few things in your life, you can greatly reduce your chances of falling.

There are four main things that YOU personally can do to prevent falls:
1. Start a regular exercise program, and stick to it.
Exercising is perhaps the most important way to reduce your risk of falling. Exercise can make you stronger and feel better. Balance and coordination exercises (like Tai Chi) are the best. Failure to exercise can lead to weakness and can increase your risk of falling. Check with your doctor or other health care provider
about the most appropriate exercise program for you.

2. Review your medicines with your doctor.
Have your doctor or pharmacist analyze all your medicines, even non-prescription medicines. Some medicines, or the combination of medicines, can cause sleepiness or dizziness which can lead to a fall.

3. Check your vision.
Have your eyes checked by an eye doctor annually, at least. You may have the wrong glasses or have an eye condition like glaucoma or cataracts that effect your vision and contribute to your risk of falling.

4. Improve the safety of your home.
Approximately half of all falls occur at home. Try to make your home safer by:

Removing trip hazards (like things on the floor such as newspapers, books, laundry, or shoes) Remove everything form from stairs and places where you might trip.

Removing small rugs. If you really want to keep your small throw rugs, use a rug pad or tape or something to stop the rugs from slipping around on the floor.

Store things you use often in lower cabinets which you can reach easily without using a step stool or the wobbly kitchen chair.

Install grab bars next to your toilet or in the tub or shower, or even attached to your bed.

Use non-slip mats in the shower or tub and on bathroom floors.

Install brighter lights to see better. Reduce glare by using better curtains or shades.

Makes sure that all stairways are well lit and have handrails.

Wear shoes inside and outside the house. Try not to go barefoot or without wearing slippers.

Keep the floors clean and free of debris or liquids which may cause you to slip.

Good luck, and keep your eyes open.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

How to Prevent Dog Bites, For Children and Owners

Claude Wyle — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 10:52:06 GMT

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is an absolute epidemic of dog bites to children. As dog bite attorneys, we know that most dog bites are preventable, and that what we need is comprehensive dog bite prevention education and greater accountability for the owners of aggressive dogs. Both children and adults need to be trained how to interact with dogs who might bite. Most dog bites could be prevented if children and dogs and owners were better educated at community programs or local schools.

First, the local chapter of the Humane Society in each area should include a dog-bite prevention unit, with education programs for children, particularly third- to fifth-graders in local schools. First and foremost, of all advice for children is DO NOT RUN. The Humane Society has good recommendations for children confronted with aggressive dogs.

Humane Society trainers recommend anyone in danger of attack or under attack practice the Ice, Tree and Rock approach:
l First is the ice: "You freeze and you're quiet. In most cases the dog will find you uninteresting and leave," Myers said. Trying to outrun a dog, he said, is usually futile, and may actually provoke the dog.
l Once the dog is making some physical contact, "Be a tree. Stand straight and tall with hands by your side and don't make any noise."
l If knocked down, he said, be a rock: "Put fists over ears, forehead into knees and protect vital parts. Even if the dog bites you, on the back of legs or buttocks, they are less vulnerable to fatal bites than face, neck or belly."

One shocking statistic is that close to 50% of all bites are by the family's own dog. Training is key in preventing these types of bites. Many people believe that they should make their dogs tough guard dogs, however dogs who are chained in the yard, or who are treated harshly to make them tougher or who are deprived of human contact are more likely to be biters. In order to protect your own family and that of your neighbors, you may wish to rethink the concept of a tough guard dog. Dog training classes at the Humane Society is also an excellent dog bite prevention method.

Further, as dog bite attorneys, all evidence indicates that neutering dogs is essential for reducing aggressiveness, and cutting down the population of unwanted and unsocialized dogs. The evidence is clear that nearly all deadly dog bites in the U.S. are by dogs that have not been neutered.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Landlord Made Accountable for Tenant Trip and Fall

Claude Wyle — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 15:28:36 GMT

Congratulations to my partner, George Choulos, for another great result on a trip and fall case. $500,000! This trip and fall case, filed in San Francisco, California, is particularly notable since Choulos' client "tripped and fell" over a raised threshold and into an untempered glass shower door in his own apartment, on his way to the bathroom.

Broken shards of glass pierced the man's body through his side and cut his hand and face. He was left with ugly scars and will need revision surgery.
The landlord claimed he knew nothing about the composition of the glass, despite owning many units. The landlord also kept the client's move-in deposit because, "the tenant broke his shower door."
The landlord's reason for not changing to a harmless shower curtain? Because tenants would get too much water on the bathroom floor.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Rottweiler Owner May Face Dog Bite Lawsuit

Staff Writer — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 13:22:02 GMT

Residents of a Northern Illinois subdivision are having some problems with a rottweiler running loose in the neighborhood, and several people attended a recent board meeting to voice their concerns. Apparently the dog has charged quite a few people, and the owners, who have been ticketed seven times since 2000 for having a loose dog, are lucky they aren't yet facing a dog bite lawsuit.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer