Celebrate Children’s Eye Health Month with These Safety Tips
August is Children’s Eye Health Month. As kids head back to school, it’s important to make sure their vision is healthy, so they can see the blackboard, read their assignments, and participate in sports and games. Eye health can help children avoid accidents and injuries, as many experienced New York injury lawyers have noted from countless cases.
The first step in making sure your child’s eye health is in top shape is to see an eye doctor. You can also help your child prevent eye injuries by helping him or her practice good eye safety tips, like:
Three Ways to Prevent Back to School Injuries
The start of the new school year is just a few weeks away. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), most accidents that injure children on playgrounds or during school hours are “completely preventable.” Experienced New York child injury attorneys encourage families to celebrate their child’s next educational step by kicking off the new school year with a focus on playground and school safety.
Here are a few ways you can help your kids have more fun and prevent injuries when school begins:
- Play smarter. Even young kids can learn to identify risky places to play. When you go to the playground with kids, teach them to pay attention to the surfaces under play equipment. Soft sand, mulch, or gravel helps cushion falls from play equipment, but hard grass, concrete, or sand should be avoided.
Stay Safe While Boating in New York This Summer
The state of New York ranks seventh in the nation for boating facilities – but third in boating accidents, according to a recent TWC News report.
Boating is a big part of summer fun for many New Yorkers – but boating does pose certain risks, and injuries can occur if boaters are not careful and ensure their own safety and the safety of others. When you go out on the water this summer, keep these safety tips in mind:
- Always wear a life jacket. New York saw 18 deaths in boating accidents last year, according to TWC News. A properly-fitting life jacket is the easiest way to prevent death or serious injury.
- Plan ahead. Learn about the water you plan to boat on, including potential hazards and the type of traffic to expect. Check the weather report before you go.
Stay Safe During Power Outages This Summer
Power outages can happen any time of year. In summer, storms and electrical grid overload are the two most common sources of power outages.
Although we rely on electricity in many areas of our lives, it can be dangerous when handled improperly – and certain health risks loom larger when electricity is not available. Consider these tips from experienced New York injury attorneys to protect yourself and those you love during a power outage this summer.
- If you buy a generator to provide energy when the power is out, never run it indoors. Carbon monoxide and other deadly substances can build up, causing serious injury. Run the generator outdoors only, and follow all safety and operating instructions that come with the generator. You may want to check the Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site, cpsc.gov, to ensure that your generator has not been recalled.
10 Ways to Save Water…Without Drying Out Your Summer Plans
Water is at a premium in a number of states, and water conservation is an important part of protecting the health of our planet no matter where we are. Conserving water also helps cut down on your utility bills, whether you receive city water service or use electricity to run a well pump.
- Choose your own water glass, or use a water bottle. Refill it throughout the day instead of getting a new glass each time. You’ll save water and cut down on the dishes you have to wash.
- If you drop ice cubes, put them in a house plant or a pet’s water dish instead of tossing them in the sink. Plants and pets need extra water in summer as well, so they’ll thank you.
- Share water from fish tanks with non-edible plants instead of pouring it out. Your ornamental plants and shrubs will love the nutrient-rich water left behind by the fish.
WRSH Recovers $3.3 Million for Woman Severely Injured in Manhattan Truck Accident
New York attorneys Philip Russotti and Kenneth Halperin of Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP recent settled a case for $3,300,000 on behalf of a 43-year-old woman who suffered permanent injuries in a truck accident.
The injured woman was riding in the passenger seat of her sister’s car that was headed to Staten Island when the accident occurred. A semi-truck drifted into the right lane of a two lane southbound road, striking the car and causing the woman’s sister to lose control of the vehicle. The car spun into the path of the truck, resulting in a second impact.
Truck Drivers Continue to Fight Drowsy Driving Accident Prevention
In an effort to reduce the number of serious truck accidents that occur each year due to fatigued driving, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enacted new Hours-of-Service rules for truck drivers in July 2013. The new rule reduced the number of hours a trucker may spend on the road in a single week from 82 hours to 70, with a mandatory 34 hours of rest before beginning a new workweek.
Driving while drowsy is a great risk for any driver, but when an individual is operating a semi-truck that can easily weigh 80,000 pounds, the potential for causing catastrophic or fatal damage is all the more real. According to National Transportation Safety Board, nearly half of all fatal truck accidents are the result of a fatigued truck driver.
Unfortunately, in an industry in which truckers earn more money the quicker a delivery is completed, forcing drivers to spend less time on the road, especially between the low-traffic hours of 1am and 5am, is not a welcomed change.
Five Ways to Find the Perfect Graduation Gift
Students all over New York are graduating this spring and summer. Graduation is a huge milestone in a teen’s or young adult’s life, and many family members and friends mark the occasion with a gift. Here are five ways to offer a gift the new graduate will love now and in the future:
Name That Major
For high school students who have already chosen a college major or for recent college graduates, a gift relating to their field of study is always helpful. For students entering a field of study, you can help them purchase what they’ll need: tools for auto mechanics students, lab equipment for science majors, or books for any student. Some schools offer gift cards; contact the school’s bookstore to find out.
What Does Dad Really Want for Father’s Day?
Nix the necktie and skip the socks! What dads really want for Father’s Day can’t be bought in any department store. Instead, recent polls show that what most dads really want for Father’s Day is to spend quality time with their families. They want to feel like they matter as much on Father’s Day as Mom matters on Mother’s Day – and polls show that most dads have family members who agree with them.
How can you make Dad feel like a million bucks on Father’s Day without wasting your cash? Try these Father’s Day celebrations:
Go out to Dinner with the Family
Gather the family and take Dad out to dinner. Make him feel like the guest of honor by taking care of all the details beforehand, from making the reservations to appointing a driver to packing along the credit card. For an extra touch, ask the restaurant if you can have your father’s favorite drink or appetizer waiting at the table when he arrives – or if you can drop off a small gift beforehand for the wait staff to surprise him with.
Help Kids Stay Safe This Summer: Take the Pool Safely Pledge
Swimming safety helps address the number-one cause of death and unintentional injury among children under age 5: drownings and near-drownings in swimming pools and hot tubs. Three in every four of these accidents occur in backyard swimming pools and hot tubs, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
How can you help protect the kids you love from injury this summer? Start by raising their awareness and your own by taking the “Pool Safely” pledge with them. The CPSC offers a sample pledge for both children and adults. The children’s pledge asks kids to promise to keep the following safety rules in mind:
- Never swim alone,
- Ask parents or caregivers to sign them up for swimming lessons,