Lawn Mower Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

Last week, our blog discussed how cleaning products can be misused with tragic results. There are additional spring cleaning tips that are necessary for staying safe. Lawn mowers can cause catastrophic injuries or death, sometimes without any warning. According to statistics collected by the Academy of Pediatrics, lawn mowers injure 68,000 people every year. More than 9,400 of those injuries involve children. Common lawn mower injuries to children include lacerations, amputations and fractures.It is a matter of vital importance to keep your children inside while mowing the lawn, and to ensure children they are old enough to use this equipment.

Why Should You Keep Children Inside While Mowing the Lawn?

There are several ways children can be injured while parents are mowing the lawn. For example, parents may fail to see their children are in the path of the mower. Last year, a Houston man accidently backed over his 4-year-old son’s foot while mowing the lawn. The boy was treated at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital for a lacerated foot. According to the father, he was unaware his son was in the path of the lawn mower.Children can also run behind or in front of lawn mowers while they are in use. In addition, lawn mower blades can strike rocks or other objects, turning them into high-speed projectiles.

What Other Tips Can Protect Your Children from Lawn Mower Injuries?

Keeping your children inside while you are mowing the lawn is the best surefire way to prevent injuries. However, experts with organizations like the Academy of Pediatrics have other tips that may help keep your children safe.The Academy of Pediatrics has the following suggestions:

• Children under 12 years old should never use push or “walk-behind” mowers
• Children under 16 years old should not use riding lawn mowers
• Parents should never allow their children to be passengers on riding lawn mowers

It is also important to carefully check your surroundings when mowing the lawn. You will not be able to hear children approaching from the side or behind while mowing. If you are going to put the mower in reverse, look behind you beforehand.You should also stay informed of possible recalls. Some lawn and brush mowers may have defects. For example, the Pro-XL-44 field and brush mower has a fuel tank malfunction that may release gasoline liquid or vapors this is a fire hazard.You can check the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website for more information on lawn or brush mower recalls. If you or a family member were injured by a defective lawn care product, you may have legal options to pursue damages against the manufacturer or retailer. The Texas product liability attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC can help you weigh possible options.

Can Spring Cleaning Mistakes Endanger Your Safety?

If you are planning to do some spring cleaning in the next few weeks, it is essential to avoid making mistakes that can endanger your safety. When cleaning products are used incorrectly, chemical reactions can occur. Some of these chemical reactions may result in serious injury or death. The following examples are common spring cleaning mistakes people make with these products.

Never Mix Bleach with Other Cleaning Products

Bleach is great at what it is designed to do – clean and sterilize surfaces. However, it can create deadly chemical reactions when mixed with other products. Chlorine gas is produced when bleach is mixed with acidic products. This is a common mistake people make when cleaning toilet bowls. They will buy a toilet bowl cleaning product that contains acid, and then mix it with bleach. Another common mistake is to mix drain cleaners from different brands. Mixed together, this may also create chlorine gas.Chlorine gas irritates the mucus membranes. Low levels of exposure can cause coughing, breathing problems and watery eyes. High levels of exposure can lead to vomiting, chemical burns, severe chest pain, pneumonia and death. Acidic cleaning products include vinegar, drain cleaners, window cleaners (some but not all) and drain cleaners.Chloramines are produced when bleach is mixed with ammonia. These are toxic vapors that cause coughing fits, nausea, wheezing, shortness of breath and pneumonia.If you are cleaning with rubbing alcohol, do not also clean with bleach. Rubbing alcohol and bleach create chloroform and hydrochloric acid when mixed together. In large enough quantities, chloroform vapors can cause dizziness and irritation. Hydrochloric acid is a corrosive substance that may cause chemical burns.The Centers for Disease Control recommends avoiding the use of bleach products in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces. Only mix bleach products with water and your own hard work ethic.

Are There Other Dangerous Cleaning Products?

It is very important to keep cleaning products away from children. If you are going to be doing some spring cleaning, be sure to keep these products out of reach. For example, drain cleaners that contain sulfuric acid can lead to serious chemical burns and disfigurement when it comes into contact with soft tissue. Many of these products are uniformly fatal when ingested.Although some websites claim these products should be kept on a high shelf, that is hogwash. Keep these products in a high area in a locked cabinet or large toolbox. Children can climb counters and they may not understand why these products are dangerous. Make sure your children can not see how you unlock these cabinets or toolboxes. Never leave cleaning products unattended.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC are committed to serving the community by promoting safety.

Truck Accident Causes Part 4: Can Health Conditions Raise the Risk of a Truck Crash?

There are several health conditions that may cause commercial drivers to crash their trucks. Although multiple conditions have been identified, truckers are not always screened. Some health problems have become hotly debated topics among lawmakers and transportation safety officials. The following conditions in this blog are common among the population, including commercial truck drivers. However, some of the conditions mentioned in this blog can be screened for and are treatable. Screening for and treating these conditions may prevent commercial truck accidents.

Can Sleep Apnea Cause Commercial Truck Accidents?

Last year, a study conducted by the Harvard University discovered truckers with sleep apnea had crash rates five times higher than truck drivers without the condition. This health condition causes interruptions in breathing during sleep. People with sleep apnea may not realize they have the condition. They may experience excessive daytime drowsiness and difficulty concentrating. In some cases, they may doze off without warning. These are obviously a bad combination of symptoms for people driving vehicles that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and lawmakers have discussed screening commercial drivers for this condition. Sleep apnea is common among the population, but it is also treatable. If truckers were to be treated, they could decrease their risk of crashing. A “sleep apnea screening rule” is currently in limbo.Harvard University claims 20 percent of truck accidents are caused by drowsy driving. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that causes drowsiness. It is a known public risk, yet we still do not have a screening rule!

Can Other Health Conditions Cause Truckers to Crash?

There are other conditions that may increase the risk of crashing. Another study conducted by the University of Utah School of Medicine discovered truckers with poor general health are more likely to cause accidents.Researchers combed through the medical records of almost 50,000 truckers, and discovered drivers with conditions like heart disease, lower back pain and diabetes were more likely to crash. Drivers with all three conditions were most at-risk. Crash rates involving injury among all truck drivers was 29 per 100 million miles travelled. For those with three of the health conditions, the crash rate was 93 per 100 million miles.

Are Commercial Truckers Screened for Health Conditions?

Commercial truckers driving vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds for interstate commerce must undergo Department of Transportation health exams, as there are some conditions that disqualify drivers. After passing the examination, truckers receive a medical certification that remains valid for two years. Driver qualification files (also called DQ files) contain the health records of truckers. Trucking companies may request these files before hiring drivers.There are some cases where trucking should or are required to request truckers to obtain new medical certificates. As we know, trucking companies do not always comply with federal or state regulations. People injured in truck accidents, or their family members should consult with an attorney to explore possible legal options against trucking companies.The Texas truck accident attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC are dedicated to helping people harmed by negligent business practices.

What Are Possible Consequences of Social Media Mistakes Made During Spring Break?

One of the worst spring break mistakes is to make careless posts on social media. Clogging your Facebook or Instagram feeds with unprofessional or unflattering posts may lead to consequences that follow you for life. Your relationships with family, or obligations to school administrators or employers can also suffer damage. What you post online will never go away. Think of the following consequences of social media mistakes before you hit the post button.

1. Depending on what you post, you could be fired from your job. For example, if your employer sees photos of you drinking heavily, it may reflect poorly on your professional life. This is especially true for people who hold professional licenses, such as teachers, nurses or lawyers. Posting anything deeply unprofessional, whether it be a photo or regular status update, may end with you losing your job. Texas is an “at-will” state, which can make it easier for an employer to terminate your position.
2. You may get into trouble with your school. School administrators may see or become aware of your posts. Are you on campus and violating a school policy? You may wind up in your school’s administration office for disciplinary reasons.
3. You could hurt your future career prospects. Many employers meticulously comb through the social media accounts of job applicants. They may check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat or Google. Photos or status updates can reflect poorly on your professional ambitions. Employers want candidates who are not going to be a liability. Any time you post to social media, ask yourself: “Is this something I would want my future boss to see?”
4. Your family may take offense to some of your posts. Depending on the post, this may strain your relationships with family members.
5. In the worst-case scenario, your embarrassing post could go viral. This means tens of thousands or millions of people could see one of your most embarrassing moments. These are the types of posts that get picked up by media outlets and haunt people for the rest of their lives.

Want to Avoid Social Media Mistakes? Keep Your Future in Mind

Alcohol is a major reason people show poor judgement when posting on social media during spring break. However, even the excitement of the moment can lead to permanent consequences. Always have your future in mind when you are posting on social media. Are your posts something you would want your family, employers or school administrators to see?It’s also a good rule of thumb to keep your personal and professional social media accounts separate. You can have social media accounts for your professional life and personal life. If they are not separate, you can max out your privacy settings to increase the chances only select people can see your posts. For example, Facebook allows you to limit who can search for you or see your timeline. You can also use security options to limit who can search for you on Google.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC are dedicated to serving the safety and wellbeing of our community.

Truck Accident Causes Part 3: Semi-Truck Crashes and Distracted Driving

Commercial truckers who are not paying attention to the road are risking their lives and the lives of others. We commonly associate distracted driving with passenger vehicles, but it is also common among commercial drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has strict regulations that limit mobile phone use by truckers. These regulations are designed to prevent semi-truck crashes. Penalties for breaking these regulations are harsh.

• FMCSA rules restrict commercial truckers from sending or reading text messages or emails while driving. These rules are broad, and cover electronic devices such as cell phones, PDAs, pagers, laptops or any other device used to input, write, send or receive text messages.
• Drivers cannot browse the internet (such as Facebook or any other social media websites).
• Drivers can only press a single button to terminate phone calls.

The fines and penalties for breaking these rules vary. Commercial drivers may have their CDL disqualified for 60 days for two offenses within three years. They may have their CDL disqualified for 120 days for three offenses within three years. Fines for individual drivers can reach $2,750 per offense. Commercial motor carriers who allow drivers to use mobile devices can face fines of up to $11,000. The There are exceptions to these rules. For example, if it is necessary to contact law enforcement or emergency services.The reason why penalties are steep is because distracted driving is far more dangerous for large commercial vehicles. A fully loaded truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, multiple times more than your average passenger vehicle. The FMCSA released the following stats on distracted driving:

• Commercial drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a crash while reaching for a mobile phone.
• Truckers who text and drive are 23.2 times more likely to deviate from their lanes, or cause accidents or near-accidents.
• Truckers dialing a phone number are six times more likely to cause an accident.

There is also the famous statistic released by the Department of Transportation. Drivers sending or reading texting take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 miles per hours, this equates to 346 feet.

How Can an Attorney Help After a Semi-Truck Crash?

There are several ways a truck accident attorney could hold texting drivers or their employers accountable for causing a semi-truck crash. For example, an attorney may be able to find evidence that a trucker was texting or posting to social media at the time of an accident. Other forms of communication may show company policies encourage truckers to email or text while driving. Some accidents may be caught on camera. Skilled truck accident attorneys meticulously go through all available evidence to help your case succeed.The Texas truck accident attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC can help you hold negligent truckers and commercial carriers accountable for causing crashes.