Washington Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Regan Zambri & Long Law Firm : DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog

A cruise ship vacation is a great, relaxing way to travel and see counties all over the world.  As vacations go, cruises can also be very affordable.  The close proximity of so many vacationers in an isolated environment can pose some unique public health risks, however.  If a cruise ship vacation is on your agenda this season, take some time to familiarize yourself with the following tips for healthy cruising, courtesy of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning regarding persulfates --  common ingredients in denture cleansers -- and has asked manufacturers of denture cleansers to include a warning in the label about their use of persulfates.  The ingredients are now known to cause allergic reactions in some users.  The agency is also recommending that manufacturers begin searching for viable alternatives to persulfates.  The chemicals are used in most denture cleansers to promote the cleaning and bleaching process.

According to the FDA, allergic reactions to persulfates don't always occur after the first use, and may not occur until after many years of use.  Additionally, the symptoms of an allergic reaction may not appear for minutes or even hours after use of the cleansers.  Those symptoms may include irritation, tissue damage, rash, hives, gum tenderness, breathing problems, and even low blood pressure.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

According to a new analysis of U.S. injury data, approximately 37,000 people over age 65 are injured annually while attempting to enter or exit a vehicle.  Roughly 40% of these injuries were due to falls.  Additionally, the same group was found more likely to be hospitalized as a result of falls than was the average driver.  These findings are the result of new research published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) -- a consumer advocacy division of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) -- has released the 2008 edition of its Consumer Action Handbook.  The handbook is designed to empower consumers to interact productively with vendors and businesses and help all people to become smarter shoppers. 

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

If you've considered a deep cleaning of your home this spring, you may also be wondering how best to eliminate the disorganization of another year's worth of paperwork and financial records.  Simply throwing them in the trash is not always the safest solution.  According to the Better Business Bureau, 8.1 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2007, alone -- and surprisingly, only about 12% of that ID theft occurred on-line.

Before you throw away that next pile (or even piece) of identifiable personal financial information, take a minute to scan these helpful tips, designed to help you prevent the headache and financial injury associated with ID theft:

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Outdoor play equipment and playgrounds provide kids with great opportunities for fun and exercise, but they also pose a few safety hazards.  Improper playground surfaces, faulty recreational equipment and dangerous behavior can all put playful children on a fast track to the emergency room. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently released an update to its Handbook for Public Playground Safety.  Additionally, the agency has offered the following safety tips to avoid playground hazards and injuries, and to help make National Playground Safety Week the official kick-off of a safe and fun summer season:

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Contractors working on homes built prior to 1978 will soon be forced to take extra safety precautions to protect children from the dangers of lead paint, thanks to a new rule set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which will take effect in April 2010. 

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Record numbers of U.S. girls are participating in sports, but outside of organized sports, their physical activity levels are declining, especially as they become adolescents.  The findings are the result of recent research conducted at the University of Minnesota Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, and presented in a new report titled Developing Physically Active Girls.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Although many people with mild dementia (such as in early Alzheimer's Disease) may initially be able to drive safely, their driving skills predictably decline over 1 - 2 years to a level that often leaves them unsafe to drive.  The finding is the result of new research published in a recent edition of the journal Neurology -- the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Runners who take part in day-long "ultra-marathons" experience much of their fluid loss in the first 8 hours of the race, demonstrating the importance of early hydration, a study has found.  Published in a recent edition of the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, researchers in this latest study repeatedly weighed 52 ultra-marathoners (runners in day-long marathons) over the course their race, which was either a 12- or 24- hour event.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

More than 26,000 American children end up in hospital emergency rooms due to gymnastic-related injuries each year, according to a new study in a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics.  What's more, although half a millions U.S. kids compete in gymnastics each year, competitive pressure has generally been increasing, meaning that children are competing at younger ages.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Rap music glamorizes recreational drug use and portrays illegal drugs such as crack and cocaine as symbols of wealth and status, according to recent research conducted at the University of California - Berkeley School of Public Health. 

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Conventional wisdom may hold that drunk drivers are habitual drinkers, but new research shows that people who get drunk only on occasion account for almost half of all DWI offenses.  This latest study, published in a recent issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, draws its research data from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey -- a survey involving interviews with more than 350,000 adults living in the U.S. each year.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Now that the spring and summer sports season has arrived, the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) is urging all young athletes to "watch their mouths," and to wear a mouth guard for every sport this year, including even those spring sports typically thought of as "non-contact" sports -- like soccer, softball, baseball and gymnastics.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Malt-O-Meal has recalled two of its cereal products because of potential contamination with Salmonella.  Full details for the recalled items are detailed on the company website.  

As summarized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella is a bacteria that infects individuals who come in contact with infected food products, food handlers, or pets.   Most persons infected with the Salmonella bacteria usually recover completely, although elderly, infants and individuals with weakened immune systems are prone to more serious and longer term health problems.

Following is the recall announcement by Malt-O-Meal, reproduced in its entirety for our readers:

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Minneapolis, MN -- April 5, 2008 -- Malt-O-Meal announced today that it is voluntarily recalling its unsweetened Puffed Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals produced with "Best If Used By" codes between April 8, 2008 (coded as "APR0808") and March 18, 2009 (coded as "MAR1809") because they may have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recalled product was distributed nationally, marketed under the Malt-O-Meal brand and as some private label brands including Acme, America's Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, Shaw's, ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality. A comprehensive listing of impacted products can be found at www.malt-o-meal.com/recallinfo.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this situation. All other Malt-O-Meal products are unaffected by this action and are safe for continued sale and consumption. The products affected by this recall represent less than one-half of one percent of the company's annual production of ready-to-eat cereal.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/maltomeal04_08.html"

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Contrary to popular belief, pregnant women should wear seat belts, not only to save themselves in the event of a car accident but also to save their fetuses.  The finding is the result of recent research published in the April issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.  According to the study, almost 200 fetuses each year -- half of all fetal losses in motor-vehicle crashes -- could be saved if pregnant women wore seat belts properly.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The 8th annual Work Zone Awareness Week will be held April 7th - 11th, 2008.  Organized by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), this year's theme is "Slow for the Cone Zone."  The event is recognized across the nation, but the initial kick-off celebration will be held on April 8th in Sacramento, California -- the first annual kick-off held outside the DC Metro area.  The event aims to draw national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Mild traumatic brain injury is often followed by post-concussion syndrome, but brain injuries, it turns out, aren't the only traumas which predict the neurological condition.  The finding is the result of new research published in a recent edition of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Efforts to teach young adults about food safety may not be hitting home, according to a new study of college student eating behaviors recently published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Most people are aware of the importance of proper eye protection in sports such as hockey or racquetball, and wear face masks or appropriate safety goggles.  Unfortunately, many people are injured each year in a variety of other "less dangerous" sports which also require proper eye protection.  The American Academy of Opthalmic Executives (AAO) recognizes April 2008 as Sports Eye Safety Month to help increase public awareness of wearing protective eyewear when participating in team sports.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Alcohol abuse is prevalent among many different demographic groups in the United States, including all of the following, to name just a few examples:

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks